Hamilton will have a team, probably the flagship team, in the new Canadian Premier Soccer League which is expected to begin play as early as next year.
The league would likely be headquartered, or at least operated, out of Hamilton. If not next season, the team would begin play in 2018.
The revelation came during a Wednesday morning presentation to city councillors by John McGrane, seeking permission to erect a multimillion dollar bubble, paid for by Tiger-Cats owner Bob Young, over the playing field at Tim Hortons Field. The bubble, or dome, would be in place every year from December 1 to April 30.
McGrane's company, John McGrane Services, is a "small partner" with Bob Young in the bubble initiative. Young's company will own the soccer team outright.
The league — called the Canadian Premier League and fully sanctioned by FIFA, the sports global governing body — will start with six to eight teams with deep-pocketed ownership, including Young.
"Basically, it will be a CFL-NHL mix of ownership," McGrane told The Spectator.
He would not name which Canadian cities would have teams or who the prospective owners are.
McGrane did say an official announcement of the formation of the league would likely occur within four months.
"We want to Canadianize the whole league, not just the players," McGrane said. "We're looking at a whole culture of executives, managers and so forth. We don't want to import them."
While there will be foreign players in the league, there will also be a minimum quota of Canadian players each team is required to use. Major League Soccer, the top North American league which has teams in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal, has a North American quota, but no team is required to play Canadians.
The concept was first reported by The Spectator two years ago and if it is passed, as expected, at the Canadian Soccer Association's annual general meeting in May, the CSA will be a partner in the Canadian Premier League.
http://www.thespec.com/news-story/6261090-canadian-pro-soccer-league-to-call-hamilton-home/
Finally!!!
We are just four months away from the formation of a Canadian Premier Soccer League!!! A league that will have some deep pockets with owners being involved in both the CFL and NHL. 6 to 8 teams to start that will likely be in all the major cities across the country.
This is HUGE news for Canadian soccer fans, as it's always good to support local. It should also do wonders to our national program as we continue to develop Canadian players.
My guess on the Original 6 or 8
Hamilton
Ottawa
Edmonton
Calgary
Winnipeg
Toronto
Vancouver
Montreal or Quebec City
If they wish to avoid MLS cities, they may move those teams to surrounding areas outside the heart of the city.
