Richmond en D2 l'an prochain
Publié : 24 octobre 2005 20:27
http://mid-atlantic.matchnight.com/umin ... &show=2902
BREAKING NEWS
Kicking Themselves Down, But Not Out
Richmond 'Realigning' To USL Second Division In Cost-Saving, Franchise-Preserving Measure
Mark Bushman · October 24, 2005
WASHINGTON DC (MNN) - In a cost-saving and franchise-preserving measure, the Richmond Kickers, after nearly winning the USL First Division title, will move to the USL Second Division beginning next season.
After months of rumors, speculation and questions, the team confirmed the move. A formal press conference will take place tomorrow, when the Kickers will officially announce their intentions.
Season-ticket holders have already received the information in a mailing that discusses the various packages and games that will be available to them for the 2006 season.
"I wouldn't necessarily say it's a 'move down,'" said Kickers general manager Paul Sterbenz. "I consider it more of a realignment. Realistically, it gives us the best chance to help our product grow and thrive in the Richmond area. ... We've done everything the league has asked us to do, but we just cannot survive as an organization under the current model. We have to change."
Rumors have been swirling for a long time about the club's move, as the topic began on some internet chat rooms as early as May, but this is the first time anyone within the organization has definitively come out and said the club will drop to the USL Second Division. The team was also close to moving down at the end of the 2004 season, but decided to give it one more year under the current business model.
The reasons for the move are multiple, according to several members within the Kickers' management staff, but Sterbenz emphasized none of it involves padding the pockets of the team's current ownership. The move will save a significant amount of money--money that has been spent, and lost--on the sometimes grueling travel schedule required of USL First Division clubs.
"From a competitive standpoint, I thought this season was the best ever for the USL; there was never an easy game," said Kickers coach Leigh Cowlishaw. "However, because of the geography of the league, teams were spread out all over the US and Canada. Some teams, like Vancouver, Rochester, and Montreal, that have bigger budgets, loved it. However, there are several teams, ours in particular, that just can't continue spending such a great deal on travel."
The team's owners spent a great deal of money in 2003 on a large semi to transport players to and from matches. The vehicle has room to sleep 18, features a bathroom, satellite dish for television, a state-of-the-art stereo system, and most of the comforts of home. The idea was to save on travel expenses.
However, with the league moving to a single-table format for the 2005 season, the vehicle was of no use when the team had to play on the west coast. The approximate cost of two regular-season trips out west for the team was $75,000. Making the playoffs also sent the team to Vancouver for the first round of the playoffs and to Seattle for the championship match.
"How many leagues in the world travel 3,000 miles for a road game," asked Richmond assistant coach Jesse Myers. "How many teams play on an island (like Puerto Rico)? Soccer faces geographic problems in the United States that no other league in the world does."
In order to keep up with the travel costs in 2006 and stay in USL1, the Kickers would have had to release several of their top players and would have been unable to field a team nearly as competitive as this past season's finalists.
Ironically, this is not the first time in league history that a team has won the championship or finished second and then faced financial hardship soon after. Hershey finished second in 2001 and ceased operations at the end of the season, while Milwaukee won the title in 2002 and then underwent a major overhaul in ownership just to stay afloat the next year.
Another problem Richmond faced was stagnant attendance. The 2,500 fans the team averaged pales in comparison to the 10,000-plus crowds usually seen at matches in Rochester and Montreal, and the several thousand normally in the stands in Vancouver and Portland. Sterbenz points out that those teams have established themselves in their communities, and he believes Richmond has a lot of work to do to get to that level.
"We've got about 2,500 core fans; the people who show up for most of the games and support the club," Sterbenz said. "We never would have made it this far without them. What we need to do is grow that, over time, and it's going to take a lot on our part to get to the level of Rochester or Montreal. We think can use our resources and grow that fan base a little better in Division 2."
Sterbenz also emphasized that all players currently under contract will have their contracts honored. Several players are out of contract, such as long-time Kickers forward Kevin Jeffrey, and will not return. Others, such as Chris Fox and Peter Luzak, have retired (although sources close to Luzak say new Columbus coach Sigi Schmid has contacted Luzak about playing for the Crew next year). Other sources indicate leading scorer Matthew Delicate is being pursued by FC Dallas, which is being complicated by the dreaded green card situation which affects so many foreign players in the US.
Kickers' goalkeeper Ronnie Pascale is one of those players who has mixed emotions on the club's decision.
"From a business standpoint, I can totally understand where the team is coming from," Pascale said. "They just couldn't operate under that model any longer ... but from a personal standpoint, as an athlete, you always aspire to play at the highest level. Division 2 is a good league, but I'd like to have a chance to play at the highest level possible, whether that's Division 1, or MLS."
Pascale has spoken to several of his teammates since they were advised of the decision, and like him, their reaction is mixed.
"We've got a couple of guys who are near the end of their careers and have roots in the community, so they'll stay," Pascale said. "A couple of guys retired, and a couple of guys are out of contract. It was obvious to most of us that this was our year to win it [the USL First Division championship], because we knew the team was going to look very different next year, regardless of what division we would be in."
Still, the Kickers feel they will be one of the better teams in the USL Second Division next year. The season is shorter (20 games rather than 28), and the team will be a bit younger, but the organization feels there isn't a tremendous difference in the quality of play.
"Most people believe there is a two or three player difference in terms of quality from MLS to Division 1," said Sterbenz. "Therefore, we believe there is more likely a two player difference between USL1 and 2. I think fans will be impressed with what they see next year."
"I think we'll be a big fish in a smaller pond, as opposed to the situation we've been in the past few years," Cowlishaw said.
USL2 means the Kickers will now be able to forge new regional rivalries against teams such as Charlotte and Wilmington, but it will, at least temporarily, bring an end to games against Charleston and Rochester, two of Richmond's biggest opponents over the past several years.
However, although the Virginia Beach Mariners will remain in USL1, the teams still plan to battle over the James River Cup, representing the darby between the two. The Kickers have won it the past four years. There will also be an exhibition in Richmond against DC United, a deal negotiated last year between the clubs as part of the transfer fee sending former Kickers midfielder Clyde Simms to Washington.
Still, after spending the past nine years as one of the better teams in the league, fans of all the teams in USL 1 will miss the Kickers when the 2006 season rolls around. Regardless of fan support and budget, the team was a regular in the playoffs, winning the championship and US Open Cup in 1995, and finishing second in 2002 and 2005.
The front office isn't so much disappointed in the move to the USL Second Division; rather, they are looking forward to what's ahead for the franchise.
"We try to look at the big picture every year," Cowlishaw said. "From our vantage point, this move guarantees that the Kickers will be here and remain a part of the Richmond soccer scene for the next 10 to 20 years. At the end of the day, that's the whole point."
BREAKING NEWS
Kicking Themselves Down, But Not Out
Richmond 'Realigning' To USL Second Division In Cost-Saving, Franchise-Preserving Measure
Mark Bushman · October 24, 2005
WASHINGTON DC (MNN) - In a cost-saving and franchise-preserving measure, the Richmond Kickers, after nearly winning the USL First Division title, will move to the USL Second Division beginning next season.
After months of rumors, speculation and questions, the team confirmed the move. A formal press conference will take place tomorrow, when the Kickers will officially announce their intentions.
Season-ticket holders have already received the information in a mailing that discusses the various packages and games that will be available to them for the 2006 season.
"I wouldn't necessarily say it's a 'move down,'" said Kickers general manager Paul Sterbenz. "I consider it more of a realignment. Realistically, it gives us the best chance to help our product grow and thrive in the Richmond area. ... We've done everything the league has asked us to do, but we just cannot survive as an organization under the current model. We have to change."
Rumors have been swirling for a long time about the club's move, as the topic began on some internet chat rooms as early as May, but this is the first time anyone within the organization has definitively come out and said the club will drop to the USL Second Division. The team was also close to moving down at the end of the 2004 season, but decided to give it one more year under the current business model.
The reasons for the move are multiple, according to several members within the Kickers' management staff, but Sterbenz emphasized none of it involves padding the pockets of the team's current ownership. The move will save a significant amount of money--money that has been spent, and lost--on the sometimes grueling travel schedule required of USL First Division clubs.
"From a competitive standpoint, I thought this season was the best ever for the USL; there was never an easy game," said Kickers coach Leigh Cowlishaw. "However, because of the geography of the league, teams were spread out all over the US and Canada. Some teams, like Vancouver, Rochester, and Montreal, that have bigger budgets, loved it. However, there are several teams, ours in particular, that just can't continue spending such a great deal on travel."
The team's owners spent a great deal of money in 2003 on a large semi to transport players to and from matches. The vehicle has room to sleep 18, features a bathroom, satellite dish for television, a state-of-the-art stereo system, and most of the comforts of home. The idea was to save on travel expenses.
However, with the league moving to a single-table format for the 2005 season, the vehicle was of no use when the team had to play on the west coast. The approximate cost of two regular-season trips out west for the team was $75,000. Making the playoffs also sent the team to Vancouver for the first round of the playoffs and to Seattle for the championship match.
"How many leagues in the world travel 3,000 miles for a road game," asked Richmond assistant coach Jesse Myers. "How many teams play on an island (like Puerto Rico)? Soccer faces geographic problems in the United States that no other league in the world does."
In order to keep up with the travel costs in 2006 and stay in USL1, the Kickers would have had to release several of their top players and would have been unable to field a team nearly as competitive as this past season's finalists.
Ironically, this is not the first time in league history that a team has won the championship or finished second and then faced financial hardship soon after. Hershey finished second in 2001 and ceased operations at the end of the season, while Milwaukee won the title in 2002 and then underwent a major overhaul in ownership just to stay afloat the next year.
Another problem Richmond faced was stagnant attendance. The 2,500 fans the team averaged pales in comparison to the 10,000-plus crowds usually seen at matches in Rochester and Montreal, and the several thousand normally in the stands in Vancouver and Portland. Sterbenz points out that those teams have established themselves in their communities, and he believes Richmond has a lot of work to do to get to that level.
"We've got about 2,500 core fans; the people who show up for most of the games and support the club," Sterbenz said. "We never would have made it this far without them. What we need to do is grow that, over time, and it's going to take a lot on our part to get to the level of Rochester or Montreal. We think can use our resources and grow that fan base a little better in Division 2."
Sterbenz also emphasized that all players currently under contract will have their contracts honored. Several players are out of contract, such as long-time Kickers forward Kevin Jeffrey, and will not return. Others, such as Chris Fox and Peter Luzak, have retired (although sources close to Luzak say new Columbus coach Sigi Schmid has contacted Luzak about playing for the Crew next year). Other sources indicate leading scorer Matthew Delicate is being pursued by FC Dallas, which is being complicated by the dreaded green card situation which affects so many foreign players in the US.
Kickers' goalkeeper Ronnie Pascale is one of those players who has mixed emotions on the club's decision.
"From a business standpoint, I can totally understand where the team is coming from," Pascale said. "They just couldn't operate under that model any longer ... but from a personal standpoint, as an athlete, you always aspire to play at the highest level. Division 2 is a good league, but I'd like to have a chance to play at the highest level possible, whether that's Division 1, or MLS."
Pascale has spoken to several of his teammates since they were advised of the decision, and like him, their reaction is mixed.
"We've got a couple of guys who are near the end of their careers and have roots in the community, so they'll stay," Pascale said. "A couple of guys retired, and a couple of guys are out of contract. It was obvious to most of us that this was our year to win it [the USL First Division championship], because we knew the team was going to look very different next year, regardless of what division we would be in."
Still, the Kickers feel they will be one of the better teams in the USL Second Division next year. The season is shorter (20 games rather than 28), and the team will be a bit younger, but the organization feels there isn't a tremendous difference in the quality of play.
"Most people believe there is a two or three player difference in terms of quality from MLS to Division 1," said Sterbenz. "Therefore, we believe there is more likely a two player difference between USL1 and 2. I think fans will be impressed with what they see next year."
"I think we'll be a big fish in a smaller pond, as opposed to the situation we've been in the past few years," Cowlishaw said.
USL2 means the Kickers will now be able to forge new regional rivalries against teams such as Charlotte and Wilmington, but it will, at least temporarily, bring an end to games against Charleston and Rochester, two of Richmond's biggest opponents over the past several years.
However, although the Virginia Beach Mariners will remain in USL1, the teams still plan to battle over the James River Cup, representing the darby between the two. The Kickers have won it the past four years. There will also be an exhibition in Richmond against DC United, a deal negotiated last year between the clubs as part of the transfer fee sending former Kickers midfielder Clyde Simms to Washington.
Still, after spending the past nine years as one of the better teams in the league, fans of all the teams in USL 1 will miss the Kickers when the 2006 season rolls around. Regardless of fan support and budget, the team was a regular in the playoffs, winning the championship and US Open Cup in 1995, and finishing second in 2002 and 2005.
The front office isn't so much disappointed in the move to the USL Second Division; rather, they are looking forward to what's ahead for the franchise.
"We try to look at the big picture every year," Cowlishaw said. "From our vantage point, this move guarantees that the Kickers will be here and remain a part of the Richmond soccer scene for the next 10 to 20 years. At the end of the day, that's the whole point."