Comments on: The Austin Aztex and Foreign Ownership in American Soccer http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2008/01/26/the-austin-aztex-and-foreign-ownership-in-american-soccer/ Exploring football culture around the world. Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:58:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Objectivo Staging | Club America Looks To Enter MLS http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2008/01/26/the-austin-aztex-and-foreign-ownership-in-american-soccer/#comment-5264 Objectivo Staging | Club America Looks To Enter MLS Tue, 08 Jul 2008 23:31:48 +0000 http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2008/01/26/the-austin-aztex-and-foreign-ownership-in-american-soccer/#comment-5264 [...] club, Crystal Palace Baltimore has been successful in USL-2, A co-owner of Stoke City purchased the Austin Aztecs of USL-1 and even Ajax had been interested in purchasing a stake in an MLS [...] [...] club, Crystal Palace Baltimore has been successful in USL-2, A co-owner of Stoke City purchased the Austin Aztecs of USL-1 and even Ajax had been interested in purchasing a stake in an MLS [...]

]]> By: Timoteo http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2008/01/26/the-austin-aztex-and-foreign-ownership-in-american-soccer/#comment-2476 Timoteo Mon, 28 Jan 2008 16:00:05 +0000 http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2008/01/26/the-austin-aztex-and-foreign-ownership-in-american-soccer/#comment-2476 Francisco Marcos (the USL president) has it 180 degrees backasswards. Instead of foreign ownership, or private ownership at all, which does not take the either the long term interest of its fans or the game as a priority, but rather making money (see your article on Wimbledon FC, or look at Liverpool), the USL should only have teams that are owned by fans as non-profits (in that all profits are reinvested in the community to further soccer development). Barcelona and the Green Bay Packers of the NFL have demonstrated that this is possible, and can form the base for an incredibly strong league, with great fan interest and loyalty, as well as increasing the level of soccer in the U.S. (which the MLS is currently doing little or nothing to help develop). Francisco Marcos (the USL president) has it 180 degrees backasswards. Instead of foreign ownership, or private ownership at all, which does not take the either the long term interest of its fans or the game as a priority, but rather making money (see your article on Wimbledon FC, or look at Liverpool), the USL should only have teams that are owned by fans as non-profits (in that all profits are reinvested in the community to further soccer development). Barcelona and the Green Bay Packers of the NFL have demonstrated that this is possible, and can form the base for an incredibly strong league, with great fan interest and loyalty, as well as increasing the level of soccer in the U.S. (which the MLS is currently doing little or nothing to help develop).

]]> By: The Metrologist http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2008/01/26/the-austin-aztex-and-foreign-ownership-in-american-soccer/#comment-2446 The Metrologist Sat, 26 Jan 2008 18:11:47 +0000 http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2008/01/26/the-austin-aztex-and-foreign-ownership-in-american-soccer/#comment-2446 It's good to see the return of gratuitous "x"s and "z"s to American pro soccer. Perhaps soon we can dream of a return to the glory days when you had team names like the Xoggz (http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=2325) My thoughts and concerns pretty much parallel yours. In connection with this, somewhere in one of yesterday's "More Yanks Buy Premiership Club" stories on Derby County, there was a line from the prospective owners to the effect that it was going to "extend the Derby County brand in North America and around the world." Excuse me? All apologies to Rams fans, but "the Derby County brand"? This can't be right. How much brand-space do they really think there is anywhere - much less in the US - for the biggest clubs in the world, much less provincial clubs rattling around the nether reaches of the Premier League? How do so many very rich people have so little clue? It’s good to see the return of gratuitous “x”s and “z”s to American pro soccer. Perhaps soon we can dream of a return to the glory days when you had team names like the Xoggz (http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/entry.php?rec=2325)

My thoughts and concerns pretty much parallel yours. In connection with this, somewhere in one of yesterday’s “More Yanks Buy Premiership Club” stories on Derby County, there was a line from the prospective owners to the effect that it was going to “extend the Derby County brand in North America and around the world.” Excuse me? All apologies to Rams fans, but “the Derby County brand”? This can’t be right. How much brand-space do they really think there is anywhere - much less in the US - for the biggest clubs in the world, much less provincial clubs rattling around the nether reaches of the Premier League?
How do so many very rich people have so little clue?

]]> By: Josh Crockett http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2008/01/26/the-austin-aztex-and-foreign-ownership-in-american-soccer/#comment-2445 Josh Crockett Sat, 26 Jan 2008 17:31:34 +0000 http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2008/01/26/the-austin-aztex-and-foreign-ownership-in-american-soccer/#comment-2445 As with everything, if it looks fake, it's in trouble. Setting down a team that's obviously designed as nothing more than a local appendage to a foreign club, i.e. Crystal Palace Baltimore, West Ham USA or, yes, Chivas USA (not to mention the abortive Arsenal Colorado rebranding), is doomed. Quite simply, fans everywhere know when they're being played. Austin appears to be avoiding this, at least; whether they actually do cater to local supporters and potential supporters on an operational basis will determine their success, as is true for all North American minor league professional sports franchises (not just soccer). As with everything, if it looks fake, it’s in trouble.

Setting down a team that’s obviously designed as nothing more than a local appendage to a foreign club, i.e. Crystal Palace Baltimore, West Ham USA or, yes, Chivas USA (not to mention the abortive Arsenal Colorado rebranding), is doomed. Quite simply, fans everywhere know when they’re being played. Austin appears to be avoiding this, at least; whether they actually do cater to local supporters and potential supporters on an operational basis will determine their success, as is true for all North American minor league professional sports franchises (not just soccer).

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