Home NASL & USL FC Edmonton FC Edmonton owner Fath: “The expectation is that we will play in the NASL in 2017”

FC Edmonton owner Fath: “The expectation is that we will play in the NASL in 2017”

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FC Edmonton co-owner Tom Fath says that the club is a go for the 2017 season.

“The expectation is that we will play in the NASL in 2017,” said Fath, who owns the team with his brother, Dave. “We have most of our players under contract for next season. We have some holes to fill, of course. But we are moving forward.”

FC Edmonton’s situation seems so far removed from the turmoil in the rest of the North American Soccer League. Fath said that ticket sales are far ahead of where they were at this time last year.  The team enjoyed its best-ever campaign in 2016, making the playoffs for only the second time since the team began NASL play in 2011. The team is currently looking to hire staff for next season — the club is looking to bring in a new sales person.

Compare that to news that New York Cosmos employees have been furloughed, and reports that the team might not survive to play in 2017. The Tampa Bay Rowdies have moved to USL, and owner Bill Edwards is suing the NASL over what he claims are unpaid loan repayments. (These are allegations that have yet to be proven in a court of law). The Ottawa Fury have made application to move from NASL to USL, waiting on approval from the Canadian Soccer Association that is expected in the next couple of days. Rayo OKC likely won’t be back in 2017, amidst reports the club had released all of its players and did not participate in NASL meetings. The Fort Lauderdale Strikers need a new owner, after the previous ownership group walked away from the team.

There was word that NASL and USL officials were in the same room as United States Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati in Atlanta earlier this week. There have been rumours of mergers, foldings, rebuffed merger offers, forced mergers — or as we who cover lower division soccer like to call it, just another week.

But, when asked about the possibility of the team moving to other leagues, Fath simply said he expects FC Edmonton to be playing NASL games at Clarke Field in 2017.

 

 

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5 Comments

  1. Toaszt

    December 3, 2016 at 5:36 pm

    Just join the USL already. I’d rather watch you play against TFC II, whitecap II etc than some random trams.

    The USL is at least stable.

  2. Tom

    December 2, 2016 at 9:07 pm

    In the end I expect NASL to be back for the 2017 season. There’s owners that are still very interested in a fully independent pro league without reserve and affiliate teams like USL and 4-5 more groups seeking an NASL expansion club at the moment. They’re likely to sort things out and reform the league and be back.

    Just one point Steve, Edwards named the NASL in his suit against the Strikers but the league is not accused of any wrongdoing, but were just included so that he could enter the evidence that the Strikers and the league signed a loan agreement in breach of the original agreement with Edward as the club apparently gave the NASL secured interest in the teams assets, principally the brand IP.

    • italk2u

      December 4, 2016 at 5:07 pm

      Well one way or the other Tom, the fate of soccer in canada and specifically in Edmonton will be left in the hands of the American soccer federation, and that is just how bad the soccer culture has become in this country and the city.
      It’ll all come down on Tuesday, won’t it?

  3. italk2u

    December 2, 2016 at 7:21 pm

    We’ve been down this road too many times with professional
    soccer in this city.
    This latest fiasco will kill the game in Edmonton, barring some sort of last minute miracle.

    • italk2u

      December 3, 2016 at 8:01 am

      Hopefully there’s a contingency plan in place?!

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