Team Owners Association Adds Two More Teams – 9 Total
TAMPA, BALTIMORE TO JOIN NEW PROFESSIONAL SOCCER LEAGUE
Expansion brings new league to nine teams
Nov. 20, 2009 – The Tampa Bay Rowdies and Crystal Palace Baltimore have joined the new professional soccer league announced last week, beginning play in the United States and Canada in April 2010.
The addition of Tampa Bay and Baltimore brings the new league to nine teams, as they join the owners of the Atlanta Silverbacks, Carolina RailHawks, Miami FC, Minnesota Thunder, Montreal Impact, St. Louis Soccer United and Vancouver Whitecaps. The league has submitted an application to the United States Soccer Federation for sanctioning as a Division II Men’s Outdoor Professional League.
A name for the new league will be announced next week. The new league is also active in its search for a full-time commissioner and will introduce an extensive marketing campaign in the coming months.
“Tampa and Baltimore joining our efforts is a testament to our game plan, our current ownership strength and our promise for the future. Our new league, together with Tampa and Baltimore, will be another major step forward in the growth of soccer in the United States and Canada and will provide an important opportunity for players in these countries,” said Joey Saputo, Chairman of the Board of Governors and President of the Montreal Impact. “The ownership groups of both teams share our common vision for soccer in North America and we are thrilled to welcome them to our new league.”
“With this new league, which consists of some of the most established teams in North American soccer, we are excited about our team and collective future and the opportunity to make a significant impact on the beautiful game,” said Andrew Nestor, owner and president of the Tampa Bay Rowdies.
“Crystal Palace Baltimore is pleased and honored to join and be a part of what we see as the future of North American soccer. We are particularly excited about this league, especially when you look at the quality of the owners and the impressive history of the clubs,” said Pete Medd, co-owner of Crystal Palace Baltimore. “We are proud to be one of the founding members and believe it’s the right league at the right time for us and for soccer in North America.”
TEAM AND OWNERSHIP BACKGROUND:
Tampa Bay Rowdies
The Tampa Bay Rowdies are owned by TBR Holdings, founded by Andrew Nestor and Hinds Howard. Nestor and Howard are the Managing Partners of Citrus Ventures, a venture firm and advisory merchant bank with operations in Boston, Houston and Tampa. Citrus Ventures’ main portfolio companies are TBR Holdings and Curbstone Group, a unique money management firm. Tampa Bay’s ownership group also includes David Laxer, owner of the legendary Bern’s Steak House, voted number one steak house in the US in 2009 by Rachael Ray Magazine.
Rounding out Tampa’s ownership group is Don Kendall, founder of Houston-based hedge fund Kenmont Investments, and Jeff MacDonald, former professional soccer player and managing director at First Reserve Corporation, a multi-billion dollar private equity firm. The Tampa Bay Rowdies were Tampa’s first professional sports franchise originally founded in 1975 in the North American Soccer League and is recognized internationally as a significant part of soccer’s birth in the US.
Crystal Palace Baltimore
Crystal Palace FC USA was founded in 2006 with the help and guidance of the world-renowned Crystal Palace Football Club in the UK, one of the founding members of the Premier League, the richest sporting league in the world. Crystal Palace USA is the first professional soccer team in the USA with a direct link to a professional English football (soccer) team. Crystal Palace Football Club (UK) is a professional soccer club founded in 1905 in south London. Crystal Palace UK chairman, Simon Jordan, saw an opportunity not only to develop the footprint of Crystal Palace worldwide, but more specifically to tap into the under-appreciated pool of American soccer talent. Several senior and youth players from Crystal Palace USA have spent time training in London with the English team.
Founded in 2007, the club’s senior professional team competed under the name Crystal Palace Baltimore in the 10-team Second Division of the United Soccer Leagues. CPFC made the semifinals in just their second year of existence in 2008. It was also 2008 when CPFC reached the Quarterfinals of the US Open Cup, putting them in the top eight of all soccer teams in America for 2008. Along the way, CPFC USA defeated Major League Soccer’s (MLS) New York Red Bulls (who later went on to finish in 2nd place in MLS) 2-0 and tied MLS Champion and league leading New England Revolution 1-1, only to lose a heartbreaking penalty shootout to just miss out on the semifinals.
Crystal Palace USA is owned by:
Randall Medd
Chairman of Crystal Palace USA. Currently a real estate investor and successful options trader. Randall resides in Delray Beach, FL.
Pete Medd
Former professional soccer player, Pete has his degree in Economics and has been an entrepreneur in real estate, the mortgage industry, and internet marketing. Pete has coached at the senior college, junior college, youth and professional levels for 12 years. Pete was the youngest member of the USL Executive Committee.
Jim Cherneski
Professional soccer player for 10+ years, Jim is the founder of Crystal Palace FC USA. Jim is the head scout for North America for Crystal Palace UK as well as manages the first team in America while overseeing all the youth development for the American side.
Randall, Pete and Jim have teamed up on other soccer tour ventures in the past including bringing Sporting Lisbon and Crystal Palace FC to America.
Comments are closed.
Aren’t those two of the same teams/cities that were announced as expansion teams for USL-1?
Tampa was an expansion team for next year with New York but have been saying right along that they are supportive of TOA. It surprised everyone that they showed up in Beaverton and they stated they would spend their first year with the USL because they were afraid of legal issues but would them jump to TOA. Now they have jumped for whatever reason. Possibly TOA needs them bad enough that they are saying they will help with legal fees? Who really knows.
Crystal Palace USL-2. Papadaks talked them up about moving up to USL-1 but when they were questioned they made comments that they were not ready to move and or they were also somewhat supportive of TOA. Now we hear word that an Ottawa group also is considering going TOA. Bad times at this years ULS AGM I would think.
Wow, right under the USL noses in Tampa Bay. Ouch! This new league might have some legs.
Maybe if we are lucky we could end up with what is shaping up to be the stronger league (TOA) and what appears to be the stronger ownership group (NSC). Hopefully the Rochester PDL team won’t completely disappear, but not sure how to keep it alive if it is tied to USL.
Paul,
You are absolutely 100% correct!!! The new league has a lot of legs. Stay Tuned
This is better than ‘as the world turns’!
Still interested in how the Thunder are linked to this league. I am confident in us having a team next year to support. Don’t know the league and can’t say I really care at this point. I just want to tailgate and share it all with my friends.
ha ha USL is f***ed, serves them right…
can i be the First Fan to call for INSTANT REPLAY REFEREEING in this new league???
Tom: your comment indicates that you believe the MN TOA team would be under NSC ownership … however, I think you’ve got it wrong … at least as it was last week. The NSC was courted by the USL NOT the TOA … although that may have changed in the most recent behind the scenes musical chairs.
I believe this is how it aligns:
USL-1: new team, NSC ownership
TOA: Thunder, Dean Johnson owner
However, we really won’t know for sure until the 30 days have elapsed.
In the mean time, I’m with SuperRookie … look forward to enjoying pre-game festivities on the grassy knoll.
I think I heard jaws drop to the floor at the USL AGM with Tampa Bay Rowdies joining the TOA … one of the best know soccer team names in the country … behind the Cosmos, of course.
BUCKLE IN
Tom,
I don’t think there will ever be two teams in Minnesota
Brian,
Does the TOA adding two more teams makes the Thunder “surplus to requirements” for forming a new league? If so, things may have gotten worse today!
BQ, what do we know about the yardstick that USSF uses in determining whether to sanction a league? Are there strict, black-and-white requirements, or is it more of a fuzzy (and thereby political) thing? Is it the kind of deal where if the requirements are met, sanction is granted, or are the requirements regarded as a minimum? Are the requirements even public? I looked around on the USSF website (briefly) and couldn’t find much…)
So what does this bring the USL-1 balance to? 5? 6? I’ve lost count. And wasn’t Baltimore one of the USL-2 teams rumored to be “moving up” to USL-1 to replace the lost TOA teams?
Today is not a good day for the USL. But they’ve had some good days and the TOA has had some good days. It’s going to be a crazy back-and-forth for at least another year or two, until either one league folds or both leagues become solidly established and learn to exist together.
Sorry if I wasn’t clear. I don’t think the current MN Thunder is going to make it as the current ownership will not be able to right the ship.
The TOA (NASL?) will approach NSC about picking up the pieces.
The Baltimore role in this has been a complete shocker for me. I am a season ticket holder who has had very good access to the ownership and front office and while I never addressed the matter directly with them the defection has caught me completely by surprise.
I never felt like Baltimore was ready to move up. “No”, I don’t know the financial situation. I do know that just like the USL1, it takes a lof money to travel in the new TOA. You also need to draw better than what Palace Baltimore has drawn in order to try to be viable in a bigger league. Palace Baltimore has only played three pro seasons. The FO has learned a lot and has impressed me as doing very well with the “learning curve”. Where things go from here–who can guess at this point?
I sure as heck can’t…
I’m not “in the know” as much these days with the goings on in the Thunder front office, but my guess is that even though the NSC announcement probably blindsided the Thunder and the pro organization likely scrambled and dug up the 30-day stuff about the contractual agreement between the them and the NSC to buy some time, the coming 30 days could see a stronger Thunder emerge.
If, for whatever reason, the current Thunder ownership cannot clear past debts and/or foresees an inability to contribute adequate funds in the years to come that would keep the organization moving forward (not just staying afloat, but moving forward), then this is the opportune time to bring in another investor in the NSC.
The 30 days could be a cooling off period from the chaos of the last week, and if outstanding financial commitments on the part of the Thunder to NSC can be addressed there may be a real chance here for Dean and the NSC to sit down, figure out an ownership split, and move forward in the TOA. Don’t ask me how this would work with the 501(c)3 stuff and the current for-profit model… maybe it can’t.
In the end, for the benefit of the young players, we need pro soccer in this state. If the Thunder cannot continue on, I agree that the NSC looks to have the infrastructure in place to manage a successful team. If the Thunder are able to move forward in the TOA and NSC still brings in a USL team, well… two pro teams in the areas are better than none.
Well thought out MA. I would agree with most of what you are saying.
Jay, thanks much for giving us your insight. Please continue to visit the site and let us know what your hearing as I have no contacts out in that area. I’m sure TOA are rushing to get at least 9 teams. MN was also included but the team wasn’t mentioned. So it could be either group really. We know someone will most likely move forward.
While I have concerns about CP moving up as I did last year with Cleveland, I do think there is enough money behind the TOA and enough plans moving forward to market the league, that people in Maryland could see this as a new improved and stepped up team therefore stepping up attendance. However, you are very correct about travel costs and player expenses. It cost a lot to have a good team, but as we know from USL-1, the rigors of playing in that league, you need to have a very deep bench to thwart off injury from overuse.
MA makes great points. It would be nice if the Thunder found a way out of the Gedney jar.
When are the 30 days up?
BQ- you need a count down clock!
Question for all the attorneys out there and I know there are quite a few who read and post at IMS.
I know there are a lot of scenarios out there, but could the NSC work something out with the TOA, but have it arranged to be post dated for after the 30 day notice to the Thunder or would that be illegal? Or could they outright make an arrangement or do they have to keep their nose completely clean until the 30 days are up?
It depends (favorite phrase of lawyers) what the 30-day provision is about. I will venture into this but my area of law is criminal defense . . .
Is it simply that the NSC needs to give the Thunder 30 days notice to end their contractual obligations? They may have some ongoing indefinite agreements that either party can get out of with proper notice.
Is it that the NSC must give 30-days notice for the Thunder to cure any supposed violation of their contract with NSC (i.e. owe them money)?
Post-dating is never a good idea. However, depending on the significance of the 30-day issue they may simply have an agreement that kicks in after 30-days if certain terms are met/unmet.
BQ: Do you have any details about what the 30-days is about?
I usually deal with “30-days” when trying to keep clients out of jail.
On an aside, if there is a Hall of Fame for how not to keep your customer base informed, the Thunder would be in it.