Welcome back the North American Soccer League?

[USRufnex]

U.S. clubs announce rebel North American Soccer League
Tue Nov 24, 2009 2:06pm EST
http://www.reuters.com/article/sportsNews/idUSTRE5AM4P820091124

The nine rebel clubs include USL champions the Montreal Impact and the team they beat in the league's final game -- the Vancouver Whitecaps.

The USL, which was founded in 1986 and has two senior men's divisions as well as a youth and women's structure, recently announced plans for new teams in Canada and Detroit and intends to continue without the rebel teams in 2010.



Disco Stu told me he wants to get the Roughnecks back in town....  

The old NASL 1968-1984.....
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_Soccer_League



The new NASL 2010......
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_Soccer_League_%282010%29

Atlanta Silverbacks
Carolina RailHawks FC
Crystal Palace Baltimore
Miami FC
Minnesota Thunder
Montreal Impact
St. Louis TBA
Tampa Bay Rowdies
Vancouver Whitecaps

[FOTD]

Bring it!

[RecycleMichael]

Interesting mix of towns...six east coast and four in the south...only one in the west...

[USRufnex]

REPORT: Old NASL Names Revived – Minutemen, Atoms, Strikers, Roughnecks, Atlanta Chiefs, Baltimore Bays, Detroit Express All Trademarked on Nov. 19
Posted by mlsrumors Thursday, November 26th, 2009 at 2:31 pm
http://www.mls-rumors.net/4828/2009/11/report-old-nasl-names-revived-minutemen-atoms-strikers-roughnecks-atlanta-chiefs-baltimore-bays-detroit-express-all-trademarked-on-nov-19/

Courtesy of the US Patent and Trademark Office:

Word Mark    ROUGHNECKS
Goods and Services    IC 041. US 100 101 107. G & S: Organizing sporting events, namely, soccer matches, competitions, and exhibitions; programming, production, and distribution of radio and television programs of soccer matches, competitions, and exhibitions; programming, production and distribution of CDs, DVDs, and films of soccer matches, competitions, and exhibitions; programming, production and distribution of television, radio and internet programs of soccer matches, competitions, and exhibitions via the Internet; providing a web site featuring information about soccer and soccer matches, competitions, and exhibitions; publication of printed matter; soccer fan club services; conducting soccer training camps and clinics; ticket reservation and booking services for soccer matches, competitions, and exhibitions
Standard Characters Claimed    
Mark Drawing Code    (4) STANDARD CHARACTER MARK
Serial Number    77876772
Filing Date    November 19, 2009
Current Filing Basis    1B
Original Filing Basis    1B
Owner    (APPLICANT) North American Soccer League, LLC LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY DELAWARE c/o Miami FC 501 Brickell Key Drive, Suite 407 Miami FLORIDA 33131
Attorney of Record    Bradford S. Breen
Type of Mark    SERVICE MARK
Register    PRINCIPAL
Live/Dead Indicator    LIVE
Word Mark    ROUGHNECKS
Goods and Services    IC 025. US 022 039. G & S: Clothing, namely, hats, headwear, caps, shirts, T-shirts, sweatshirts, jerseys, jackets, shorts, bottoms, pants, warm up suits, wristbands, gloves, socks, footwear
Standard Characters Claimed    
Mark Drawing Code    (4) STANDARD CHARACTER MARK
Serial Number    77876768
Filing Date    November 19, 2009
Current Filing Basis    1B
Original Filing Basis    1B
Owner    (APPLICANT) North American Soccer League, LLC LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY DELAWARE c/o Miami FC 501 Brickell Key Drive, Suite 407 Miami FLORIDA 33131
Attorney of Record    Bradford S. Breen
Type of Mark    TRADEMARK
Register    PRINCIPAL
Live/Dead Indicator    LIVE

[USRufnex]

...only one in the west...

That team, the Vancouver Whitecaps, will be moving to Major League Soccer in 2011 alongside the Portland Timbers.
In the irony dept., Vancouver will be playing their 2011 MLS season at a refurbished BC Place Stadium.
Tulsa won Soccer Bowl '83 at BC Place Stadium the first year of its operation.....



Just another kick in the grass?
Edmonton getting team in resurrected NASL
By TERRY JONES
Last Updated: 1st December 2009
http://www.edmontonsun.com/sports/columnists/terry_jones/2009/12/01/11989051-sun.html

.... and another USL-1 domino falls....

Rochester Rhinos Join New NASL
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  NOVEMBER 30, 2009
http://www.rhinossoccer.com/news.php?id=1233

[USRufnex]

http://nasl.com/

[DolfanBob]

I was a Tulsa Roughneck fan. I went to almost every home game. Thanks for posting that logo, We by far had the best logo of the league. What fun we had after the game at the sock hops and meeting the players at Caskos and dining and drinking at Charlie Mitchells. Great time indeed.

[Laramie]

It would be great to have a professional soccer team in Tulsa on the level of MLS.

Where would the team play in Tulsa.  Can Chapman Stadium be modified for soccer?

I would definitely come to Tulsa for most of their games if the NASL return to T-Town.

[USRufnex]

Laramie,

TU's Chapman Stadium has permanent markings on its artificial field turf and a seating capacity that is far too big for either USL-1 or this new league..... in 2009, USL-1 teams averaged around 4500 fans per game.....

This "new NASL" is a league started by dissatisfied USL-1 team owners who formed a group back in 2008 due (at least in part) to their mutual dislike of USL founder Francisco Marcos.... they supported a bid by former MLS suitor Jeff Cooper of St Louis to buy the league from NIKE last summer.... Cooper was rumored to have had the high bid but NIKE didn't sell to him..... that was the last straw for the Team Owners Association, who secured the rights to the NASL name last November after they formally split from USL-1...

Before all this hit the fan, a USL official had already spoken with the Tulsa Sports Commission and told me he was pretty upbeat about the prospects of Tulsa fielding a team at the old ballpark for 2011 or 2012.....

Seems like the new NASL budgets may be a little pricier than USL-1's average team budget of $2mil per year.

The new Tampa Bay Rowdies will be playing their 2010 season here....


http://nasl.com/news.php?id=34

Unless Tulsa County decides they want to bulldoze it, a new Tulsa Roughnecks team should play at the old ballpark in 2011..... "c'mon snake eyes-- baby needs new shoes".....



I wonder if Karen Keith still has her rolodex of potential investors from 2004......
http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=99933&highlight=Tulsa+Update

02/15/2004
Tulsa World (Final Home Edition), Page A19 of News

Discussions with potential investors in a Tulsa Major League Soccer franchise have resumed, mayoral aide Karen Keith said Friday.

"We're still trying to put together a package," Keith said. "We're going to continue to try to work on a way to publicly finance a stadium. We've had talks with different investors, some of whom have looked other places and come back to us."

[Laramie]

Laramie,

TU's Chapman Stadium has permanent markings on its artificial field turf and a seating capacity that is far too big for either USL-1 or this new league..... in 2009, USL-1 teams averaged around 4500 fans per game.....

This "new NASL" is a league started by dissatisfied USL-1 team owners who formed a group back in 2008 due (at least in part) to their mutual dislike of USL founder Francisco Marcos.... they supported a bid by former MLS suitor Jeff Cooper of St Louis to buy the league from NIKE last summer.... Cooper was rumored to have had the high bid but NIKE didn't sell to him..... that was the last straw for the Team Owners Association, who secured the rights to the NASL name last November after they formally split from USL-1...

Before all this hit the fan, a USL official had already spoken with the Tulsa Sports Commission and told me he was pretty upbeat about the prospects of Tulsa fielding a team at the old ballpark for 2011 or 2012.....

Seems like the new NASL budgets may be a little pricier than USL-1's average team budget of $2mil per year.

Sounds like a winner to me; I remember Driller Park (OU-OSU game) and the stands are pretty steep.  This should be an ideal park for viewing soccer.

[JeffM]

FC Tulsa-Veracruz exhibition canceled
http://www.tulsaworld.com/sportsextra/article.aspx?subjectid=29&articleid=20100330_29_B2_Organi870651&archive=yes

Organizers announced that FC Tulsa's scheduled Wednesday night exhibition game against Veracruz has been canceled.

Veracruz's ownership called off the match over the weekend, said F.C. Tulsa spokesperson Dave Mortzabe. He added that more than 7,000 tickets already had been sold for the match, which would have featured legendary Mexican star Cuauhtemoc Blanco.

FC Tulsa is a member of the National Premier Soccer League.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hmmm.  "More than 7,000 tickets already had been sold"? ......

Opening day attendance for Major League Soccer at Pizza Hut Park, Frisco, TX:  a crowd of... drumroll please.... 8,016 for FC Dallas versus Houston....
http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showpost.php?p=20287001&postcount=1

Instead of trying to schedule exhibitions at the BA high school football stadium, I hear there's a perfectly good stadium at the fairgrounds sitting empty, a stadium with a grass field and no football lines..... hint, hint.....  

The new NASL team in Tampa will be playing at an 11,000 seat ballpark this season....

[JeffM]

FC Tampa Bay Rowdies webcast tonight from George Steinbrenner ballpark....
http://fctampabay.com/schedule/gameday/game/45
^^And guess who's doing color commentary on this broadcast?
None other than Winston DuBose, who played most of his NASL career in Tampa, but was the winning goalkeeper for the Tulsa Roughnecks in Soccer Bowl '83...

Tampa's season opener attracted a crowd of over 8,000 fans... tonight's game is dollar beer night..... mmm, beer.