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Post by Soccerhouse on Jan 31, 2019 11:34:28 GMT -5
So I saw some tweets about the new Atlanta soccer club and did not really put 2&2 together. The silverbacks are no more. The Atlanta SC has taken over the team. Alpharetta, GA, North Fulton Our Atlanta S.C.(Formerly known as The Atlanta Silverbacks) has relocated ALL Team Activities to Alpharetta “After three years of running the Silverbacks as owner, general manager, and head coach, we have had some success and challenges on and off the field. Both the Silverbacks Park ownership and myself have come to an agreement to move in a separate direction. The park will keep the name, giving us no choice but to rebrand. We want to continue to be a key player in the development of soccer in best soccer city in the U.S.” - Team President Phoday Dolleh www.atlsoccerclub.com/
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Post by atlfutboldad on Jan 31, 2019 11:48:23 GMT -5
The park is going to be oriented more for adult rec soccer. They are replacing the fields over the winter. I hope they move toward hosting top camps, especially in the winter.
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Post by soccerfan30 on Jan 31, 2019 14:31:31 GMT -5
Imagine if Boris cared as much as Arthur Blank.
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Post by Soccerhouse on Jan 31, 2019 14:40:24 GMT -5
its tough though, if Boris was an nfl owner, the silverbacks probably would have become a MLS franchise.
Also, just imagine if 10-20% of the people supported the silverbacks the way AU has been embraced, would have been a potentially different story.
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Post by gaprospects on Jan 31, 2019 21:25:44 GMT -5
its tough though, if Boris was an nfl owner, the silverbacks probably would have become a MLS franchise. Also, just imagine if 10-20% of the people supported the silverbacks the way AU has been embraced, would have been a potentially different story. Imagine if the Silverbacks had made it possible for people to embrace them? That goes for both Boris, who made going to matches as inconvenient as he possibly could have while spending a fraction of what other owners in the various leagues the team played in were, as well as their die-hard fans, who did everything they could to keep professional soccer fandom in Atlanta as their own little exclusive club. I loved going to Silverbacks games as a kid. My parents, however, found it very difficult to justify driving over an hour through rush-hour traffic to Doraville, spending $15 to park in a half-flooded gravel pit with only one entrance/exit, all to watch a sub-par minor league product that put zero effort into fan experience. So I didn't go to many games, and I imagine the story was similar for many other soccer-loving kids out there. Even the fans who wanted to fully commit to supporting the team and help expand the reach among people in the city were largely shut out by the club's fan groups for not being "one of them," and I know this through first-hand experiences of many of my friends who went on to be hard-core United fans. My last time at Silverbacks Park was for a US Open Cup game which started at 3:30 in the afternoon in the middle of June, because Boris didn't want to cancel his Wednesday night adult leagues that day. My second-to-last time there was for a friendly between Charleston Battery and the Nigerian Olympic Team, which never happened because the field was flooded and wouldn't drain due to lack of maintenance over the years, resulting in me not getting a refund on the $40 tickets I purchased for my mother and I. You're right, with the right management and commitment to fan experience, the Silverbacks could be talk of American soccer the way United is now, and could have been that for several years. But it was never going to happen.
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Post by SoccerMom on Feb 2, 2019 23:42:22 GMT -5
We enjoyed going to the Silverbacks games all the time. It was all we had before Atlanta United .
Kids loved the autograph/picture sessions after
I think its sad that Boris and FD couldn't come to an agreement. Boris is well Boris....yes he cares more the adult league because it brings more revenue.
On a good note, they are finally replacing the turf at the first fields where they allowed cars to park! It was becoming a liability with how bad they were
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Post by Soccerhouse on Feb 4, 2019 13:57:03 GMT -5
They ended up making up that nigeria/battery game the next day or day after, don't recall, but I remember being there --- it was freaking hot!
no doubt -- the list of issues with the silverbacks ownership group runs deep, but damn was that open cup run fun!
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Post by atlfutboldad on Feb 4, 2019 14:39:09 GMT -5
Does GSA partner with the facility at all? If not, based on proximity it would seem like a good idea. Turf options when there is rain but not lightning in the forecast.
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Post by SoccerMom on Feb 6, 2019 0:50:33 GMT -5
I have seen GSA teams train there, but not the only ones, theres a club with bright yellow uniforms and it looks mainly Hispanic.
Atlanta Silverbacks Park finally made an announcement on FB, and some of the fans are letting them have it. Someone mentioned that Boris wanted millions for the Atlanta Silverbacks name
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