649 replies to this topic

[G-Man]

Buying bulk cheese at Costco is completely different than going to a game and significantly more convenient. Their parking and location makes it easy for people from other munis.

Lots of people also like to have a beer at games also not a possibility here if driving.

[Mattjvd]

Does the shuttle from Bastion Square still run?

[On the Level]

Buying bulk cheese at Costco is completely different than going to a game and significantly more convenient. Their parking and location makes it easy for people from other munis.

Lots of people also like to have a beer at games also not a possibility here if driving.

The CoV has a population to support a sports team without the support of the CRD?  So what you are saying?  Victoria's 80k supports their teams?  The other 300k from the CRD show up and never have a beer and take the bus?  

 

Ah yes, there are no miscreants here in Victoria and we need to protect ourselves from those degenerates outside the core in true VV fashion?

[Victoria Watcher]

shuttle yes.

https://pacificfc.canpl.ca/5139-2

[Mike K.]

Buying bulk cheese at Costco is completely different than going to a game and significantly more convenient. Their parking and location makes it easy for people from other munis.

Lots of people also like to have a beer at games also not a possibility here if driving.

How is Costco significantly more convenient? You’ve got grocery stores all over the City of Victoria.

Along with the 16km drive, Costco’s parking lot is busy, the store is crazy full, the lineups at the tills are long, but people still go. And sometimes you don’t actually save any money on some of the items you walk out with. Plus you’re paying Costco for that entire privilege.

I don’t think the parking at Westhills is any more of an issue than it is anywhere else in the CRD where people cluster. I think the issue with Westhills for some is more of the “eww, it’s in Langford, I won’t go there” kind than anything else

[shoeflack]

i was chatting online with a friend today that’s pretty up on local sports. they said this and I quote:


Problem is -- no one gives a crap. Even games you can go to with two cans of kernel corn got actual attendance of 500. It's not location, no one goes out to watch people play so-called pro soccer. Lots of locals on Highlanders, they are lucky to get 50 people. They didnt go to RAP because the city was going to make them pay. Soccer in Canada is a participation sport, not a spectator sport, we are terrible at it. Read up on Canada's game against USA on Tuesday, USA coach saying it's a complete waste of time. Exercise in futility. This so-called pro soccer in Victoria and in Canada is not even close to viable, will be millions in losses.

 

FYI, Jürgen Klinsmann (USA Coach) was saying that the CONCACAF Nations League is a waste of time, not that specifically playing in Canada is a waste of time.

[shoeflack]

Oh that is rich. 

 

It's 15 to 20 minutes away without the parking "ambassadors".  Meanwhile 30 years of the CRD community plan has forced almost all building to be out on the Westshore where "there is simply no chance they are going to take the bus"?

 

Langley Events Centre is right off the highway on 200th Street in Langley Township, not in Langley City. Only 40 minutes per Google Maps, not the hour you've shown. Just wanted to point out the correction.

[Mike K.]

Westhills stadium is one of the easiest sports complexes to get to in the CRD. You can take the Westshore Parkway from the TCH southbound, or Leigh Road exit northbound. It's very easy.

[Greg]

Like I said I would fully go if it was in town. 

 

I'm with G-Man. I'd love to go, and would have season tickets if they were downtown. I'm just not interested in driving to Langford. 

[Mike K.]

I do have to say that the transit connections to the stadium are relatively very poor, as in the 50 drops you off a kilometre away.

[Mike K.]

A walk from the closest Douglas Street stop for the Sofa is a third of that distance away, which is quite reasonable.

[Greg]

A walk from the closest Douglas Street stop for the Sofa is a third of that distance away, which is quite reasonable.

 And the #6 stops maybe 200 meters from gate 2.

[Mike K.]

Yes, that's right.

 

I mean there are Westshills buses that run right past the stadium but they're not frequent routes, and I think one or two only run a couple of times during peak periods. That's not sufficient.

[shoeflack]

Speaking of that Canada-US match...well...what an upset.

 

Canada just beat the Americans for the first time in 34 years.

[tedward]

So much to reply to!
 

I don't think there's a big enough place for them to play in the city-proper, so they had to pursue a stadium where they felt they would have the best chances of making the team viable.

 

Royal Athletic Park would have been perfect.

 

^ Well of course not. CoV is only a small proportion of the population. RAP could host the soccer team easily it had the U17 World Cup games and seating 10k I think. The problem was the timing with the HarbourCats still playing. UVic would have been a better place too though with good transit and lots of parking.

UVic sucks balls as a venue for spectators and is almost as far in the minds of most Victorians as Westhills. UVic is place you travel to on a special trip, not someplace everyone goes to on a regular basis. Downtown (RAP) is always going to be the best choice for sports and entertainment.
 

 

Problem is -- no one gives a crap. Even games you can go to with two cans of kernel corn got actual attendance of 500. It's not location, no one goes out to watch people play so-called pro soccer. Lots of locals on Highlanders, they are lucky to get 50 people. They didnt go to RAP because the city was going to make them pay. Soccer in Canada is a participation sport, not a spectator sport, we are terrible at it. Read up on Canada's game against USA on Tuesday, USA coach saying it's a complete waste of time. Exercise in futility. This so-called pro soccer in Victoria and in Canada is not even close to viable, will be millions in losses.

Well this person is an liar and an idiot. 

No games were 500 people and the Highlanders are an amateur team playing a bunch of amateur teams from places people barely heard of.

The fully professional Canadian Premier League includes places people know and it will expand and grow. Sure, no one outside of diehards had heard of the league a year ago, but it is starting to get noticed. Especially so after the big win last night that might actually get people to take notice of a league designed to put players on that National team and at the World Cup.

 

stew. well presumably the stadium has use for rugby and such. the pole hasn’t been moved has it?

As I understand it, they have the permits to make the move. 

 

What about the rumors and sense that even the supporter group has fallen off? Away game parties with 3 or 4 people? The supporter section very small in numbers? Do even the supporters doubt this is something that can survive? Any more talk on the high ticket prices?

 

Bullshit. The group has not fallen off and will be out in full force for the last game of the season on Saturday. Ticketmaster is showing that the game is selling well and hopefully the team can finish the season well.

 

Does the shuttle from Bastion Square still run?

Yep, and is planned for next year (with some needed changes).

 

Westhills stadium is one of the easiest sports complexes to get to in the CRD. You can take the Westshore Parkway from the TCH southbound, or Leigh Road exit northbound. It's very easy.

It is indeed super easy (except those weekday evenings). The new Legh Rd exit in particular is spectacular for getting to the stadium as it dumps you right there. Mostly no one knows about though. We have had to let bus drivers know that is the best way in. You would think professional drivers would be up to date on improvements.

 

I do have to say that the transit connections to the stadium are relatively very poor, as in the 50 drops you off a kilometre away.

They offer special connections to the games. I took the #50 once and just walked from Jacklin Rd along the parkway. It wasn't bad and certainly wasn't worth waiting for a connecting transfer.

[Victoria Watcher]

FC Edmonton defeated Island-based Pacific FC 3-1 to close out their Canadian Premier League home schedule at Clarke Stadium.

 

Rookie 18-year-old Prince Amanda had a spectacular pro debut by moving around the PFC defence with a deft move to score left-footed at 20 minutes. The hometown Edmonton product five minutes later assisted directly on six-foot-six striker Easton Ongaro’s ninth goal of the season to give FC Edmonton a two-goal margin at the break.

 

Ben Fisk brought PFC to within one as the Canada-capped two-way player scored at 59 minutes. Mélé Temguia, left wide open in front of the PFC net, restored the two-goal advantage for the Eddies at 79 minutes.

 

FC Edmonton won for the first time in 11 games to move to 4-7-6 in the fall season ahead of its season-ending match Saturday against Cavalry FC at Calgary in soccer’s Battle of Alberta, which is strangely dubbed El Classico.

 

Pacific FC, whose defence was a bit of a shambles on the night, fell to 4-8-5 in the fall season and finishes Saturday at Westhills Stadium against Valour FC of Winnipeg, with PFC reporting nearly 5,000 tickets already sold for the season finale.

 

 

https://www.timescol...nton-1.23979182

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 17 October 2019 - 07:24 AM.

[tedward]

Yeah, "shambles" is the best word for it. Hopefully Saturday is better and we see De Jong play at home.

[tedward]

Wowza, Silberbauer is out: https://pacificfc.ca...bauer-part-ways

 

Friend goes on to say, “Like any business, soccer is a results based business. We felt we weren’t getting the results on the pitch that our fans deserve. As an ownership group we decided to make the coaching change now, rather than wait until the offseason.” 

 

 

I suspect the timing was chosen for contract reasons. Kinda flies in the face of the oft-stated commitment to long-term development over immediate results.

[Victoria Watcher]

it could of course be a conflict of personalities or someone oversold themselves to the team or vice versa.  things happen for a many reasons behind scenes.  even something as simple as training times/dates off-season breaks etc. might not have been known with a first-year team.  fair to expect some changes especially if these personalities have not worked together closely before.  expectations can vary in that case and you find out later on after working together.  one thing you can say about this ownership pair they know soccer from a player's point of view they know what they like/want/expect in a high-level coach.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 18 October 2019 - 10:45 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

this is 10 minutes before kick-off today.  looks far from the sell-out they had talked about.