Jacksonville on short list for NASL franchise

[Tacachale]

^Sure, they could use that if UNF's field is booked At any rate it sounds like they'll look to play at one of the colleges (ahem) with hopes of building a new stadium down the road.

[Captain Zissou]

^ everyone agrees with that (i think). We're just saying that the city could really use a venue of that size anyway, so let's build it with a number of uses in mind. If we can't program it to function as much more than a soccer stafium, it would be more cost effective to use an existing facility.

[copperfiend]

Any new stadium built would be multi-use. Not just for an NASL franchise. I could see something like San Antonio built.

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/scorpions/article/Scorpions-finally-have-their-8-000-seat-field-of-4429684.php

[JaxByDefault]

I'll admit to sticking with the European clubs I've long-loved over being an MLS fan, but I would love to see a NASL side here. 

I think a lot of suburban folks with kids who play soccer pony up for tickets to event games like the US National, but I encounter more soccer jerseys on 20-somethings in the urban core than anywhere else in town. Agreed that the beaches has a good fan base, largely because there are a few great supporter clubs and soccer-friendly bars (Burrito Gallery downtown tries hard, and has a small and devoted viewing crowd, but there's always loud music played during matches). Wherever games go, there is no dispute that they are a better for supporters in soccer-specific venues. These can be multi-use, but it takes good planning.

For those who haven't done it yet, do go support the team we already have and see a Jacksonville United match next season. If anything, being a JAX United supporter certainly drives home the frustration of not having a promotion/relegation system in the US.

[KenFSU]

Tough call on whether the city should go all-in on a new soccer specific or multi-use stadium for an NASL team. It'd be a great first step toward eventually landing an MLS team, but it's likely going to be a long time before Jacksonville would have a shot at an MLS team. David Beckham has been scouting sites in Miami to start a new MLS franchise. In turn, it sounds like Orlando is probably going to find a way to fast track their new $110 million stadium, albeit in two phases. And private investors from England are reported to be planning a $400 million retractable roof soccer specific stadium in Tampa. Even if we have a better fan base, we're already too far behind the curve and realistically fourth in line. Add in the fact that the MLS isn't even expanding into Florida until at least 2016, not sure if the timing is right to build anything too fancy until we see how the NASL would work out.

[Charles Hunter]

Back to team names ... something ocean-y, and it ties in with the league,   "Spray"
and maybe even an offensive tactic - spray the ball around the pitch ...

[CityLife]

^No matter where it is, I don't think we should build an entire stadium based on the needs of NASL soccer. Whether we're building a suburban complex that can be expanded, or a multi-use project to create activity downtown, there needs to be much more to it to make it worthwhile.

I think the mandarin kids will still drive up for a match if it's in DT. A practice facility could double as flex space or staging for events in the area.

Its not the Mandarin kids that you may miss out on DT, its places like St. Augustine, Flagler County, and Ormond Beach....and yes people would travel from those places. Growing up I knew a kid from Jax Beach that played for Ormond Beach, and I also know quite a few from Flagler that played in Jax. If people would drive up 2x a week for practices, they would come up once a week for pro games.

[copperfiend]

Tough call on whether the city should go all-in on a new soccer specific or multi-use stadium for an NASL team. It'd be a great first step toward eventually landing an MLS team, but it's likely going to be a long time before Jacksonville would have a shot at an MLS team. David Beckham has been scouting sites in Miami to start a new MLS franchise. In turn, it sounds like Orlando is probably going to find a way to fast track their new $110 million stadium, albeit in two phases. And private investors from England are reported to be planning a $400 million retractable roof soccer specific stadium in Tampa. Even if we have a better fan base, we're already too far behind the curve and realistically fourth in line. Add in the fact that the MLS isn't even expanding into Florida until at least 2016, not sure if the timing is right to build anything too fancy until we see how the NASL would work out.

I am not sold on Tampa. That ownership group fielded a team in the USL Pro this year and they barely averaged 300 people. The Orlando team in the same league averages several thousand a game.

[copperfiend]

Back to team names ... something ocean-y, and it ties in with the league,   "Spray"
and maybe even an offensive tactic - spray the ball around the pitch ...

Just nothing cliche like Jacksonville City or Real Jacksonville.

[JaxByDefault]

I am not sold on Tampa. That ownership group fielded a team in the USL Pro this year and they barely averaged 300 people. The Orlando team in the same league averages several thousand a game.
[/quote]

Tampa has three teams, though -- tier 2 NASL, 3rd div. and a 4th div. (Isn't Orlando City in 3rd div.?)
For what it's worth, the Marauders did have some fans at their last match here with JAX United, but I think having the Rowdies in town probably makes a huge dent in their home attendance. Most people who have to choose between which season tickets to buy probably chose the NASL team. Once again, without relegation and promotion, it's hard to build supporter stakeholds in lower-tier teams or to build long-term, spirited cross-town rivalries. 

Back to team names ... something ocean-y, and it ties in with the league,   "Spray"
and maybe even an offensive tactic - spray the ball around the pitch ...

I generally loathe the naming conventions in the MLS/NASL where most of the teams sound like the by-product of marketing meetings instead of football clubs. No currently-on-trend (but soon to be dated) colors or non-native big-cats, but even those may be better than Galaxy/Earthquakes/Fury/Fire ... and so on.

One thing is for sure, some creative people need to put together a chants and decide on our first supporter traditions just as soon as we get a team.   

And yes, people will drive. I leave the urban core for matches -- often it involves an airplane or a long drive. Anything that brings a good, steady crop of matches per year geographically closer would be welcome.

[copperfiend]

There was some good chatter on Twitter last night about support group names. Follow @DuvalSoccer if you don't already.

[JaxByDefault]

I think the Duval Soccer crowd on twitter has had more fun naming the supporters' club. I'd love a Bay St. Casuals shirt and scarf. 

[Tacachale]

I am not sold on Tampa. That ownership group fielded a team in the USL Pro this year and they barely averaged 300 people. The Orlando team in the same league averages several thousand a game.

Tampa has two teams, though -- tier 2 NASL and a 4th div. (Isn't Orlando City in 3rd div.?)
For what it's worth, the Marauders did have some fans at their last match here with JAX United, but I think having the Rowdies in town probably makes a huge dent in their home attendance. Most people who have to chose between which season tickets to buy probably chose the NASL team. Once again, without relegation and promotion, it's hard to build supporter stakeholds in lower-tier teams or to build long-term, spirited cross-town rivalries. 

Tampa seems to have many soccer teams, its no wonder some don't do as well as others. The NASL team, the Tampa Bay Rowdies ("tier 2" behind MLS) seem to do pretty well, about 4k per game. But there's also the "VSI Tampa Bay FC", a USL Pro team which has multiple associated teams (men's, women's, amateur, youth) and is based in the old Plant City baseball stadium, as well as a number of amateur teams and leagues throughout the region. The VSI Tampa Bay FC is presumably what copperfiend's talking about, but it's unsurprising (it would be like a "FC Real Jacksonville Soccer Academy United FC 1821" playing out at the World Golf Village while a higher profile team played at JU). I don't think it's a bad reflection on Tampa fans, or that we could expect similar, given that we'd only have one team as well as our vastly superior sports culture

[blizz01]

Whatever happened to the FC JAX Destroyers?

[fsquid]

gone