In 2002 there was talk of expanding
west, a women's league and an Under-21 division. This year the
discussions centred around the amalgamation of two clubs, the
Ontario-only Open Cup and solidifying existing markets.
Dick Howard emceed the proceedings,
which included short speeches from the likes of Lynx co-owner Bruno
Hartrell, CPSL President Vince Ursini and the league's new marketing
man, Cary Kaplan.
There wasn't much in the way of
breaking news at the noon press conference, which was held at Metro
City Hall. The main points included:
- Dick Howard was disappointed that Mel
Lastman did not show up. Dick wanted to show the mayor his
support for bringing the MLS to Toronto - the MEL LASTMAN
STADIUM. It was his way of stating the obvious, that
it is a travesty that Toronto does not have a soccer stadium
suitable for top class competition.
- As had been reported earlier, the Vaughan
Sun Devils and the York Region Shooters were amalgamated
under the ownership of Tony DeThomasis. They will use the
Vaughan Sun Devils name and play out of Dufferin-Clark
field.
- The Government of Canada-sponsored Open Cup
will kick off this weekend in London. The league decided to
go ahead with the Cup after the CSA postponed its attempts
for another year. The plan is to eventually include the
Toronto Lynx and have this tournament be a regional
qualifier for a true Canadian Open Cup. If the CSA doesn't
come through, the CPSL will look to expand their competition
into other provinces.
- There are no immediate plans to expand out
of the current Ontario-Quebec territory. Western expansion
is on indefinite hold, and the women's league and U21
division weren't even mentioned.
- The league is in discussions
with 'a number' of groups interested in expansion within the
existing region. However, self-imposed stricter ownership
and facility requirements mean more discussions will be
required before any new franchises are awarded.
- The league made a big deal out of their
hiring of former Hamilton Bulldog president Cary Kaplan last
fall. Today was the first evidence of his existence to the
soccer media as he outlined his plans for making
professional soccer viable in Canada. Hopefully he can
inject some youthful enthusiasm into the the league's public
image.
- The regular season will kick off on
Saturday May 24 at Civic Stadium in Oshawa. The Durham
Flames will host the St. Catharines Roma Wolves.
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As mentioned, there was not much
in the way of new information. Most of the discussion centred around
vague long-term plans. I've been following the league closely for
the last year and a half, so I thought I would take this opportunity
to share what I think the CPSL should have presented at this press
conference. Here are five realistic, short term ideas that I
feel would benefit the league and may have even created a buzz going
into the 6th season of Canada's only 'professional' league.
1. Convey a Consistent Image
The league unveiled a
slick new website last year, which was a positive development.
Should someone be looking for more information and happen to visit
their favourite team's website (if they even had one), the
experience may not have been memorable. The sites vary wildly in
terms of quality and information available. Before last season, one
'official' team site even published 'news' stories accusing the
league of being out to get them as a club. Certainly not the image
you want to portray as a league.
I believe the league could
easily improve this by controlling the flow of information and
ensuring the teams provide basic information to their fans. Kaplan
touched on this by saying it is unheard of in other sports for teams
to not have a marketing representative. Teams should provide press
releases to local media outlets and have information on hand to
support media coverage. Some teams, like Ottawa and Montreal,
had quality websites that were updated frequently. Most of the
others were not.
2. Hold a 'Game of the Week' at the OSA Centre
Casual
soccer fans may be confused by the concentration of teams in the GTA
(Where do they all play? Which team is my home team?). I believe the
CPSL as a whole needs to capture the fan's imagination before the
individual teams can. I think the best way to showcase the league is
to schedule a weekly matchup just outside their league offices at
the OSA Centre in Vaughan. Make it a prime time on the same day
every week along the lines of Monday Night Football. The game would
be televised, and league officials would be available for
interviews, photo ops, etc. Once Toronto finally gets a decent
stadium, the games could be moved there with the league and all of
the teams splitting the cost in exchange for the increased
exposure.
3. Impose Strict Roster Limits
I will not pretend to be
an expert in the CPSL roster requirments, but judging by the events
of the past few years and the level of frustration among some
players, not many people are. There are two rules I would enforce to
help build the CPSL fan base and also support the development of
young Canadian soccer players.
Firstly, I would force all the
teams to have at least 8 players on the roster and 4 players on the
field at all times who are under 23 years of age. The CPSL is, at
best, a second division, and the goal of the lower divisions in
sport has always been to develop players. Second, I would also
impose the same quotas on home-grown talent. Each team is
affiliated with a region/district, and it's important to foster
community support by providing opportunities for local talent.
4. Foster a Rivalry with Amateur Clubs
There are a
number of amateur teams in this province that have long, rich
traditions of soccer excellence. The CPSL Open Cup is one way of
promoting competition between CPSL and amateur teams, but it's not
enough. Not every amateur team can afford to enter this tournament,
and the individual CPSL teams should make an effort to demonstrate
their product in their own community against local
competition. The Sun Devils could challenge the Azzurri in
Woodbridge, or London City could take on Portuguese. Either way,
it's a chance to win over some fans that would not otherwise give
the CPSL a second look.
5. Start an Under-19 Developmental League
I've said it
before,
and I'll say it again, I think the CPSL should look at running an
Under-19 developmental league and forget the Under-21 idea. Players
20 and over should be playing in the CPSL itself, not stuck on in a
glorified men's league. An Under-19 league would help to develop 16,
17 and 18 year olds that can no longer improve playing against boys
their own age. Along the lines of the Ontario Hockey League, this
league would serve to prepare our elite youth players for a
professional soccer career.
Regardless, I am looking forward to the 2003 season and I hope
that the CPSL will have another successful year. See you on the
pitch!
Lino Terra, Editor
Ontario Soccer
Web