USL Statement Regarding Tampa & Baltimore Moving to the TOA League
USL News Release – Friday, November 20, 2009
TAMPA. Florida
– In response to the Team Owner’s Association (TOA) announcement that the Tampa Bay Rowdies and Crystal Palace Baltimore will be joining a prospective new professional soccer league, United Soccer Leagues (USL) has issued the following statement:
“Both the Tampa Bay Rowdies and Crystal Palace Baltimore have contractual commitments to USL to play in the 2010 USL First Division (USL-1) season. USL will pursue all actions to protect its interests and those of the USL-1 teams from any breach of contract caused by Tampa and Baltimore.”
“USL further believes TOA is tortuously interfering with USL-1 team owners that are contractually obligated to participate in the 2010 season. TOA has made several misleading statements in a variety of press releases to taint the reputation of USL and its long history of developing the sport of soccer in the United States and Canada. USL will vigorously defend its legal interests against the TOA’s tortuous interference in contractual relationships with its team owners.”
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you can’t make this stuff up.
GO TOA, FIGHT THE POWER!
Yup, good luck USL.
Lawsuits and soccer–You gotta love this. GRRRRR!!!
Oh, It’s on!
I hope the TOA finds a way to help the Thunder now, otherwise the USL has made it clear they’re looking to find a way to get this market back with a new team.
I do hope that the irony of this latest press release is not lost on whoever came up with it. USL has a “long history of developing the sport of soccer in the United States and Canada” but they have apparently come to the point where they need to sue clubs to compel their participation. This during their league meetings where they cannot draw up a schedule because they do not have any idea who will be in their first division.
Justin, I think your limiting the myriad of options here which have already been spelled out in a few of the other posts. I think the TOA are also looking at propagating this market and that will be with whomever they feel has the best chance (financially) to do that.
I want to know the incentive package that these two teams got. I can’t imagine TBR were so into the idea of forfeiting their expansion fee! Plus with the Cosmos name now sold off we could see a potential scenario of Rowdies vs. Cosmos NASL matchup.
This TOA thing has major legs. If they convinced Tampa and Crystal to come in the fold it is just a matter of time before the dominos fall. The 30 day wait period gives the NSC the upper hand on what league to pick.