For those that question Traffic's commit- ment when it comes to Miami FC, The Sun Sentinel wrote an interesting piece about the Ft Lauderdale Baseball Stadium, the one that the Baltimore Orioles used to use as a Spring training facility. (Next door to Lockhart Stadium)The report indicates talks between Traffic and Ft Lauderdale have been going on for sometime.
Sarah Talalay writes:
Earlier this month, Traffic Sports, which owns and operates the Miami FC soccer team, made a pitch to city commissioners to operate the stadium and redevelop it as a soccer academy that could be used by the pro team and the community.Full article with video HERE
Aaron Davidson, Traffic vice president of sales and marketing and Miami FC president, said Traffic would fully fund the transition of the baseball stadium and surrounding practice fields for soccer. He reminded commissioners of the history of soccer at the complex. Next door Lockhart Stadium is the former home of the Fort Lauderdale Strikers and Miami Fusion, and Miami FC played half its games there last year. The team is in discussions about playing all its 2010 games at Lockhart.
"In pro soccer, you usually look to develop your players from the youth up in the same venue or near the same venue as your team practices," Davidson said. "Depending on where the FAA wants to go with that land, there might be an opportunity to develop a much larger complex with Lockhart."
The idea appeals to city officials because of the need for soccer fields.
"We've got soccer programs throughout the city looking for more field space," Seiler said.
Could this mean Soccer is here to stay in South Florida? Perhaps this is the reason for the slow start with Miami FC? Will the Strikers name be revived? Is Lockhart Stadium part of the deal? We hope to get more information on this in the days to come.
60 comments:
I would love to see MLS in South Florida. I hope Miami FC don't change there name to FT. Lauderdale Strikers. They will not get support from Miami. Call it South Florida Strikers.
Yes I hope they don't change to FT. Lauderdale Strikers. South Florida Striker is ok by me.
I'd just go with Strikers FC. I agree that if they name them The Ft. Lauderdale Strikers that Miami Fans might be turned off.
Strikers FC is not bad. I agree don't call them the FT. Lauderdale Strikers. I hope someone tells Miami FC.
Uncle Ed can you find out what is Miami FC preseason plans?
Oh come on people. Half the Ultras are from Broward. We don't care the team is called "Miami", because that's where they played up until now. If MFC changes to the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, and Miami "fans" don't support the team simply for that, then those aren't real fans. It's not like Miami "fans" showed up when the team played at Tropical or FIU anyway.
I doubt they will call the team Ft Lauderdale Strikers. If they do I'll still support them no matter what.
If Lockhart is the stadium we play in then I'm going to work with Miami FC to see if we can get a bus leaving from FIU maybe? There are enough Miami fans to fill a bus but we need to get people who are committed to going to the games we can't have an empty bus.
We can also work on getting a Bus to take us to the Tampa games.
Ft. Lauderdale/Broward is a completly different market, geographically, culturally, and otherwise, from Miami. A team in Ft. Lauderdale, regardless of its name, will only get minimal support from Miami soccer fans. Hopefully Miami will get an MLS team and Ft. Lauderdale can keep the little league team.
Who cares if they change their name to Ft Lauderdale, they play in Ft Lauderdale anyway. "Ft. Lauderdale" fans haven't stopped supporting "Miami". If "Miami" fans stop supporting the team simply because they change their name to "Ft. Lauderdale" then you are not a true supporter and fan of the team.
Get over it!
Just be glad you barely have a team to support in South Florida. Especially with TRAFFIC trying to run the show!
I'll believe the south florida soccer academy when I see it!
Traffic Sport in a press release issued today made it official that Miami FC will relocate to a new stadium to be built in Wilton Manors, a suburb of Ft. Lauderdale FL. Traffic Sport spokesman Metemelo Porelculo is on record as stating that the team will be re-named Wilton Manor ACDCFC. The team's new nickname will be the "Pinks".
LOL "The Pinks"!
Hey, Why not embrace the gay community? I'm sure they'd be down with watching guys in shorts running after a ball...
This is terrible news. If Miami FC finds a permanent home, MLS may be blocked from Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Boca wherever in south Florida forever.
We need to stop Traffic Sports and Miami FC. If they would go out of business the market would be open for MLS to return.
I agree with the above post. We need to write Fort Lauderdale to reject Miami FC. Force them back to Tropical Park and then Human Traffic will sell the team. If Traffic gets control of a stadium and keeps the team we are royally screwed.
At this point I'd rather have no team with the hope of MLS than to be tied down to Miami/Traffic FC forever.
Guys we want MLS in Miami and not a bad second division team.
Some one send CLaure an email. Tell him not to let it happen.
Uncle Ed do something? We want MLS.
Well, Broward County and Palm Beach County go ape shit for the MIAMI Dolphins and the MIAMI Heat. You guys wouldn't return the favor if we had a pro soccer team? You think we are gonna stop liking the Dolphins because they're not the Ft. Lauderdale Dolphins or the Palm Beach Dolphins? I didn't think so. To me, Miami residents not supporting a team because it doesn't represent Miami in name is a BS argument. There are around 5.3 million people in the tri-county area, if we could get just 0.2% of those people(10,600) to show up to games as did the Miami Fusion who averaged 9,402.5 per game over 4 years, I wouldn't care where they played, what their name was, or what players were on the team, I would support them regardless. 1 Team > 0 Teams. We should take what we can get.
Miami = 35 years of soccer failures.
Miami vs Fort Lauderdale timeline
1976 the Miami Gatos/Toros continue to fail and are forced to move to Fort Lauderdale. The club was last in the NASL in attendance
1980 In Fort Lauderdale, the Strikers featuring international superstars Gerd Mueller, Nene Cubilias and many others reach the Soccer Bowl. They average almost 15,000 fans a game.
1988 The APSL places teams in both Miami and Fort Lauderdale. The Miami team folds after one year, the Fort Lauderdale team survives until 1996, leading the league in attendance in 1988, 1989 and 1991.
2001 The "Miami" Fusion average over 11,000 fans in Fort Lauderdale
2006 Despite having international superstars Romario and Zinho and playoff team, Miami FC finishes next to last in USL attendance while playing all home games in Miami-Dade County
2008 Miami FC draws the fewest fans at home in USL-1 history while holding all games in Miami-Dade County
2009 Miami FC draws twice as many fans to games in Broward than in Miami-Dade. The home schedule was split between the two counties.
If we really want MLS we need to block this from happening.
It is important that the futbol fans of Miami express that we want MLS and not Traffic's minor league and phony registration and transfer schemes.
http://ow.ly/18SiZ
Built a soccer stadium and bring MLS. We don't want NASL or USL.
Miami- best for MLS. FT Lauderdale fail with the Fusion.
If Traffic gave it their all they could make this team work even being a 2nd division team but Traffic is not interested in the team, they would rather sell players, that's what they do. They might be trying to position themselves within the league. maybe eventually own or run it.
Why doesn't Traffic reach out to Claure and other investors to take over the team and then they could dedicate themselves to supplying the league with players.
Its true that with Miami FC in place no MLS investor will approach this area. I just want a good soccer team anywhere in South Florida. But I want a good quality team. If Traffic doesn't want to do that then they need to step aside and let someone who has vision take over.
What a whole bunch of narcissistic fans, go fuck off if you don't support Miami FC...MLS will never happen so support the team we have you morons.
MLS team in South Florida by 2012
Nick source please.
We all want MLS . If fans don't speak they can hear you.
Hey Uncle Ed you have some connection to Marcelo Claure. Find out what he thinks about it.
Built a SSS at Fort Lauderdale stadium and bring MLS.
Fans of soccer in South Florida. We can lose our change to get MLS. Uncle Ed you and The Miami Ultras are the voice of soccer fans in South Florida we can that let Miami FC/Traffic prevent us from getting MLS.
This is critical.
We must make our voices heard.
We must ensure that we get MLS, the major league instead of NASL, the minor league.
If this stadium deal goes through we are stuck with minor league soccer and Traffic's business model of selling players when they get good forever.
MLS will never return to South Florida if this goes through.
PLEASE STOP TRAFFIC FROM DESTROYING SOCCER IN SOUTH FLORIDA. STOP MIAMI FC FROM BUYING FORT LAUDERDALE STADIUM!
I'd like to see this deal rejected and Miami FC forced to abandon the market completely. Then the path would be open for Claure to bring MLS back here.
Uncle Ed,
Can you organize a campaign with the Ultras to ask Traffic to either sell Miami FC or fold the team? I fear we will never get MLS if they stay in charge. Let them use the Lauderdale Stadium as an Academy and leave the pro team to someone who really cares.
Built a SSS for MLS at the FT. Lauderdale stadium.
Maybe Traffic will renovate the stadium but the team will go bust. MLS then comes into the stadium!
We can always dream! :)
TRAFFIC NO!
MLS YES!
MLS is one of the best leagues in the world. Why would we want a minor league team when we can have the big time? WE WANT MLS NOW!
Fans let Miami FC know what we want. We are the ones that buy the tickets. We want MLS.......
Montreal appears ready to enter MLS.
http://www.metronews.ca/edmonton/comment/article/376810--after-much-time-montreal-appears-ready-to-enter-mls
We need MLS to come here to South Florida. Fans don't let it go.
Support it, fight for it. DON'T LET TRAFFIC END YOUR DREAMS OF MLS. Ultras, Uncle Ed its time to get your group together and get the work out about MLS to South Florida.
Is it possible that Traffic is making FTL Stadium into a soccer stadium to prepare for a move up to MLS? Seems to make sense. That would be too much money to invest in a minor league complex.
Miami FC was never supposed to exist more than a few years. It was a "link" team between the Fusion and the new Miami MLS team.
We need Traffic, Miami FC and NASL GONE from South Florida as soon as possible. If that means organizing again and protesting this deal in Fort Lauderdale, we must do that.
Traffic does not have any intesion moving up to MLS. They cann't even run Miami FC. They just care to sell players. If we want MLS we need to show it fans. Lets put our foot down and make it happen.
Uncle Ed and Miami Ultras we need you. We are tired of bad soccer. South Florida wants MLS.
I'm stunned people would want MLS so bad. It's simply a little less of a minor league than NASL. Both are minor leagues in the larger scheme of things.
If Traffic does things right, this could be a great program. An Academy for youth teams, a renovated soccer only stadium and a permanent team.
Traffic has been terrible so far down here, but maybe this marks a new beginning.
Hey 2:46, part of MLS problem is people like Traffic. Starting this rival league and trying to compete with SUM for match promotion. MLS should be the ONLY sanctioned professional league in the US. Let USL handle amateur stuff and make sure the NASL does not get off the ground. The USSF D2 teams with enough support should be put in MLS. Those would be Montreal, St Louis and maybe Tampa Bay.
Then we here can apply for MLS also. MLS has the potential to be the top league in the world. While the English and Spanish have over spent on players, MLS has a model that will endure any economic downturn and which protects its investors.
Twenty years from now most of the soccer world will look more like MLS than like the British Premier League.
Traffic is just care about selling players and the league itself. They have show fans in South Florida that they don’t care if they put up a good product on the field. I think
Claure should take over the Miami FC and jump it to the MLS. Going to FT Lauderdale is not a good idea.
All I see with all the comments is that fans are not happy the way Traffic/Miami FC has done business. Turning off the fans is a big mistake. MLS is what fans have been calling for. Uncle ED tell Miami FC that we fans are not happy with just a soccer team.
Those dimwitted neaps who think that if Traffic went away that MLS would rush back to Miami are stunningly obtuse. If South Florida was such a prime market and Traffic so incompetent, then MLS could just waltz in and snatch it from them if they wanted.
New flash, Traffic may not be great for soccer in Miami, but MLS isn't interested either. Get over yourselves. You are not an MLS market.
Traffic Sports has done nothing to make Miami FC the best team. Miami FC has not even have a team yet. Other teams are already playing pre-season games vs MLS and Colleges. Evey year is the same. That is not what fans want to see. If you can't do better sell the team to someone that will. I wish we get an MLS team. Traffic you are cheep.
Hey Jim Willis you are wrong. Miami would be a great MLS city.
Miami lacks the same thing that Tampa does: Major League Ownership.
The Fusion and Mutiny both suffered because of poor (or nonexistent) owners.
Florida is a fickle sports market to begin with. If MLS came to Miami (Tampa or Orlando either) they would be in the bottom half of league attendance.
Miami just need some owner that know the market Marcelo Claure could me the right man for the job.
Miami FC is not at fault it Traffic
Sport that control the money. Get them out and the team would flourish. Miami FC is like a flower with sun light. What you need is a owner that would built a SSS and want to bring MLS to South Florida. Hey Uncle Ed I know you want MLS. You guys have work hard to get MLS to come don't give up now.
Traffic Sports Sucks!!
Look at Vancouver Whitecaps
six-week training spell when they face Major League Soccer (MLS) club Real Salt Lake on Saturday afternoon.
Http://ow.ly/18NMm
Now Look at our Miami FC. They have two players signed.While other teams are getting ready. Miami FC are boring and they are old news. How can fans get up to that. Please let Miami FC know how fans feel.
Traffic Sports has done a real bad job running the soccer team. I don't blame Miami FC. From day one fans have ask them that MLS is what the fans want to have.
I agree Miami FC look like a high School team. Everyone in the USL knows that Miami FC is the worse run team in the league.
I do not like the management team of Miami FC, they do not know how to market the team. Instead of wasting money on this baseball park they should spend it on promoting Miami FC in South Florida. FLOOD the TV and RADIO with advertisement so that people know about the team! Have them play in a stadium close to residential or college areas, to bring in more fans. If they do that we will have MLS within 2 years. But I dont think they care about MLS, they want to keep Miami soccer in NASL as long as they can since they own both. So they can bring players from brazil into Miami then sell them to professional teams.
ALSO, for all of u saying Miami is not an MLS market. Just check out the TV ratings for professional soccer games in the United States... Miami-dade ranked #1 in the US, Broward county ranked #2 in the soccer games of the Gold cup and african cup, etc... WE OWN the #1 and #2 positions.. People just dont know about Miami FC because of their lack of advertisement and management!
Bring MLS to South Florida. We want a top league. I live in Miami and I did not know about Miami FC. Now you are going to play in Ft Lauderdale well i don't think I will buy season tickets.
Miami FC bring MLS to South Florida. We want a top league.
Miami FC does not suck its only Traffic.
This thread pretty much defines why we won't get MLS. All that can be seen is an immature, provincial. fragmented market that wont support anything unless it's in *their* backyard. Move it a few miles away from and it's just too far, too culturally different(?), improperly named or whatever for me to attend or support. A bit like a 2 year old holding his breath to force you to give in to what he wants.
As it sits right now, it looks like we're going to have to live without MLS and live with a 2nd division team run by Traffic that is based in Broward or have nothing. The culturally inept will have to learn to live with this because it seems like it's all we're going to get.
Instead of stomping our feet & holding our breath we should try to make this a success. Doing that might bring us something better. Acting as shortsighted as they are will eventually bring us nothing. For one, I find THAT to be impossible to live with.
If you look at TV ratings, both Miami AND Fort Lauderdale could support MLS teams. They are the two top soccer markets on TV in the country. LA, New York, Chicago are behind both. Kansas City, Columbus, have MLS and they do not even make the top 25.
Actually we could have teams in BOTH Miami and Fort Lauderdale if given a fair chance and the right owners.
We need investors to get involved in MLS to Miami. What I want to see from Miami FC is a great team. Other teams in the league have already started to
Play preseason games and Miami FC doesn’t even have a 11 players.
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