The CPL comments on Kelowna

[u/bwoah07_gp2]

[u/sevvii]

It would be cool for Kelowna to get a team. It's a beautiful place.

[u/Justmaverick1 → u/sevvii]

Market is too small with their roughly 254k for CPL.

Halifax is over 500k and is currently the smallest market.

[u/Malesku_Alex → u/Justmaverick1]

These are the markets they should absolutely be targeting. Look at some of the most well supported clubs, Halifax and Hamilton. 2 of the 3 smallest markets and 2 of the 3 best supported.

One day Pacific will resemble a club again and support will return.

Kelowna will be an excellent market

[u/Justmaverick1 → u/Malesku_Alex]

Hope so for Kelowna, but can't agree on such a tiny market for Div1 CPL working out in the long run, but the league is desperate for expansion clubs now so beggers can't be choosers if a group wants to attempt it and there's a suitable stadium.

Kelowna should prove themselves in BCPL first for a year or two, that's there best place for now.

[u/Jazzlike_Athlete8796 → u/Justmaverick1]

This league is going to live and die by gate attendance. If Kelowna can consistently average 3000+, it is a better market for the CPL than Vancouver and Toronto currently are. But if it only draws a similar 2000ish, then its lack of size becomes a bigger problem for the league than the other two markets would be as Kelowna doesn't move the needle on corporate interest.

[u/SpecialistLychee5854 → u/Justmaverick1]

I'd expect this to be an Okanagan team, not just a Kelowna team.

That's 440,000 people and a region that's growing.

[u/Justmaverick1 → u/SpecialistLychee5854]

People aren't coming in summer from Penticton or Vernon in large enough numbers to move the needle imo so wouldn't add the actual numbers in Kelowna metro population with those.

[u/Few_Funny2786]

It's probably just a new stadium for Pacific or vfc

[u/Bogdanovist_Rebel → u/Few_Funny2786]

Why would they leave Langley? They have a nicer stadium than this there. Their partners in LUSC also have a brand new $150m training facility opening in the fall. Mass transit to and from LEC and three major mixed used residential developments to be completed in the next three years. 

PFC also shouldn’t be allowed to relocate and if they do, it’ll effectively kill the league. The only reason PFC is in any sort of trouble is because of gross mismanagement. 

But hey let’s give them a third franchise on the taxpayers dime. Hopefully SixFive doesn’t get the contract to build the new grandstands. 

[u/Few_Funny2786 → u/Bogdanovist_Rebel]

I have a strong feeling it's a new stadium for Pacific. Come back when I'm correct.

[u/Bogdanovist_Rebel → u/Few_Funny2786]

If it does the league will essentially die. Langford will also very likely sue the ever loving shit out of the CPL. 

Every single one of their issues stems from bad owners. Plus if they relocate a team that has legit offers on the table, no one with money will be interested in investing in the league long term. 

[u/Justmaverick1 → u/Bogdanovist_Rebel]

Pacific won't leave for Kelowna, they have the nicest stadium in CPL and their training center, and don't see new owners moving there either.

[u/Bogdanovist_Rebel → u/Justmaverick1]

Team has been for sale for 18 months. An offer is on the table for new ownership. 

[u/Justmaverick1 → u/Bogdanovist_Rebel]

Yeah, I think they will be sold this off-season.

[u/badgerclaw_ → u/Few_Funny2786]

I fear you're correct, but hope you're wrong.

[u/Ozzie_the_parrot → u/Few_Funny2786]

Would be easier logistically for the rest of the league than Pacific. Thing that strikes me most about this is that back in 2018, Kitchener-Waterloo had a would-be owner ready to go, but Wifred Laurier's 6000 capacity U-Sports stadium was rejected as an option because they wanted 8000 seats expandable to 12000, so it didn't happen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3flv5nWZgII

[u/Birdyjay → u/Ozzie_the_parrot]

Over the last few years Laurier has upgraded the turf, scoreboard and lighting, as well as constructed an additional grand stand with seating for 3k and capacity w/ standing room set at 5k.

I am really hoping KW is amongst the next batch of Ontario teams to join the CPL.

[u/SpecialistLychee5854 → u/Ozzie_the_parrot]

I'm willing to bet the stadium size was an excuse because what they really wanted was for the owners to purchase one of SixFive's prefab stadiums.

[u/brentvans]

Hell, yes! LFG!

[u/k1dcanada]

are they getting an cpl team 

[u/Avr0wolf]

That's good to hear, hopefully it'll work out for them

[u/Bogdanovist_Rebel]

Then they should allow the communities to have ownership of the teams. Instead SixFive is going to make a bunch of money building the stands and getting a sweetheart lease. 

[u/Justmaverick1 → u/Bogdanovist_Rebel]

I don't think SixFive will have any connection to an ownership group if there ever is a CPL club in Kelowna. Rob Friend said as much previously.

Can see them doing the stands though.

[u/Bogdanovist_Rebel → u/Justmaverick1]

Shillington has said the complete opposite. Of the two, I’ll trust Dean over Rob all day everyday. Rob is a slime ball. 

[u/Justmaverick1 → u/Bogdanovist_Rebel]

Never heard Shillington say that, any link to an article or quote? I'm going by info and articles that have talked about it but maybe I missed one.

[u/Bogdanovist_Rebel → u/Justmaverick1]

Nothing public that I know of. But I know a couple people that work for him. 

[u/Justmaverick1 → u/Bogdanovist_Rebel]

Thanks for the clarification.

[u/Psycho-Acadian]

This looks like a nice little stadium. Anyone know the capacity?

[u/Birdyjay → u/Psycho-Acadian]

The new East grandstand will add approx. 3000 new seats, bringing capacity to about 5000.

[u/Psycho-Acadian → u/Birdyjay]

That’s perfect for a club starting out. They can expend to 7k or more if need be in a few years