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Toronto FC (pg. 36)
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| Yohan |
1-0 final score
2nd half was very dicey but it's a win |
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| teufel-man |
| quote: | Originally posted by Yohan
1-0 final score
2nd half was very dicey but it's a win |
hahaha, pretty much sums it up!
nice goal by Robert btw, too many times you just see guys blast it 10 feet over the net in a position like that! |
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| Frenchie |
Hahah that goal was so smooth. Perfect timing.
A lot of high goal attempts, Why soooo high?? Good playing, a lot of great passing, the energy was in' wild!!!! such a great game! Rickettes is pretty much a ball hog but God damn does he run fast!!! :o |
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| Yohan |
| I'm never drinking wine while watching TFC game again |
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| loca |
| Thinking about emailing the CBC to let them know their commentators might want to focus on talking about the friggin game instead of going off on tangents about the weather and ! North America has the WORST commentators ever :whip: :whip: :whip: :whip: |
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| zoogla |
Awesome game! I was fortunate to be in the MLSE box and I got to hang out with the GM of the TFC, Moe, very friendly guy and he shook
the hand of and thanked every fan that walked by the box and recognized him. I love the atmosphere at these games, far greater than Raps or Leafs games.
So many missed goal opportunities though :( |
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| English Rachel |
| quote: | Originally posted by fayraree
Awesome game! I was fortunate to be in the MLSE box and I got to hang out with the GM of the TFC, Moe, very friendly guy and he shook
the hand of and thanked every fan that walked by the box and recognized him. I love the atmosphere at these games, far greater than Raps or Leafs games.
So many missed goal opportunities though :( |
Holy ing moly!!!!
What a day. The beautiful game is definitely back and I have no clue how I got through the winter without it.
And as for Mo, he is like that, a super friendly guy who recognizes the importance of the fan base here in Toronto. He lives around the corner and I met him on one of the initial pub crawls - the two times I have seen him around the area, he has recognized me and said hi!!
I know the day will come that TFC is full of arrogance but I am cherishing these formative years.
Game commentary - 3 very questionable linesman calls against us in the first half - I think Ricketts was just too fast for his ability. Ricketts is a ball hog but Dichio was too when he first came, the boy will settle and find his rhythm. So much potential and promise. Second half we were visibly knackered, it was the first hot day of the year and the peeps from the UK NEVER play in 25 degrees.
The best fun you can have with your clothes on. |
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| zoogla |
| quote: | Originally posted by English Rachel
The best fun you can have with your clothes on. |
lol AWESOME!!! :) Next time I get a spare ticket you're first on my list, Rachel! :) |
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| Yohan |
| quote: | Originally posted by fayraree
lol AWESOME!!! :) Next time I get a spare ticket you're first on my list, Rachel! :) |
lol you're a funny man fahad ;) |
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| Yohan |
| quote: | Originally posted by English Rachel
Game commentary - 3 very questionable linesman calls against us in the first half - |
The refs were e. Though for once, RSL got shafted more than us (esp. the one Velez got a yellow for on the edge of the box in 2nd half that should have been a continuation play)
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I think Ricketts was just too fast for his ability. Ricketts is a ball hog but Dichio was too when he first came, the boy will settle and find his rhythm. So much potential and promise. |
Our midfield kicks ass. Ricketts and Wynne combo on the right is going to turn games into a track meet for opposition leftbacks. Almost feel sorry for them
| quote: | | Second half we were visibly knackered, it was the first hot day of the year and the peeps from the UK NEVER play in 25 degrees. |
Ricketts did look tired by mid 2nd half. Though RSL changed tactics big time and came after us. They dominated possession a lot in 2nd half, but never created any real chances.
Cunningham should have came in earlier, but there is reports of altercation with the coaching staff...
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The best fun you can have with your clothes on. |
Someone find me a ticket either in one of the front row corners or behind the opposition bench with couple of beers and a megaphone!!! :D |
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| Yohan |
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| dEsidEL |
interesting article..
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Leafs owner eyes U.K. soccer
MLSE explores notion of buying into top league
April 24, 2008
Rick Westhead
Sports business columnist
Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment is exploring the idea of purchasing a soccer club in England's fabled Premier League.
The Toronto sports holding company has retained consultants Deloitte & Touche to advise on soccer investment opportunities in the U.K., a senior sports industry executive told the Star.
Richard Peddie, president and chief executive of MLSE, confirmed he and chief financial officer Ian Clarke recently returned from a week-long trip to the U.K., where they visited six English soccer stadiums, met various team executives and investors, and attended a one-day soccer-industry conference.
He cautioned it would be "very, very premature" to say MLSE, which owns the Maple Leafs, Raptors and Toronto FC, is actively exploring another acquisition. "We went over there with our eyes wide open on everything, but I don't know where it will take us."
Dan Jones, the head of Deloitte's soccer consultancy, confirmed MLSE is a client of the firm but declined to elaborate.
England's Premier League is considered the top soccer league in the world. In recent years it has attracted interest from foreign investors anxious to enhance the fortunes of teams with global followings.
In 1997, Fulham became the first Premier team to be bought by a non-British citizen when Harrods owner Mohamed al-Fayed snapped up the club. Since 2003, Chelsea, Manchester United, Portsmouth and Aston Villa have also been bought by foreign interests. Derby was bought by American Andrew Appleby, and former Thailand PM Thaksin Shinawatra grabbed Manchester City last year.
Other NHL owners are getting in on the action. Montreal Canadiens owner George Gillett and Dallas Stars owner Tom Hicks last year agreed to pay about $441 million to buy Liverpool FC, although their relationship has since soured with both calling for the other to sell.
MLSE is said to be worth upwards of $1.75 billion. Yet the club's riches wouldn't give it a financial advantage over Premiership owners. Manchester United owner Malcolm Glazer, for instance, is said to be worth some $2 billion, while Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich's fortune has been estimated at more than $8 billion.
Peddie said he visited White Hart Lane, home to Tottenham Hotspur, and Reading's Madejski Stadium. Clarke also visited Stamford Bridge, where Chelsea plays its home games. He also visited Southampton's St. Mary's Stadium.
"We came away with a lot of ideas on how to maximize revenues," Peddie said.
A sports banking executive who specializes in European soccer said three English Premier teams would probably merit interest from the likes of MLSE: Everton, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur.
Tottenham might be the most attractive. Based in one of London's most multicultural boroughs, Spurs fans are recognized as rabid supporters. It also needs a new stadium. White Hart Lane opened in 1899 – some 32 years before Maple Leaf Gardens opened for business (although, like many of the oldest stadiums in England, it has undergone extensive renovations).
A common recipe for success in the sports industry is buying a franchise that plays in a decrepit arena or stadium, building a new one and realizing newfound revenue from the sale of personal seat licences and increases in prices for season tickets and sponsorships.
"We are often the subject of speculation regarding possible acquisition due to our history, appeal, huge fan base and recent success on the pitch, but we never comment on any of this speculation," said Donna-Marie Cullen, Tottenham's executive director.
Unlike MLSE, which is a privately traded company, Tottenham's shares are traded on the London Stock Exchange. Last year, it generated an operating profit of $21.4 million on sales of $208 million.
Everton's home stadium is even older than White Hart Lane. It opened in 1892, the same year Newcastle began playing at St. James' Park.
If MLSE decides to move forward with an English soccer investment, it may make more sense for the company to eye a team in The Championship, England's second-tier pro league. The three teams that finish with the worst records in the Premier League are relegated at the end of each season to the Championship. That league's three top clubs are promoted to the Premiership. A team in the Championship would cost less money, with the potential to be worth more.
Peddie and Clarke also visited Southampton's St. Mary's Stadium, in the Championship league. The Internet and broadcast are areas poised for rapid revenue growth, said Rob Tilliss, a sports banker who advised Hicks and Gillett on their Liverpool purchase.
"The difference in Europe is that teams control their websites," Tilliss said. "It's not collective like you have in North America where the league controls all the content."
There are potential stumbling blocks to MLSE's considering an overseas acquisition. For starters, the global credit markets have faltered in recent months, meaning it would be more difficult and expensive to finance a large purchase.
Still, Tilliss and several other investment banking sources said it's possible MLSE could initially move to create a marketing partnership with a Premiership team. That's what MLS's Colorado Rapids did last year in a collaboration with English soccer powerhouse Arsenal.
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source:
http://www.thestar.com/Sports/article/417801
Tottenham Hotspur? I see a Championship club acquisition more likely.. not too sure that MLSE is ready yet to compete with the big boys :D
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