Cutting the strings
By Ben Knight
Just as Pinocchio dreamed of becoming a real boy, Toronto has dreamed of being a real soccer city.
It was so hopeless for so long. No team, no stadium, no chance, no hope.
In many ways, Toronto jumped the queue when every level of government splashed out the cash to build BMO Field. Either Vancouver or Montreal should – by simple soccer rights – have received that gift before Toronto did.
But the money was here, along with the will to deal, Here came the stadium and – about four seconds later – the team.
Earlier this afternoon, Toronto City Council voted 29-0 to approve Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment’s $5.5-million proposal to build new soccer facilities – and put real grass at BMO Field. The province and the feds still have to sign off, but unanimous votes don’t happen in Toronto, and this one will carry tremendous weight.
Here we go, here we go, here we go!
Certainly, we had gorgeous grass at Varsity Stadium back in the old days. But never with the intimacy and sightlines of BMO Field. Or the noise, either.
Toronto FC still has some Pinocchio strings, in the form of MLS’s tight salary cap and roster restrictions. But there’s hope there, too. The league CBA is up for renegotiation. A higher number and a second designated player would do a nice job of further trimming back the puppet strings.
Oh! The Canadian national teams have a legitimate new home today. With the plastic turf gone – and some of Canada’s best players kitting out for TFC – BMO Field will now officially become what it was originally intended to be … Canada’s national soccer stadium.
Please don’t think I’m trying to hog everything for Toronto. Absolutely not. Any improvement to any facility anywhere on these shores is desperately needed. Grass at BMO enhances all Toronto’s future games with Vancouver and Montreal (and Ottawa), and any actual home games for Canada raise the sport’s profile with media, new fans – and the next generation of international soccer players.
This is just such good news on so many levels. Even if TFC misses the playoffs now, the twin arrivals of grass and Julian DeGuzman guarantee a hot and heavily hyped start to the 2010 campaign next spring.
Now, if MLS can just be convinced to loosen up the purse-strings ….
Onward!
>>>Follow OnwardSoccer on Twitter!
September 30th, 2009 at 4:59 pm
Sweet
September 30th, 2009 at 6:04 pm
very good! the bounces were becoming a joke on that fieldturf.
i would love to see more Canadian national team games at BMO. That atmosphere against Jamaica was awesome.
October 1st, 2009 at 12:13 am
Seriously speaking in 30 years or so, this is honestly the biggest sign I have ever seen, that soccer has arrived in TO/Canada. Prior to this, it was just take what we give you. It is a true sign that there is an interest in making and creating an authentic atmosphere!
October 1st, 2009 at 8:01 am
I actually followed the vote through the city of Toronto’s website. At work. How crazy is that. 15 years ago, you could not have paid me to watch soccer. A trip through Europe had me hooked on the beautiful game and TFC’s arrival was the perfect homegrown tonic for atmosphere at least. Now grass at BMO Field. This is the real thing.
My son is almost two years old and I have to wonder, as a season ticket holder for TFC, will he grow up dreaming of blue and white or red and grey. Anselmi might be right. The next generation could push TFC into this city’s top two. Three cheers for grass.
October 1st, 2009 at 10:09 am
Great credit to those who have battled long and hard for this. Can we call it the Mo Edu pitch since all the funds came from his transfer fee.
One note re more international games at BMO…wouldn’t it be nice if the CSA learned to restrict ticket numbers to the away country in a segregated section of the ground…otherwise Canada will remain the away team at home. Distribute a number of tickets thru TFC, and allow STHs to buy Canada tickets thru the account manager website, ensuring home support for Canada.
For the WCQ
October 1st, 2009 at 10:10 am
…cont..
for the WCQ vs Jamaica, one of the Red Patch mebers ended up buying a whole section of the ground to ensure an area of hardcore support. How sad is that that we had to resort to that measure?
Great news on the grass!
October 1st, 2009 at 11:29 am
Give up on the salary cap stuff. You don’t know what you’re talking about when it comes to the business side of this stuff
October 2nd, 2009 at 1:23 am
This is just in regards to your idea of the raised cap and a second DP. I’m not really sure I’m in favour of a second DP. Does this league have to become convinced that a second DP will be the only way the quality of play will be enhanced, or could the eventual youth academies be a better solution? Is the academies idea even a realistic solution? I just don’t want to see this league get bogged down by DP searches. I’d rather any hype be about a specific player from one of the teams, who isn’t a DP, shining, like Kenny Cooper or Chris Rolfe. Hell, even DeRo helps this league shine, and he is a good example where money should be going instead of a second DP. Help out the little guys, too, and raise the minimum wage for the league. A second DP just doesn’t seem like a good idea to me, at least not yet. While some change needs to happen, everyone needs to just calm down for a second, take a deep breath, and take a look at what the league has done to get where it is now: well-considered baby-steps (with hops thrown in where they logistically should be).