My family and I made a pilgrimage to Stoke last summer. We were in this for the long haul. Now I think that only a preexisting soccer specific stadium with beer sales and natural grass would allow a franchise to survive here. Sounds like the cart before the horse, but if this ownership group couldn't stick it out without one, who would? Certainly the mainstream local media remains very reluctant to accept soccer. I think soccer in Texas will have to be like stock car racing in the 60s -- you have to draw big crowds in order to drag the media to pay attention rather than the other way around. Either way, even if that could happen, all of that is many, many years away.
I applaud you for visiting (although I don't think it's much to visit!). I hope you had a good time watching Stoke and got to see the more pretty parts of England as opposed to the industrial wasteland that is Stoke. Who know what the future holds eh? Sometimes great things come out of bad events. I know it would of been hard for Phil to make the decision and I'm sure he will of spent a great deal of effort trying to avoid making it. I have spent a lot of time with the Coates family and we all know they are all about the team and fans and not just the business like most EPL teams are. Although I'm sure that won't be any consolation right now. As it happens I'm moving to Fareham, Portsmouth and was looking forward to watching a 2nd team until the equally sad news that it looks like they are going to fold too.
I have no affiliations to Austin, but just dropping by to tell you how disappointed I am. I truly felt Austin would have continued to build it's fanbase and become a rock of D2. Reprehensible how this all played out.
yes that is terrible news about portsmouth i still like stoke (the team). agree the town was no great shakes.
I don't understand how you could have a make-or-break year in the second year of existence. Not do I understand how one as business-savvy as Phil could build a business plan that relies on sellouts at House Park for the economics to work. We had a decent average attendance, and the team's profile was improving locally. Smells funny to me.
Portsmouth are fine. Their future was secured yesterday when they were bought by a group of Indian businessman. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/p/portsmouth/9121791.stm Sorry to go off topic.
That's pretty interesting, on the news tonight they are still talking about the club possibly folding. I'm hoping for the best! Anyway sorry for derailing the thread folks.
Oh, I dunno. If I had a choice between saving Phil or Sepp Blatter or Jack Warner from a fire, I'd probably pick Phil.
I'll repost here what I put on their facebook page: Obviously I'm dissapointed about losing the team, but more than that, in handling this the way they have Phil & co. have no doubt poisoned the well for professional soccer in Austin for years to come.
I'm sorry guys. You can be sure that the whole World is with you guys, because in most countries it would be unacceptable for somebody to move a team that way, unless they had really good reasons. (Only team I can think of is Atlante, Mexico)
Screw USL Pro more like USL screwover. Hopefully someone will step up in Austin to Bring a Soccer club to Austin in the NASL. Not only did Phil screw over austin but the USL was in on this screw over Austin. NASL the Austin San Antonio Derby. I curse Orlando City SC, I curse USL, and I curse Stoke City.
When I read this in the paper this morning I couldn't believe it. Austin has some of the most passionate, knowledgeable fans in the league! To join with Steve Donner (not exactly the most popular man in Rochester) in Orlando, especially after the Titans (LAX) franchise failed is insanity. I certainly hope the USL is able to quickly develop a southwest division that will bring soccer back to Austin. This is horrible news indeed =(
I knew this was not a profitable team at this point in time. I was amazed at Phil's vision, commitment, and faith in this game that we all love. I felt so thankful that we had our very own soccer benefactor here in Austin. I helped how I could. I told friends. I told family. I was an alliance member. Hell, I even bought the parking pass. I told Phil nearly every time that I saw him, "Thanks for bringing soccer to Austin. We appreciate it so much." Now this. It stings. It hurts. I'm sure I will support the next traveling soccer show that comes to town. I'll go to games, and cheer on the players. I'm sure I'll even see some of you back here in whichever forum gets created. I'm also sure I won't be as emotionally committed or involved with that team either. Its going to take time.
I'm sorry it came to this. I've been close to the proceedings from the beginning, and I had no idea of any involvement from Rawlins until the recent days. Although I am glad soccer is a reality in Orlando, it is bittersweet knowing it came at your expense. I hope the Austin Aztex rise again.
Us here in San Antonio are furious. When San Antonio got their Expansion team, I thought to myself that NASL just gave Austin a reason to join NASL, and I was exited about the idea of supporting San Antonio and building the Rivalary between SA and Austin. It could have been something great. But now im just angry because San Antonio just lost their Derby. And what Phil did was cold and heartless. USL was involved in screwing Austin and San Antonio over. I hope USL fails in Orlando and Phil loses everything. Thats how i feel. I now the Austin supporters must feel even more furious becaus that was their TEAM. I hope someone in Austin with the Money and True Vision for Austin Soccer shows up soon. Austin Didn'T dESERVE WHAT phil and USL did.
I really feel sorry for the Austin fans. Got to meet many of you up there and y'all were very friendly and dedicated. Hope you get a team ASAP. Maybe NASL will in the end respond.
USL has always been a nasty org. I blame them for many of the failures of soccer here in Texas. If you were in with Marcos and his friends or they thought they could use you, you were good no matter what else you did. If you weren't in with Marcos and his friends(from back in the early days of soccer) then you would pretty much fail. I often wondered if they set people up to fail. They do seem to thrive on fees associated with each new start up.
The Rochester decision plus re-adding Charlotte, Pitt, and Richmond (more like merging USL1 and USL2) helps USL and makes the D2 situation more confusing.
I hope NASL leadership sees how USL screwed the City of Austin and wish that NASL finds a home in Austin.
I think the best hope for a successful franchise would be for a group (with one or more sugar daddies) to form with a 5-10 year plan that includes: 1. A soccer specific stadium, natural grass, centrally located, available for multiple uses 1a. Which in turn requires convincing a community that it has other benefits -- e.g., UIL games, other soccer uses, concerts? 2. Solve the problem of blending Hispanic and non-hispanic fan bases behind a team. This is both locational and style of play/compsition issue. 2a. When the Aztex were at Reagan I heard some suburban white fans say they didn't want to go to games in that neighborhood. Apparently Hispanic fans weren't coming to House Park. 2b. I kept hearing that style of play put off Hispanic fans in Austin. Personally I prefer a short passing style, but I see no reason why a team has to be all one style of play. Aztex (it seemed to me) played a very English style. There must be teams that are more flexible and can blend styles, or at least play in a way that appeals across demographic groups. Based on what we were building in Austin, I really believe that with beer sales and a centrally located SSS, Austin could draw like Rochester does on a regular basis. (Rochester also has the nicest SSS in the league and a 20+ year tradition with pro soccer.)