Schlitterbahn Fort Lauderdale/Lockhart Stadium

Discussion in 'Fort Lauderdale Strikers' started by drSoFlaFan, Aug 22, 2010.

  1. ceezmad

    ceezmad Member+

    Mar 4, 2010
    Chicago
    Club:
    Chicago Red Stars
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  2. bobbyfusion

    bobbyfusion Member

    Dec 26, 2002
    Boca Raton, FL
    Are these the 'things' going on that we are unaware of

    http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/vie...-in-line-to-be-boss-of-Florida-football-club/
     
  3. Prime Time

    Prime Time Member

    May 1, 2004
    South Florida
    Look to my left. I live in SoFlo. I go to Strikers games. I wish there was something more concrete in terms of MLS plans but there aren't. And the continuous harping of MLS to this area is borderline annoying when it is nothing but fantasy talk.

    Trust me, I've tried. I talked to multiple soccer-liking people at my job on the day of the final, telling them to come out and root on their local team. Guess what? The rain kept them away.

    It's a tiresome fight to try and convince people who like soccer to go watch soccer in order for MLS soccer to return.
     
  4. Antique

    Antique Member

    Nov 11, 2008
    the river of grass
    Club:
    Ft Lauderdale Strikers
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Right now there is nothing else we can do. Thanks for the effort and keep trying...:)

    Bobby Fusion...All that is news to me. That particular source does not seem to be the most solid one in the UK. It looks a bit like some of the gems you see in a Publix checkout.

    There are rumors circulating about some interest in a team here by some foreign groups/individuals infatuated with the number of latino "fans" in Miami-Dade. Not necessarily so. I've heard nothing since the news of the original inquiry was floating around on the wind awhile ago. Maybe they found out the truth of the matter. Who knows.
     
  5. Macsen

    Macsen Moderator
    Staff Member

    Nov 5, 2007
    Orlando
    Club:
    Orlando City SC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The announcer says the stadium people at the 1980 game thought the crowd was over 20k for the first time.

    Not a bad setup, track notwithstanding. Measuring as best I can with the 1995 pic in Google Earth, it looks to be 66 yards width. Could've been worse for sure. Definitely better than the Sombrero. :p
     
  6. Smoke & Mirrors

    Jul 18, 2010
    Club:
    Ft Lauderdale Strikers
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    I'm with Antique on this one - looks like a super market checkout line type of article. However, I will say this. It would not completely surprise me if Beckham were to eventually be involved in a South Florida MLS franchise. But saying something like that is definitely happening or is imminent is just wishful thinking and trying to sell rag papers if you ask me.

    Look, I don't necessarily disagree with you on most of this. I had a very difficult time giving away free tickets last year, even to the championship. I'm not going to stop trying though. The fact of the matter is the team stands it's best chance of not only growth, but just flat out survival, if we do whatever we can to generate interest in the team completely aside from the club's marketing efforts. I wear my Strikers gear around town all the time. This year I'll buy more and wear it more. Even this is raising awareness. If someone sees you wearing Strikers merchandise and stops you to say something or ask a question, be an ambassador. I'm not saying give them a sales pitch, but I've said numerous times to people in the grocery store or wherever, yeah, the Strikers are back, and it's a fun, inexpensive time down at Lockhart.

    As for MLS, I'm on record here and elsewhere with this - I'm perfectly fine if the Strikers never go to MLS. The only caveat I have to that statement would be based on the team's survival. Traffic isn't going to back three teams forever. They'd be more than happy to sell the Strikers, and yes there is an interested party currently looking at them. But if something doesn't change in the not too distant future, the NASL may fall apart, and then the best chance for the survival of the team would be someone looking at them to purchase and then try to move to MLS. If that's the only way for them to survive, then I'm all for it.

    Antique, I don't know how much to say here about what I've heard, which is a lot more than before the weekend. Here's what I'll say, there is definitely some interest in purchasing the Strikers from Traffic. That much is common knowledge at this point pretty much anyway. I think there are a number of possible scenarios involving that interest as well, different "players" that could be a part or not. I've also heard some combination of these same interested parties could possibly decide to take a pass on the Strikers and try to start up an MLS bid from scratch, but that would mean it would be based in Miami more likely. I understand they've had the dynamics of the market explained to them, but as with a lot of people who have been successful in life and done well for themselves, they may choose to ignore the facts and history thinking they are smarter and can figure something out where others have failed. I continue to be astonished by the fact that people don't understand that a large latino community does not equal interest in American club soccer. Miami has shown time after time they do not care about it. Bring in Barca and they're here en masse. Bring in EPL teams, national teams from most any of their homes countries, probably even big South American or Mexican club teams. But no one gives a shite about American pro teams.

    The Strikers on the other hand have history and brand recognition in this market, mostly north of Dade County not coincidentally, although we certainly would love to have Dade be a big part of the fanbase as well. But there seems to be a large percentage of the people in Dade who would actually follow American pro soccer, but put in the conditions that it HAS to be MLS, and it HAS to be Miami, or they don't want it. It's tough to overcome that sentiment, but I really think it's a small but vocal percentage of the fans down there. Garber told South Florida fans that the only way MLS is going to look in this market again is if we start by supporting what we've got. What we've got is the Strikers. It was plain English, and to the point. Yet some continue to ignore it, thinking they're somehow smarter, will find a way around that pesky Garber and what he says, or that he was just lying I guess. If everyone who was clammoring for MLS down here would just turn that effort and support to the Strikers instead, I'm 99.9% certain that someone would come buy the Strikers from Traffic and make a bid for MLS with them. That would please most South Florida fans who care enough to pay attention. It won't win over those 305ers who say it's Miami or nothing, but nothing will ever please everyone, and this is the most likely chance of not only getting MLS here, but even just having a pro soccer team at all.
     
  7. The Irish Rover

    The Irish Rover Member+

    Aug 1, 2010
    Dublin
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Ireland Republic
    Actually The Daily Star is far, far below supermarket checkout line quality. It makes the National Enquirer seem well-sourced.
     
  8. Antique

    Antique Member

    Nov 11, 2008
    the river of grass
    Club:
    Ft Lauderdale Strikers
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    :eek:

    Thanks. From the look of it I had the feeling that was the case.
     

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