Crash Landing! Les Aviators en chute libre!
Publié : 15 juillet 2004 13:21
SPORTS Thu, July 15, 2004
That crashing sound
SCOTT ZERR, EDMONTON SUN
A turbulence that has enveloped the Edmonton Aviators may cause a crash landing before the inaugural flight has ended. The 19 investors in the first-year soccer franchise are scheduled to meet Sunday, at which time a major cash call will be required to keep the A-League team operational for the rest of the 2004 season.
While chairman of the board Tom Newton wouldn't pinpoint the specific dollar figure needed, he did tell the Sun yesterday that a significant influx of cash is necessary to keep the club going.
"There are a number of possibilities. It is possible we may have seen the last men's game," said Newton, referring to Tuesday's matchup against Vancouver.
END OF THE SEASON
"We may try to run it until the end of the season, but it will take quite a bit of money. I wouldn't rule out the possibility of us coming back next season, but it will take a dramatic increase in support before the end of this season.
"I just don't know how long you can keep flogging a dead horse. I'm trying right now to minimize the bad things that could happen."
The Aviator women's team wraps up its inaugural W-League regular season tomorrow night in a game at Foote Field. The men's team is slated to play Saturday night in Milwaukee (a makeup date from an earlier postponement) with its next home match scheduled for July 20.
"I have tremendous confidence in Tom. If anybody can make it work, it's Tom," said investor Eric Young.
Joe Petrone, the director of soccer operations, and men's head coach Ross Ongaro have been roundly criticized in the local soccer community and the pair's history of being affiliated with failed teams in Edmonton is undeniable.
Newton did defend their work with the Aviators to a point.
"I have the utmost respect for Joe and his ability to deal with his contacts," offered Newton.
"He opened doors that no one else could have, but I personally believe he's not an administrator. He's a people person and we need to have somebody document what Joe does.
"As part of our agreement (with EMSA) we had to keep a lot of local players and I know that Ross wanted to keep three or four players, but our policy said he couldn't. I think he's done a good job given the handcuffs that were placed on him but I think everyone underestimated the quality of the A-League."
Newton admitted the club has made several huge mistakes in its first year, maybe none bigger than choosing to play at Commonwealth Stadium, with the expectations of drawing 11,000 fans per game.
Newton said that Tuesday's attendance of less than 2,000 wasn't enough to cover the cost of running the stadium's jumbo screen, let alone pick up the tab of the players' pay and travel fees.
The team did play June 22 at Clarke Park and it was unquestionably a better fit. If the franchise returns next season, a revamped Clarke Park with seating of about 6,000 would be an ideal venue.
By having to rejig a large chunk of their schedule due to the priority given to the Eskimos and Churchill Cup rugby, the Aviators played only three weekend games instead of 11 as originally planned.
With the small turnouts for the weekday evening games and the fact that using Commonwealth is "about four times more expensive than any other team in the league pays for their stadium," according to Newton, the Aviators budget crunch came quickly.
NO ONE IN PARTICULAR
Newton, who also assumed the role of interim president when Wylie Stafford resigned last month, refused to lay blame for the team's financial woes on anyone in particular, although the Aviators' agreement with Edmonton Minor Soccer Association to put some 30,000 passes into the community has failed miserably. Being forced into playing weeknight doubleheaders during May and June certainly didn't help the cause.
"Our execution has not been as good as it could have been. We've dug ourselves a pretty big hole," said Newton.
Among the trail of debts the team is starting to leave is the fact that Aquila Productions, which operates the jumbo screen at Commonwealth, has been paid for only one of six games it has worked.
Newton has also become aware that a number of players on the team have not had the incentive clauses in the contracts fulfilled (such as $150 for dressing for a game) and that defender Claudio Salinas bolted last month when the team failed to follow through on the promise of flying his wife and child here from Chile.
"My No. 1 concern right now is making sure that our players are getting paid," said Newton.
"I have no problem paying them what was promised. When I stepped in I realized there was a lack of systems in place. If there is a problem with the incentives and bonuses it may very well be an informational process. I am not going to screw any of the players out of 150 bucks."
That crashing sound
SCOTT ZERR, EDMONTON SUN
A turbulence that has enveloped the Edmonton Aviators may cause a crash landing before the inaugural flight has ended. The 19 investors in the first-year soccer franchise are scheduled to meet Sunday, at which time a major cash call will be required to keep the A-League team operational for the rest of the 2004 season.
While chairman of the board Tom Newton wouldn't pinpoint the specific dollar figure needed, he did tell the Sun yesterday that a significant influx of cash is necessary to keep the club going.
"There are a number of possibilities. It is possible we may have seen the last men's game," said Newton, referring to Tuesday's matchup against Vancouver.
END OF THE SEASON
"We may try to run it until the end of the season, but it will take quite a bit of money. I wouldn't rule out the possibility of us coming back next season, but it will take a dramatic increase in support before the end of this season.
"I just don't know how long you can keep flogging a dead horse. I'm trying right now to minimize the bad things that could happen."
The Aviator women's team wraps up its inaugural W-League regular season tomorrow night in a game at Foote Field. The men's team is slated to play Saturday night in Milwaukee (a makeup date from an earlier postponement) with its next home match scheduled for July 20.
"I have tremendous confidence in Tom. If anybody can make it work, it's Tom," said investor Eric Young.
Joe Petrone, the director of soccer operations, and men's head coach Ross Ongaro have been roundly criticized in the local soccer community and the pair's history of being affiliated with failed teams in Edmonton is undeniable.
Newton did defend their work with the Aviators to a point.
"I have the utmost respect for Joe and his ability to deal with his contacts," offered Newton.
"He opened doors that no one else could have, but I personally believe he's not an administrator. He's a people person and we need to have somebody document what Joe does.
"As part of our agreement (with EMSA) we had to keep a lot of local players and I know that Ross wanted to keep three or four players, but our policy said he couldn't. I think he's done a good job given the handcuffs that were placed on him but I think everyone underestimated the quality of the A-League."
Newton admitted the club has made several huge mistakes in its first year, maybe none bigger than choosing to play at Commonwealth Stadium, with the expectations of drawing 11,000 fans per game.
Newton said that Tuesday's attendance of less than 2,000 wasn't enough to cover the cost of running the stadium's jumbo screen, let alone pick up the tab of the players' pay and travel fees.
The team did play June 22 at Clarke Park and it was unquestionably a better fit. If the franchise returns next season, a revamped Clarke Park with seating of about 6,000 would be an ideal venue.
By having to rejig a large chunk of their schedule due to the priority given to the Eskimos and Churchill Cup rugby, the Aviators played only three weekend games instead of 11 as originally planned.
With the small turnouts for the weekday evening games and the fact that using Commonwealth is "about four times more expensive than any other team in the league pays for their stadium," according to Newton, the Aviators budget crunch came quickly.
NO ONE IN PARTICULAR
Newton, who also assumed the role of interim president when Wylie Stafford resigned last month, refused to lay blame for the team's financial woes on anyone in particular, although the Aviators' agreement with Edmonton Minor Soccer Association to put some 30,000 passes into the community has failed miserably. Being forced into playing weeknight doubleheaders during May and June certainly didn't help the cause.
"Our execution has not been as good as it could have been. We've dug ourselves a pretty big hole," said Newton.
Among the trail of debts the team is starting to leave is the fact that Aquila Productions, which operates the jumbo screen at Commonwealth, has been paid for only one of six games it has worked.
Newton has also become aware that a number of players on the team have not had the incentive clauses in the contracts fulfilled (such as $150 for dressing for a game) and that defender Claudio Salinas bolted last month when the team failed to follow through on the promise of flying his wife and child here from Chile.
"My No. 1 concern right now is making sure that our players are getting paid," said Newton.
"I have no problem paying them what was promised. When I stepped in I realized there was a lack of systems in place. If there is a problem with the incentives and bonuses it may very well be an informational process. I am not going to screw any of the players out of 150 bucks."