Ottawa Fury - RIP

Discussion in 'Canada' started by Initial B, Nov 8, 2019.

  1. Initial B

    Initial B Member

    Jan 29, 2014
    Club:
    Ottawa Fury
    https://www.ottawafuryfc.com/

    As a season seat Holder since the first came at Carleton, I'm so depressed that this is how it turned out. I know that Politics played some role in the club's demise, but I'd really like to see the money trail and where it leads and why they made that decision to finally pull the plug.

    Anybody who wants to grieve, post here. Anybody who wants to gloat, please post somewhere else.
     
  2. Robert Borden

    Robert Borden Member+

    Chelsea
    Canada
    Apr 19, 2017
    Toronto, Ontario
    Nat'l Team:
    Canada
     
  3. Kingston

    Kingston Member+

    Oct 6, 2005
    Since I attend(ed) Fury games, I'm on their mailing list. This is the email I received today signed by the club president, John Pugh:

    It’s with a very heavy-heart that I write this. Ottawa Fury FC has notified the United Soccer League, Canada Soccer and our staff, players and coaches that the club has suspended operations. We will not compete in the USL Championship (USL) or any other league in 2020.


    Before going further, on behalf of my partners and the entire Ottawa Sports & Entertainment Group, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for your support of Ottawa Fury FC. The support we received from our Fury Family in Ottawa made it possible to operate a professional franchise here for 6 great seasons.


    Why would an established team which made the playoffs in the 2019 USL Championship season, had the 2nd best season in its 6-year history, developed a loyal fan base and won a league award for its team and game day operations be suspending operations? Politics. Fury’s participation in the USL requires sanctioning from soccer’s governing bodies—Canada Soccer, US Soccer Federation and CONCACAF. Despite our best efforts over a period of many months, we were unable to obtain full sanctioning and since schedules must be developed, players signed and tickets sold, we simply ran out of time.


    One of the proudest moments of my life was in the spring of 2014 when we established our men’s professional team, Ottawa Fury FC. I will never forget the first ever game at Carleton, or the opening match at TD Place against the NY Cosmos before 14,000 fans. An exhibition game against the famous Glasgow Rangers followed soon after. In 2015, coach Marc Dos Santos led our team to its first silverware by winning the NASL Fall Season. We went on to win the Championship semi-final at TD Place against Minnesota before losing to our nemesis, the NY Cosmos in the Championship Final. We have twice defeated MLS opposition at TD Place in the Canadian Championship. Despite our sanctioning troubles in pre-season, in 2019, GM Julian de Guzman and Coach Nikola Popovic put together an attractive attacking team that took us to the playoffs once again.


    I am also immensely proud of the contribution that Fury FC has been able to make in the development of Canadian players. In 2018, for example, under the leadership of General Manager and Canadian legend Julian de Guzman, Fury FC had a USL roster that included eighteen Canadians and recorded the most minutes played by Canadian professional players of any professional club in the world.


    I’d like to thank all the players, coaches and staff that have come through the Ottawa Fury system, the sponsors who support us, the fans that support us, the media that covers us, and particularly my ownership partners for making it all possible.

    It’s been a great ride. Thank you all.
     
  4. Kingston

    Kingston Member+

    Oct 6, 2005
    So, based on that, it is an issue of sanctioning. This is not surprising given what we all knew.

    The letter doesn't answer questions about whether they sought CPL sanctioning or anything like that. It also doesn't officially say what the future holds, just that the team won't be playing in 2020.

    Personally, I don't see the Fury coming back. I'm very disappointed that this is how it came to be. I'd have loved to have seen the Fury in the CPL. Even letting them stay in the USL one more season while a CPL team got organized would have been better than no soccer team in Ottawa. And now any CPL team that does come will do so without the support of the group that controls the most useful stadium. A sad situation.
     
  5. Robert Borden

    Robert Borden Member+

    Chelsea
    Canada
    Apr 19, 2017
    Toronto, Ontario
    Nat'l Team:
    Canada
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    1193181324124798976 is not a valid tweet id


    I'm sad for the fans but as far as OSEG goes... good riddance.

    Ottawa deserves an ownership that believes in soccer and committed to make it work.

    It's becoming clear that they just wanted out of the soccer business and blaming the universe for forcing them out was the best way to save face as they still are running a junior hockey and CFL club.

    Who are they fooling about being blindsided by sanctioning? Pugh sits on the CSA freaking board.

    Good riddance
     
  6. adrenaline11

    adrenaline11 Member+

    Jul 29, 2010
    Toronto
    Club:
    Tottenham Hotspur FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Canada
    I'm not made at the Fury for not joining CPL. If you're the CSA and you're confident that your league will better for Ottawa soccer in the long term, you have to trust that the Fury will eventually find their way. If you're the CPL, you should offer them a way into the league without a fee but you shouldn't chase OSEG. You should go and talk to as many groups in that area as you can.

    In the end, the Fury were given rope and they have hung themselves with it. While it is a set back for Ottawa soccer in the short term, I'm glad that the CSA gave them sanctioning for 2019 and 2020. Trying to force the Fury to join a domestic league would've been tantamount to helicopter parenting.

    Letting them fail is better than declaring them too big to fail.
     
  7. Kingston

    Kingston Member+

    Oct 6, 2005
    Except this wasn't letting them fail, this was shutting them down.

    I get all the rules and arguments. I also think that Ottawa should be in the CPL.

    Right now, however, we have no Ottawa CPL team and no Fury.

    Somehow saying, "I'd rather have no team in Ottawa than have a USL team while we line up CPL ownership" seems like a bad solution.
     
  8. MLSinSTL

    MLSinSTL Member+

    Columbus Crew
    United States
    Mar 20, 2009
    Ohio - near a city
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Sorry to see the Fury go dark. They had a quality team from the very start when they were in the NASL and I had hoped they could find a way to continue in the USL Championship. It's too bad the politics got in the way of the team playing in the league of their choice.
     
  9. adrenaline11

    adrenaline11 Member+

    Jul 29, 2010
    Toronto
    Club:
    Tottenham Hotspur FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Canada
    From what I heard, the Fury handed an incomplete application for sanctioning to the relevant bodies. They couldn't answer the question of why they qualified for an exemption to Statute 73.

    CONCACAF and the USSF never formally denied sanctioning.
     
    Robert Borden repped this.
  10. Chastaen

    Chastaen Member+

    Alavés
    Jul 9, 2004
    Winnipeg
    Club:
    Aston Villa FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Certainly a bad thing for soccer in Canada.

     
  11. Robert Borden

    Robert Borden Member+

    Chelsea
    Canada
    Apr 19, 2017
    Toronto, Ontario
    Nat'l Team:
    Canada
    Dont know about that. It's clear that OSEG was determined to keep the CPL away from Ottawa.

    There isn't bigger proof of that team commitment to a USSF league when they opened the door to move their franchise to the US.

    Good riddance if you ask me
     
  12. Chastaen

    Chastaen Member+

    Alavés
    Jul 9, 2004
    Winnipeg
    Club:
    Aston Villa FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Come now, that sounds like sour grapes. If the team wanted to join the CPL it would have. It didnt want to and it sounds like that hurt your feelings. It is a first year league, it will take time for it to become attractive. It seems the CPL franchise fee is around 3 million while the USL franchise is around 7 million. Once the CPL grows and mature maybe bigger teams will want to play there.

    Forcing them apparently wasnt the best option.
     
  13. Robert Borden

    Robert Borden Member+

    Chelsea
    Canada
    Apr 19, 2017
    Toronto, Ontario
    Nat'l Team:
    Canada
    CPL gave them whatever they wanted. Waived expansion fees, keep the roster as is and all the contract. They said no.

    The anger is that anyone who listened to their press conference knew something didn't add up. They blamed CONCACAF and accused CPL off holding some king of ransom over their heads.

    The truth is that, the CSA told them that USL sanctioning was conditional to joining CPL and it was temporary. OSEG claimed that they were blindsided while their president sat on the CSA board.

    Worst, multiple sources within CONCACAF, CSA and the Fury are corroborating that they submitted an incomplete sanction application where they didn't answer the question "explain how you qualify for the waiver"

    Leagues go under when you have s*** owners like the old CSL. In regards to soccer, as a league, you want to stay away from ownership like them.

    I'm actually relieved. Now we know that CPL will have a team in the national capital
     
    Victor Smitty repped this.
  14. thekorean

    thekorean Member

    Jan 10, 2017
    Club:
    New York City FC
    It does sound like that, but Ottawa needs a soccer team. CPL needs to find a way to get in there.

    What a ********ing shame though. Absolute shame. Fury should have joined CPL.
     
  15. Robert Borden

    Robert Borden Member+

    Chelsea
    Canada
    Apr 19, 2017
    Toronto, Ontario
    Nat'l Team:
    Canada
    This is how a club acts professionally in public. They are the opposite of the Fury who acted "dumb" trying to fool us into thinking that they understood sanctioning issues less than an amateur club :rolleyes:

    http://www.highlandersfc.ca/news/highlanders-league-update-2020-2021-and-beyond The Victoria Highlanders FC 1st team will be participating in the Pacific Coast Soccer League for the upcoming 2020 season as the club prepares for the introduction of a new league in 2021.

    Sanctioning to participate in USL League 2 occurs annually. Sanctioning must be provided and approved by CONCACAF (The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football), as well as the member nations involved; in this case the Canadian Soccer Association and United States Soccer Federation.

    With the changing landscape in Canadian and BC soccer it was unclear and not guaranteed that sanctioning would be provided beyond 2020. The club has made the decision to support BC and Canadian soccer and their plans around Tier 1 (CPL), Tier 2 (Division 2) and Tier 3 (BCL1, L1 Ontario, PLSQ) soccer.
     
  16. thekorean

    thekorean Member

    Jan 10, 2017
    Club:
    New York City FC
    where are they going to play?
     
  17. Robert Borden

    Robert Borden Member+

    Chelsea
    Canada
    Apr 19, 2017
    Toronto, Ontario
    Nat'l Team:
    Canada
    TD Place. OSEG has confirmed that when a new soccer team arrives, they would make the stadium available to them
     
  18. thekorean

    thekorean Member

    Jan 10, 2017
    Club:
    New York City FC
    Good on them for not being that petty. :laugh:
     
  19. msilverstein47

    msilverstein47 Member+

    Jan 11, 1999
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  20. RocketRobin

    RocketRobin Member

    Canada
    Feb 3, 2007
    Toronto
    Nat'l Team:
    Canada
    Wow so one year later and no Ottawa Fury. Remember all those fans
    who swore there'd never be soccer in the city if there was no continued
    sanctioning for the USL?

    USL Championship starts up this weekend with a home and away schedule to play well on ESPN. The compromise reached is that conferences have been divided
    up into smaller groups. Fury would have been in the conference
    containing teams from Pennsylvania and New York state (at least avoiding
    the Florida and other teams from the Covid/southern states).
    Note there are some crossover games as NYRB II visits Atlanta U 2 in
    September.

    I expect the Fury would have not have been allowed to play because of
    cross border restrictions. This is what's happening at USL League One
    level where Toronto FC II and the league have agreed that the team will
    sit out the season because of quarantine rules. (Can't isolate two weeks
    with any type of compressed schedule).

    At least you'll be able to watch Atletico on OneSoccer until there
    are possible home games after their tourney in Victoria or Charlottetown.
     

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