February 27, 2020...York 9 FC Fan Forum and Kit Launch Party summary (by Rocket Robin)
Details of the Thursday February 27, 2020 York 9 FC Fan Forum and Kit Launch Party held at the Dave & Busters
restaurant in Vaughan at 7:00pm. Tonight all the other Canadian Premier League teams (except Atletico Ottawa)
held their kit launch parties too.
Doors to the party room opened at 6:35pm and the players were on hand (except for some of the foreign signings).
It wasn't long before finger foods were served to the crowd of about 175 people. About 30 to 35 of them
were (my estimate U10 to U12) boys from the Woodbridge Soccer club. That made sense immediately realizing
that Paul Stalteri did some coaching with Woodbridge last season. Also before we fans were allowed inside
a woman came over to me to say "Hello" who I recognized from chatting with her at the League 1 Ontario games
I've attended at Vaughan Grove in the last few seasons. It turns out she is the Sales Manager of this outlet
of Dave & Busters!
Yes this is the line to the party room at Dave & Busters tonight.
York 9 players onstage before the kit reveal (the left side of stage)
York 9 players onstage before the kit reveal (the right side of stage)
MC Luke Wileman talks with York 9 managing consultant, CEO, President and GM Angus McNab.
Luke Wileman chats with Angus McNab and takes questions from the audience. (22 minutes 2 seconds)
This chat/question period started almost exactly at 7:00pm. That's why you can still hear the clinking
of forks on plates and coffee cups of me and my friend in the background while they are onstage.
A short video of players wearing the new kits was played.
The players came onstage to do a kit reveal. I liked the windbreakers they were wearing before they took
them off and will put that on my shopping list! Only the white kit was revealed. It has one stripe down the chest.
While I made a quip that the 2020 TFC gray kits looked they had been left on the roadway for cars to run over them
to get the crisscross tread striped pattern, the worst you could say about York is the stripe is about as wide
as a BMX tire mark (yet still contains nine green stripes and eight black ones!) There will be a green one
available soon and a permanent shop will open up in their new offices very soon.
New club president Angus McNab was brought onstage to sit and chat with MC Luke Wileman.
Wileman's questions: What team did you support as a boy? Football hero growing up? Best match you've ever seen live?
What teams do you like now?
How has your first 60 days in the York Region been?
Is your laptop the most coveted piece of equipment in the whole country? (ie recruitment leads etc)
How do you use 'North Star' data in your info gathering?
McNab explains the Powerpoint presentation slides.
Asks him to comment on the team's new office.
Asked to talk us through your off season recruitment.
Fan questions start after the next three photos.
Powerpoint presentation The Mission
Powerpoint presentation The Vision
Powerpoint presentation Core Values
Fan questions:
Hey I get to ask the first one!
Q. If you're 'all in' for Friday night games, why do you stop before Labour Day
when you'd think you'd have the entire York University student population to draw on
and leaving the team with a tough four game road trip in September to finish the season?
A. Summary is stadium renovations will take place by the school starting as soon as September 10th.
Q. Do you have any thoughts on the rumour that the players are starting a players' union?
A. Nothing has been brought forward.
Q. How do feel about being part of the Canadian league from the beginning?
A. It's the reason why I'm here!
Q. Please give an update on when the International signings will arrive?
A. Due process etc.
New signing Max Ferrari is introduced and thanks the team for recruiting him.
The new season ticket holder scarf is revealed.
This is the scarf that will be given this season to all Season Ticket Holders
Tonight's special was only for the home kit
McNab had a great zinger about hearing that the new jerseys of 'another team down the road' were overpriced so...
MC Luke Wileman chats with assistant coach Paul Stalteri and head coach Jimmy Brennan
Luke Wileman chats with Paul Stalteri and Jimmy Brennan. (6 minutes 19 seconds)
There's still only two chairs on the stage so the three of them stand.
Wileman asks them on their thoughts on today being the twentieth anniversary of Canada winning the Gold Cup.
How important is it for you to connect with the young players in the community and York 9 players?
What are you most excited about for the second year of the club?
(for Stalteri) How excited are you to come to the club?
(for Brennan) What would you like to say to the fans and potential fans?
Soccer tricks. No this guy is not on the roster. Funny how my friend misheard a comment as there
being a magician here tonight but this guy entertained him with his ball skills.
After this the guests just mingled with the players.
I introduced myself to Luke Wileman. He 'liked' a tweet of mine a few months ago when he said he'd
taken a position with Markham Soccer Club because his young son plays there and I'd said he has
a good chance of playing against fellow broadcaster Steven Caldwell who has a similar position
for the Oakville Blue Devils organization.
The Aurora FC connection. Morey Doner with new signing Max Ferrari.
(Simon Adjei who played last year for York 9 also played for Aurora three seasons ago).
Max Ferrari was a successful trialist at the CPL Got Game Tryouts in Vaughan in October 2018
October 12, 2018 CPL tryouts Day 2
but was not given a tryout with any team from what I know. He spent 2019 playing for Aurora FC
and Humber College Hawks.
Ferrari scored three goals last season for Aurora FC of League 1 Ontario. I saw one
of those goals. June 7, 2019 Durham United vs Aurora FC
(Aurora dressed in black). Ferrari is the player with a hand on his heart during O Canada.
I asked Brennan if any of the players at the U-21 tryouts held in December made the team or at least
are still in training camp. He said none and that the team was really just trying to fill a few key spots
(not to turn over the entire team).
I noticed some of the York 9 staff were wearing the new 2020 shirts with #9 with their first names on them.
I think I was the only one who had that on last year's kit. I heard #9 would not be worn by any player
because the fans were considered #9. (That's why I chose that number to make my personalized kit).
Tonight it made it easy to see 'Nate 9' and 'Krysti 9' at a distance when I had questions to ask.
I asked about the coaching staff for the 2020 season. I wrote down a list of the coaching staff listed
on the rosters from some of last season's gamesheets and brought a highlighter so I could just tick
'yes' or 'no' of who was with the team. Nate Hershenfeld 'Nate 9' checked through it with me
but advised me to double check with their web page which has recently been updated.
.................................2019...............................2020.....................
Angus McNab not with club Managing Consultant, CEO/President and General Manager
Jimmy Brennan Head Coach and General Manager Head Coach and Technical Director
Paul Stalteri not with club First Assistant Coach
Ryan Brennan Assistant Coach Manager of Soccer Operations
Sergio De Luca Assistant Coach no longer with team (I had received
a tweet months ago welcoming him back
to Vaughan Soccer Club as a club head coach
and development manager
Carmine Isacco Assistant coach no longer with team (he is back coaching
York University and Vaughan Soccer Club which
he'd never officially stopped
Camilo Benzi Goalkeeping coach Assistant Coach and Goalkeeping Coach
Stephen Wong-Shue Doctor not listed
*Carlo Di Nardo Physiotherapist not listed
*Esteban Calvijo Physiotherapist not listed
Kiran Persad not with team Physiotherapist
*Luca Forno Kitman not listed
*Alex Bizzarri Kitman Equipment Manager
Derek Salvador physical trainer not listed
*means they were listed at some of the home games and not others (not more than one per game)
I asked Ben Zayandehroudi the VP of Sponsorship / Premium Ticketing if he had any comments of ticket sales
comparing last season to this season. He didn't want to offer an answer because he said the schedule was only
released last week. That sounded fair to me as I've read some complaints like "I've gotta work Fridays"
but more "Good, now the rest of my weekend is free". Assuming the club has taken surveys from the fan
base and Friday night has been the most popular answer, I'd give the team a chance to implement that.
I saw last season where the number of children in attendance was barely enough to carry the flags and crests
onto the field. The frequent complaint was the kids/families they were recruiting to were playing
in youth games/tourneys on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
Ticket prices overall have been reduced. Last year was awkward as the sales reps had to sell and explain
the layouts of two stadiums (although before the season started York Lions Stadium was renovated in time
that all games could be played at that field). My seats were $700 in 2019 have been brought down to $450
with a free (not just discounted in 2019) OneSoccer subscription. Postcards of the stadium layout and
game dates were at the front desk. Mind you last year I thought the seats were a bargain at almost
half the price of the TFC tickets I didn't bother renewing because I got tired of watching to see
if more than one Canadian player got to take the field at BMO Field.
On my way out I asked at the swag table about the new kits. The green ones aren't for sale yet
so are not part of the $99 sale tonight. People could order the white/home kit tonight and
pay extra for the numbering and lettering customization which would mean pick-up at a later date.
I figured that SSH got a 30% discount last year so I will wait until later and maybe check out their
soon-to-be-opened store. There was also a new almost all black touque this season.
Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
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