So, 15 Dec has passed. This, I believe, was the deadline for new teams to declare their intent to play in 2005. Any predictions, rumors or facts about who is in or out for next year?
Was that just for the 'regular' teams, as opposed to the east coast ones? Here's what I found at the WPSL site:
Looking at the logos atop the WPSL home page , the following teams are missing from 2004: East Bay Power Northern California Blues Central California Gold Rochester Reign Maryland Pepsi Pride Rhode Island Rays The new team logos that are up: Northern California Union FC FC Indiana South Shore Select I think that FC Indiana had its logo up last year, but didn't play. I'm surprised that the Denver Kickers are still there - they never played any road games - I think that their only 'wins' were by forfeit. The one team that played well last year that apparently isn't returning is the East Bay Power.
Annual General Meeting Minutes I downloaded the new WPSL ‘package’ of regulations, laws, checklists, forms, etc.; along with the minutes from the Annual General Meeting. There were a number of interesting things/decisions that came out of that meeting. You can download the entire 7 page (pdf) document on the meeting at the WPSL website to see if there is anything that you might be interested in that I haven't listed below. I’ll use a separate post to comment on them. *** 1 - The East Bay Power and Rhode Island Rays are listed in the ‘Teams Not Represented’ category. 2 - The tentative plan is for 12 game season, but that can change. 3 - A suggestion was made to cut off regular season 2 weeks before playoffs, and is taken under advisement. 4 - Provisional game results not to count in standings. 5 - Any forfeit will be a 3-0 loss, with 3-point deduction in standings, and a $250 fine. 6 - The executive board will decide on case-by-case basis whether a game not played will be considered a cancellation or forfeit. 7 - Teams must show up with minimum 14 players. 8 - Use of an illegal player will result in 3-0 forfeit. 9 - Only players not considered starters can be loaned. 10 - Home team must provide trainer at each game. 11 - Spiders league fee for 2005 waived to compensate for last years forfeits. 12 - No further expansion will be allowed in Utah for next 3 years. 13 - Ajax are to reimburse Stars $500 for their forfeit last year.
If I would have known that the Spiders were going go 14-1, I would have gone to some of their games. Seeing as the Spiders seem to have more home fields than your average Rave, maybe they'll stop by Rice Eccles for a double header with RSL?
New rules for 2005 Comments on some of the 13 points mentioned in my last post: 1 - This would imply that those 2 teams are still part of the league. 2 - 12 games would, of course, be 2 less than last season. 3 – This should be adopted, as the problems at the end of last season proved. 4 – If in force last season, Denver would not have had 3 easy wins, nor the large plus goal differential. 5 – This also seems to be address the Denver situation. 9 – Thus, Denver would not have been able to use Jen & Kylie in the playoffs. 11,12,13 – Why should Utah get this special treatment? Why shouldn’t Denver have to pay Ajax & SDWFC for their no-shows?
you have to have deep pockets to run an amateur franchise once you factor in putting (at least) 15 people on a plane for a soccer game, hotel if necessary, that sort of thing, league fees excluded. Sponsorships are rare. What is the return? A logo on a jersey or a field banner that maybe 70 people see? That's why there is team turnover in these leagues. It's also very hard to keep a stable team roster. There are some teams such as Ajax, San Diego and at one time the SC Blues that have legacy to work with. Players are drawn to compete for roster spots on those squads. Some have a youth league affilate as a feeder system of sorts but it takes years to build things up. It's only a handful of people that run teams as a hobby that can make a team last.
The WPSL has an Estimated Team Budget Page. As you can see from it, the expenses for all of the western teams are a lot more than for the few eastern ones (at least as long as the eastern teams are all located in the northeast.) I still wonder why the W-League doesn't have a page like that...
That's a neat page. Puts things in perspective. Not to minimize anyone's pressure, but I thought it would be much more, like in the six digits.
when all is said and done you end up about 50 grand in the hole per year if you are financing everything yourself. It is a budgetary nightmare to keep track of if it is run by more than one individual. The best run teams are done so autocratically like the CA Storm. One rich guy is in charge and he's got the cash flow to fly good players in when he needs to, get them massages and whatnot, sometimes even medical care. Keeping a paid trainer on staff is important as well. Amateur women's soccer is a rich man's sport I say man's sport because most team owners are men. They may hire female coaches but footing the bill typically defaults to a rich guy. The W-League was built on a one dimensional business model - to collect league fees from teams. They may have changed approaches these days but when the W-League started out, the main guy with the USL (then called the USISL) was only interested in a women's league because he knew he could collect fees from the teams interested in joining. It has always been a poorly run organization. They may argue differently but the bottom line does not lie. The USL exists to make money not promote soccer or the women's game in particular. My bet would be whoever is in charge of actually running the league these days gets little support from the USL so it is basically a like or lump it type deal.
Re: New rules for 2005 I should have said, of course, 4 games less. The west/south combined schedule last year had 16 games, but I had been thinking of the SDWFC - they only played 14 games because of the 2 home games missed when other teams forfeited. So they got the shaft, having to pay all of the expenses of away games, and not getting the (admittedly small) revenue from those 2 home games.