les_glorieux Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 Impact, Gillett want MLS Wednesday, March 26, 2008 THE CANADIAN PRESS Montreal Canadiens owner George Gillett has teamed up with the Montreal Impact in a bid for a Major League Soccer franchise, Impact president Joey Saputo said Wednesday. MONTREAL -- Montreal Canadiens owner George Gillett has teamed up with the Montreal Impact in a bid for a Major League Soccer franchise, Impact president Joey Saputo said Wednesday. "I can confirm that we are in discussions with Gillett Entertainment Group as well as with Major League Soccer to bring an MLS franchise to Montreal," Saputo said in a statement. "However, I am currently in no position to share any more details, since doing so would jeopardize the process." Montreal La Presse reported that they hope to call the team Montreal FC and begin play in the 2009 season. The two would split the $30-million franchise fee as well as a $12-million expansion of Saputo Stadium from 13,000 to 20,000 seats. The privately financed facility near Olympic Stadium in the city's east end is set to open this season. The report said Gillett's company and Saputo informed MLS of their interest in a letter on March 12. Gillett became majority owner of the Canadiens in 2001. In 2007, he teamed with Dallas Stars owner Tom Hicks to purchase soccer giant Liverpool and a few months later became majority owner of the Gillett-Evernham NASCAR team. Copyright 2008 Rogers Sportsnet and/or its content partners. All Rights Reserved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre the Great Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 after toronto came in you knew this was going to happen. Which is great news. Although there's a clause in the MLS that Toronto gets to be the only Canadian team til I believe 2010. Can't remember. But within a couple years Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver will all have teams. So that's pretty cool for soccer in Canada. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeLassister Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 I think The Montreal Impact will join the MLS soon, maybe 2009. There are fews things that make me say that. 1. MLS is looking for expansion and already said they were interested in Montreal 2. Impact are building a new 12 700 places stadium who could be upgraded to 17 000 by adding a 4th section. 3. They hired recently Richard Legendre who is the former director of the Omnium Du Maurier from 1988 till 2001, director of Tennis Canada from 1988 till 2001, director of the construction of the centre of tennis of the park Jarry from 1990 till 1995 and director/vice-president of the International of Canada from 1999 till 2001. Oh and a former Tourism, Sports Minister. Nothing is confirmed yet, but why would they hire THIS guy if it's not to join the MLS in the near future ? i knew Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markierung Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 I love this!!! I like 5 minutes from Saputo Stadium. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAK Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 I love this!!! I like 5 minutes from Saputo Stadium. Its great for the token fan but It'll be hard to attract corporate sponsorship with the stadium being so far from Downtown. how I wished that their 1st stadium project near old montreal worked. they would've gotten a great stadium by st laurent river. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dutch_Habs_Fan Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 So could soccer be popular in Montreal, more popular than Baseball (cuz of the departure) Could they survive? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAK Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 So could soccer be popular in Montreal, more popular than Baseball (cuz of the departure) Could they survive? there was a time that the montreal manic( soccer team in the 80s) would attract over 40k fans every game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLP Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 Why did they decide to build a stadium out where the only other thing is . . . an existing stadium? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre the Great Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 (edited) nobody likes the O. lol personally, they should tear off the roof again. lol weirdest stadium ever I never knew what the outside of the stadium looked like until a few years ago. Whenever the Cardinals played they would only show the montreal skyline from McGill, if I remember correctly. I got a baseball stadiums of north america book for christmas a while back. Flipped to Montreal and was freaked out of my mind. lol Then they had a picture of what the stadium looked like without the roof. Even more creepy. I love stadiums but I swear Olympic gives me the creeps. Edited March 27, 2008 by Pierre the Great Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAK Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 you gotta fly over it to appreciate. It looks like a big toilet bowl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheAussiePosse Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 Everyone here in the UK (Liverpool fans to fairweather everymans) hates Gillette and his partner (who own Liverpool, which has sucked over the past five years). He's due to sell up to a group from Dubai or somewhere, and I think he realises that football can be just as profitable in north America, and also be without death threats, psychotic press and entire stadiums that bay in unison for his blood. (Just wait until the Habs have to go through a rebuilding process...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeLassister Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 So could soccer be popular in Montreal, more popular than Baseball (cuz of the departure) Could they survive? I worked the 2 last seasons as a security agent at the games and there are 10K to 12K people each game. And this was with a crappy league MLS is 10X better than USL. Why did they decide to build a stadium out where the only other thing is . . . an existing stadium? translated with www.reverso.net from http://www.impactsoccer.com/newstade.php The choice of the site: at first announced in Technoparc in May, 2005, on one year later, the stadium had for destination the Olympic Park. The failed project of the Cirque du Soleil and the move of the Casino to the pond Peel is not foreign to it. Here are the explanations of Joey Saputo about this choice: " the site of Technoparc would have set more time to develop. That would have hurt the stadium Saputo. The Olympic Park has many infrastructures already in place, is accessible in subway, has opportunities of car park, and the whole can be a part of our complex. " Indeed, go to the Olympic Park is easier, at any time, than to go to the no-man's-land than seems to remain Technoparc. Situated in the angle of two road main trunk roads, near a subway station and within a popular district: the new stadium location is ideal. Everyone here in the UK (Liverpool fans to fairweather everymans) hates Gillette and his partner (who own Liverpool, which has sucked over the past five years). He's due to sell up to a group from Dubai or somewhere, and I think he realises that football can be just as profitable in north America, and also be without death threats, psychotic press and entire stadiums that bay in unison for his blood. (Just wait until the Habs have to go through a rebuilding process...) off topic, but i feel like the team is improving since 2004... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markierung Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 Why did they decide to build a stadium out where the only other thing is . . . an existing stadium? It isn't in the Middle of nowhere. That seems to be a popular belief about the est end of Montreal. There is a huge hotel and, Maisoneuve park across the street, it's a 5 minute walk from the metro, and its at the intersection of 2 major bus routes. Also, its a 5-10 minute drive from Mt Royal, and a 20 minute drive to downtown. Also, there are a lot of restaurants all along the street that its on. Also, teh cost of land downtown would have driven up ticket prices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre the Great Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 you gotta fly over it to appreciate. It looks like a big toilet bowl. lol the stadium looks like a clam but the column part is the freaky part. No wonder they closed the roof. I'd have nightmares that column would fall on you. Its just too bizarre. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLP Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 Did they never get the retractable tarp design to work? I know the tarp ripped up the first time they tried it but i thought there was a new roof? Anyway I suppose if Mtl team goes to the finals or whatever they could use the Stade Olympique for its bigger capacity. I still remember when the Stade first opened: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pierre the Great Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 well according to the all knowing wikipedia the roof needs to be replaced. Do us all a favour and make it a modern retractable roof if that's possible. Apparently it will cost 500 mil to tear the sucker down do to the metro line and stupid column. lol i don't know what was more idiotic the "big dig" in Boston or the Olympic Stadium. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JLP Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 It isn't in the Middle of nowhere. That seems to be a popular belief about the est end of Montreal. There is a huge hotel and, Maisoneuve park across the street, it's a 5 minute walk from the metro, and its at the intersection of 2 major bus routes. Also, its a 5-10 minute drive from Mt Royal, and a 20 minute drive to downtown. Also, there are a lot of restaurants all along the street that its on. Also, teh cost of land downtown would have driven up ticket prices. Yeah Markie and Joe, also it occurs to me that the Italians in St Leonard and some of the east-end Portuguese must be among the fans who go to games, so sure must be an ok location. It just seemed a little weird to build a stadium beside a basically unused stadium, but hell the Big Owe is a very special case . . . Easiest thing in Montreal to spot on Google Earth though hehehe. Good luck Impact! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeLassister Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 Yeah Markie and Joe, also it occurs to me that the Italians in St Leonard and some of the east-end Portuguese must be among the fans who go to games, so sure must be an ok location. It just seemed a little weird to build a stadium beside a basically unused stadium, but hell the Big Owe is a very special case . . . Easiest thing in Montreal to spot on Google Earth though hehehe. Good luck Impact! well, if the project of MLS goes on, the team will be called Montreal FC ... I still don't know how they will handle the situation with USL and MLS, if the Impact will survive, wich players could play at a higher level, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mont Royale Posted March 28, 2008 Share Posted March 28, 2008 Here's an interesting article on the Gillette-Hinks relationship (or lack thereof), from George's point of view. Unworkable ties Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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