MLS Expansion - League to make 'major announcement' in Philly

As rumored, MLS will award the 16th franchise tomorrow afternoon to Philadelphia. MLS Commissioner Don Garber will join members of the local ownership group along with the governor and other political officials on Thursday at 2pm at Turbine Hall.

Fans are welcome to stop by and cheer on their new team.

Now the question becomes what to call the club. The main names floating around are the Philadelphia Athletics and Philadelphia Independence. Last week I placed a poll up asking what name folks preferred but both currently stand tied at 29% each (although 31% don't want either name), so there does not seem to be a fan favorite. It will be interesting to see if the owners try the Dynamo route and have a 'pick the name' contest or if they go with Seattle and just ask folks to submit names from which they will pick.

No matter what their name, they will start play in 2010, thus adding the final piece to the East coast rivalry (DC-Philly-NY-New England). Hopefully the close locations will allow fans to travel to more matches.

Congrats to Philadelphia and the Sons of Ben on getting this club.

Here are the full details:
Turbine Hall
The Wharf at Rivertown
2501 Seaport Drive
Chester, PA, 19013

MLS Expansion - Philadelphia to officially get team next Thursday - What to call them (with poll)?

After the Delaware River Port Authority signed off on the final piece of the Philadelphia puzzle yesterday, MLS appears ready to make it official, Philadelphia will be the 17th team in the league. The announcement is expect next Thursday (28 Feb) in Chester.

The new Philadelphia team will begin play in their 18,500-seat stadium in 2010. This stadium will be part of a $500 million complex of stores, restaurants and housing in Chester.

The decision is no surprise to anyone paying attention, but as with all things, nothing is official until it is official. This move means St. Louis is now focused on winning the 16th spot. It is not known at this time if the stadium deal the St. Louis group had worked out with the city of Collinsville is still on (it was dependent on MLS awarding the group a team).

As for Philadelphia, it looks like the Sons of Ben finally will have a team to call their own, now we just need to know what to call said team.

According to this MLS video (opens Windows Media Player), the names the SOBs want are either the Philadelphia Athletics and Philadelphia Independence. Which one do you prefer?

MLS Expansion - Philadelphia gets stadium deal, team to follow?

It looks like Philadelphia has won the race for the 16th MLS spot as the state is set to announce an agreement to use $45 million to partially fund construction of a soccer stadium in Chester. A formal announcement from the state is expected tomorrow.

Since this was the final piece MLS said was needed, it does appear that Philadelphia is about to become the 16th MLS team. No word yet on when the league will announce, however MLS spokesman Dan Courtemanche said, “We’ll be here, should the government officials decide to make any type of announcement that pertains to a soccer stadium in Chester" adding, “We continue to have positive discussions with the potential ownership group and look forward to hearing positive details.”

If this is the case, then the Sons of Ben now have an actual team to support while St. Louis continues on in their hope of landing a team.

The new Philadelphia franchise is expected to begin play in the 2010 season.

MLS Expansion - Sons of Ben out in force at MLS draft

The greatest supporters club for a team that doesn't exist are making themselves known to the league as 25 members are trucking on down from Philadelphia to Baltimore for today's SuperDraft. There hope is to show the league that there are great people there and they "need these fans in the league."

The SOBs did something similar during last November's MLS Cup.

However, I don't think the league needs convincing as it is the government of Pennsylvania that is holding the final key to this proposal. If they sign off on the $45m for the stadium plan, I think MLS will be delighted to give the city a team.

That said, it is great to see fans this involved in the process. Plus, the more media they get covering them, the more people they have asking state officials if it will happen.

MLS Expansion – Philadelphia bid gets $30m boost

The Sons of Ben are a little closer to having a team to cheer on as 'Delaware County has agreed to spend $30 million for the construction of a soccer stadium on the Chester waterfront, bringing a Major League Soccer franchise closer to the Philadelphia region.'

And whom do soccer fans in the area have to thank for this money? The gambling industry. "(T)he $30 million would come from revenue generated by the new slots casino in Chester." So could a new Philadelphia team be called Philadelphia Slot Jockeys?

In addition, the Chester Redevelopment Authority will donate part of the land for a stadium.

Now that the expansion group as the backing of the locals, they are hoping that the state government will join in.

"This is the county piece, and we are still pursuing the state piece," said Charles G. Kopp, an attorney for the investors group. State aid is crucial to the plan.

In total, the cost for bringing a team to the area will be around $150 million. The investors seem willing to place some of their own money on the table, but I'm guessing they would like a $20-40 assist from the state. Pennsylvania governor and former Philadelphia mayor Ed Rendell has said that he is in favor of the idea but no money has been yet promised.

So where does Philadelphia stand on the expansion order? Seattle seems to be all but a lock and with commissioner Don Garber suggesting that the team to come into the league with Seattle will be from the East coast, it would seem Philadelphia is very close. Still, the St. Louis stadium proposal still seems a little further along, but with Gerber also suggesting that 2 more teams could come into the league as soon as 2011-2012 (he said this on ESPN last Thursday), maybe he is willing to wait on the team from the Midwest.

If the league hopes to annouce the two new sides by MLS Cup, the next three weeks should be very interesting.

MLS Expansion - What a bunch of SoBs

If soccer is to ever be a success here in the US, supporter clubs must play a major role because it is through these clubs that fans unite as a community and that community is what makes a game into a match. At least that is what I think.

And it is because of this train of thought that I love seeing articles like this one in the Philadelphia Inquirer all about the Sons of Ben (SoBs). This is a supporters club for a team that might never exist, yet it is full of soccer fans thinking of creative ways of pushing the sport forward.

Although I'm not sure about the article's implied point that MLS seems more inclined to place a team in the city because of the SoBs, it still conveys a lot of good information including the one thing that might be the biggest factor in landing a team, government support for the $300 million soccer and retail development in Chester.

MLS has always wanted to be in Philadelphia and if the SoBs can help get their elective representatives on board with the idea, it might just become a reality soon enough.