Argos to move games to BMO field?
Courtesy Toronto Star:
The Toronto Argonauts might get the outdoor stadium they’ve been searching for after all.
Toronto mayor David Miller told the Star yesterday that he recently met with team co-owner Howard Sokolowski and that it’s possible the team could be accommodated at BMO Field at Exhibition Place.
“The stadium is a big success right now and Toronto FC (the city’s Major League Soccer franchise) is a big success. It looks like the stadium may have to expand to meet the needs of soccer and at that time we could consider (having the Argos as a tenant),” Miller said.
Sokolowski said last night that he met with Miller primarily to thank the mayor for his support of the Argos and the CFL when the issue of the Buffalo Bills coming to Toronto for some of their games came up in January. He said there’s only been casual talk of the Argos playing at BMO Field for their June 19 pre-season game against Hamilton, nothing more.
“Those talks are very, very premature,” Sokolowski said.
The Argos, who have 14,000 season ticket holders, drew 20,000 for last year’s pre-season game at the Rogers Centre.
March 27th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
I don’t care how preliminary the discussions are, as a fan of Soccer and Toronto FC, I don’t want the Argos in BMO field unless they are paying to watch a TFC game from the stands. The Argos have plenty of options available to them that don’t require the modification of a stadium that was designed incredibly well for a single purpose. I believe the city, the province and the country should start focusing on Soccer more intently - we are perhaps one of the only westernized nations on earth that isn’t in a position to be competitive at the worlds most popular game. Allowing the Argos to play in the stadium would be a literal slap in the face for the growth of the sport in the country.
I also for one would actually consider this a deal breaker for the next election. If Miller does this, he loses my vote.
I am sure the Argos would be welcome in other areas of the city (such as York University), and I wish them, their fans and management well finding other accomodations.
March 28th, 2008 at 9:07 pm
It sends the wrong message to FIFA and the world when the CSA endorses the use of artificial turf for its “National Soccer Stadium”. You can’t expect to be taken seriously by the established soccer community.
Now the Argos threaten to use the same stadium? I love the Argos, however, I strongly oppose this plan for shared tenancy of BMO Field for the following reasons:
1. Argos need 30,000 to satisfy the market for attendance. Expanding BMO Field to accomodate that would eventually lead to TFC games with empty stands and this would have a very negative effect on the atmosphere at games. The added seats may fill for soccer initially, but the sellouts would likely be a transient phenomenon. A similar fate befell the Blue Jays after the novelty of SkyDome wore out. How many purist fans of baseball now long for a traditional type of ballpark which has become the standard of new baseball stadiums in the Major Leagues?
2. FIFA rules stipulate against any markings on the field of play (other than regulation lines demarcating penalty area, centre field, etc). It really takes away from the game for both players and fans when a prominent American/Canadian football gridiron is superimposed on the pitch during a match. Any true footie fan cannot stomach this. Try watching an MLS match on TV played in NY, New England, or Houston once the American football season kicks into gear; I have to turn the channel. This may not prove to be a concern locally given how well Rogers Centre masks Argos field for Blue Jays games but that’s Major League Baseball. I wonder if the same enthusiasm to spend money on groundskeeping between games would be extended to MLS. Given the history of reluctance to spend money on the more expensive option of maintaining natural grass, I would not consider this a sure bet.
3. The South stand at BMO Field would have to be moved further towards the lake to accomodate CFL endzone. This would take the heart of the action at BMO Field for soccer games out of the action and have a detrimental effect on the atmosphere.
Essentially, the true football (footie) fan is a limited resource in Toronto and the TFC/BMO Field risk alienating such fans at a huge cost. We will gladly settle for EPL/Serie A/UEFA Champion’s League action on cable TV to satiate a desire to watch good soccer. If we disappear from the stands, the casual fans that make up the rest of the TFC support will likely stop coming too.
You’ve got a great thing going. Don’t ruin it. Don’t expand BMO Field for at least another generation. This market is not ready for it.
John
March 29th, 2008 at 2:17 am
Sarsippius_arc, glad to see your stance on politics is entirely based on something so important like the game of soccer. Lets see, War, Homeless, environment, economy, no, no, soccer??!?
Soccer is only popular due to its low cost to participate. It’s great for kids, and very popular in Toronto and Vancouver, but the rest of Canada doesn’t really care all that much about that sport.
May 2nd, 2008 at 11:13 pm
I’m just wondering, have David Miller and Howard Sokolowski thought about where the Argo’s dressing room is going to be? In the visitors room? and where are their visiting team going to go? They’re not using the TFC’s dressing room.
Also they’ll have to extend the stadium, which means they’ll have to either loose seating by moving them back which will look lame or continue building onto the road behind the stadium.
Where will they store all their stuff and have their offices, everything and everyone will be absolutely crammed. BMO Field wasn’t built for two teams, all the field maintenance machines will have to be stored somewhere else which means BMO Field will have to pay for storage.
These are just a few things people don’t think about. They just see an outdoor stadium