I think the stadium looks fantastic, even better than I thought it would! I cant wait to see how it looks for Touchdown Atlantic.
It would need some pretty major work to be the permanent home of a CFL franchise, but it looks to me like a great starting point. Moncton should be very proud of what they've accomplished.
Pomerleau did an outstanding job on this project, they are quickly becoming one of the premier stadium contractors in the country. Going to be there tomorrow to catch some of the action.
I agreed.
Regardless of whether they get a CFL franchise, didn’t it make more sense to build a real stadium with the 30,000 seats?
Having said that and especially how quick the game sold out, could they not put in some 5000 temporary seats?
It leaves an option I suppose for a private developer to partner with the university in the future and twin the permanent grandstand while removing the track to produce an intimate Ivor Wynne-esque fotball venue...
I still think Halifax is a more ideal place to plop down a team and stadium. Moncton might work if there were a 100 year regional history like there now exists with the Roughriders. Halifax just seems like a much better place to get a team going from scratch.
moncton would need visitors from hours away.
halifax has the population to support a team on its own.
if the team were to hit a rough patch with wins few and far between, noone will drive 2+ hours to moncton to see a crap team.
but people of halifax would probably still drive within their own city to support their own team regardless of their record.
comparison; would you rather go into business with someone who has their own capital ( halifax ) or someone borrowing all their money from multiple other sources ( moncton )?
Halifax is more major league and a beautiful place.
Problems is the politicians do not want the CFL, there is no political will with the tree huggers.
Of course, then there is no stadium or owner.
So by default I suppose we go to Moncton.
Or better still, Quebec City. But, the same can be said about QC as with Halifax.
Ok how about Maine or Syracuse/Rochester?
Never say never. With the right partners, corporate sponsorships, private or community ownership, this could blossom into something some day. It’s a great start, and it’s apparently more than Halifax has been able to manage to do, which indicates the political will and public support for growth. This provides a solid base from which to grow.
High School LOL ! Whatever. I would bet money that the attendance in Moncton would surpass Winnipeg, Hamilton, Montreal and Toronto. Moncton was able to pull of what both Halifax and Hamilton have not been able to.
A 10 000 seats is not a High School stadium,it is perfect size for the event hosted.
If a CFL team wants to get serious about setting up shop in Moncton. The city of Moncton will make sure the stadium is perfect for that as well but why would they do like cities like Winnipeg and Hamilton that have built facilities with no tenants ? What is the point of that ?
Access is perfect right between two highway, multiple exits from the grounds, thousands of parking spots and room for expansion probably up to 40 thousand seats without too much problem. Indoor training facilities, sports medicine facilities, hydro therapy facility room for team offices and locker room, full weight and cardio GYM.
The Als and Argos can only dream about such a facility.
It does seem like a great start to me, and i don't believe there are any high school stadia (and few college stadia) in canada that have seating for 10-20k, permanent or temporary or whatever mix of the two. Build a higher grandstand with the amenities where the temp side bleachers are now, convert the temp endzone bleachers into permanent ones, add washrooms and concessions and your stadium is at least as good as what they have in Hamilton, Sask or Montreal (and those stadiums have no actual plastic seats AFAIK, just all bleachers/benches). Get a row of sellouts for regular season games between visiting teams, and some investors with money to spend get interested in owning another piece of the local economic pie ala Bob Young or the Hunt Group.
People in Moncton seem to want it judging by ticket sales, politicians seem to want it enough to get all 3 levels of government to spend cash to host the CFL in Moncton, and Cohon said he was talking to potential local money interests at last year's Cup.
Thats what the CFL and proponents of football in Moncton might be saying but I just don’t see Maritimers or eastern Quebecers doing the whole 5 hour drive thing without the cultural inroads that a a team with a 100 year history might have like in Saskatchewan or like the Montreal Canadiens.
They were the Regina Roughriders before they became the Saskatchewan Roughriders.
I think people are much more likely to take to a new team if its in their backyard. Halifax is Canada’s 13th largest metro area while Moncton is 30th behind places like Guelph, Saguenay and Barrie.