|
|
Post by slickdaddy96 on Feb 24, 2020 7:28:41 GMT -5
Just wondering if anyone else is hearing these rumors. I have heard them before, but thought the chances were slim, but I think the rumor is getting more traction. I think the Chelsea contract goes away after this year, and I don't think it is going to be renewed by SSA. I'm hearing rumors once again of a full on SSA/Concorde merger with the combined organization being called SSA-Concorde.
Again just rumor stuff I have heard. Anyone else hearing in grumblings at all?
|
|
|
|
Post by mightydawg on Feb 24, 2020 10:01:26 GMT -5
Unless the combined entity gets to keep 2 boys DA teams and keep 2 SCCL teams per age group, it makes very little sense.
|
|
|
|
Post by oraclesfriend on Feb 24, 2020 10:24:57 GMT -5
Unless the combined entity gets to keep 2 boys DA teams and keep 2 SCCL teams per age group, it makes very little sense. And two girls ECNL teams at the 05 and down age groups. |
|
|
|
Post by slickdaddy96 on Feb 24, 2020 10:35:03 GMT -5
Well SSA doesn't have DA after U14. But I would assume any merger would have SSA/Concorde allowed to keep all ECNL, DA, and SCCL spots that each club had. Otherwise you are correct, it makes little sense.
|
|
|
|
Post by soccergurl on Feb 24, 2020 11:14:02 GMT -5
no make sense nth cannot keep da and ecnl so no to ssa and cf plus ssa-cf not good like nth
|
|
|
|
Post by Soccerhouse on Feb 24, 2020 12:09:50 GMT -5
What would more sense is for SSA to get ECNL or DA on its own though.....
I just don't see how the current situation outside of 2 teams allowed in a league is sustainable -- SSA coaches will favor ssa players, concorde coaches will favor concorde players - especially when they coached a team in the same age group prior.
|
|
|
|
Post by atlfutboldad on Feb 24, 2020 12:11:01 GMT -5
It really doesn't make any sense other than someone at the top of one of the orgs getting a big payout. They'd end up with less teams in league spots than they have now.
|
|
|
|
Post by slickdaddy96 on Feb 24, 2020 13:35:23 GMT -5
It really doesn't make any sense other than someone at the top of one of the orgs getting a big payout. They'd end up with less teams in league spots than they have now. Well if all of us have learned anything over the years. It's always about the money and not really ever about the player or customer's best interest. I'm sure if it happens a bunch of directors are going to make out like bandits. |
|
|
|
Post by Keeper on Feb 24, 2020 13:35:31 GMT -5
It really doesn't make any sense other than someone at the top of one of the orgs getting a big payout. They'd end up with less teams in league spots than they have now. Maybe SSA made GB that massive buyout 🤷🏻♂️ I mean if you know GB you know he only cares about the money and not the soccer. So maybe SSA is buying the Concorde name and brand, GB’s companies will then get to keep all the field and admin contracts plus he’ll get a massive buyout to go retire. It’ll be like when nasa bought Tophat, a lower level group buying their way to fame and status. |
|
|
|
Post by soccerlegacy on Feb 24, 2020 13:42:07 GMT -5
Ouch... I don't think NASA was ever THAT bad... a "lower" level group?? I get that TopHat always had a status, soccerwire.com has them #2 in the country on the girls side (Concorde #13, btw)... so there aren't many that wouldn't be "lower level"... I guess is your point? Anyway, moving along...
|
|
|
|
Post by OTPSoccer on Feb 24, 2020 20:03:07 GMT -5
I think JumpJump is suggesting that NASA was the lower level group, and that they bought a gem (TopHat) to gain "fame and status". Seems a bit lazy of an accusation. My personal view is that NASA thought they could make more money by acquiring Tophat (e.g. the way mergers and acquisitions typically work). And as a capitalist, that seems like a decent motivation.
If you think NASA bought Tophat because they could make Sally Shinysocks a better player... well, the world needs dreamers too.
|
|
|
|
Post by fridge on Feb 25, 2020 9:13:32 GMT -5
I think sometimes people get a little too cynical about soccer clubs and their motivations. I am not sure that mergers are "directly" related to money. Rather, I think it is about survival. Just like companies, they need to expand and continue gaining access to markets or they die. From a complete outsider's perspective, it seems that the NASA/TH merger was a good example of a win/win. TH was predominantly a Buckhead club with limited field access. While it had/has a great reputation as a girl's club, the TH leaders had the foresight to realize that ATL growth is outside the perimeter (they aren't creating more land for soccer families inside the perimeter) and it needed to get further north as well as get more fields. NASA clearly saw the benefit of merging with one of the best girl soccer brands in the US. Maybe I'm wrong, but I doubt the top directors made more money. They just guaranteed their existence for another cycle until the competitive world rotates again.
As for CF, knowing GB very well, he is NOT about the money. He could retire today financially. Yet, he still coaches teams and works his ass off including going to every ECNL showcase, running the college ID camp, manual labor on the fields, hustling to get kids into college (oh that is just the last 60 days).... I have no inside info, but would think CF and SSA could merge if they conclude that they have synergies. CF certainly has boys DA and girls/boys ECNL, great success in ECNL, and national reputation (CF was 13th in the country overall for whatever weight you give to TopDrawer). I would suspect boys/girls combined, CF eclipses NASA/TH in "rank." All that said, CF is similar to the old TH that it is a north end perimeter (inside and outside) club which has lost its dominance in the 141 and 400 corridors to UFA. SSA seems to have a lot of fields and a number of kids and it would give CF access to the west and northwest as well as give SSA kids access to CF high level leagues and teams. So solid synergies.
The interesting one to me is AFU's future given it is geographically squeezed/surrounded by UFA and CF, and its results, at least on the high level girls' side are not very good- AFU is in the bottom of the ECNL girls' table almost across the board (and below the CF second ECNL team in many instance.) THE END.
|
|
|
|
Post by soccerlegacy on Feb 25, 2020 9:44:02 GMT -5
Thanks fridge! I tend to agree with much of what you said.
@otpsoccer, I was just kinda joking around with JumpJump... The NTH merger was a win/win for both clubs, IMHO. I was just alluding to NASA not being THAT much lower than TopHat... it had a good reputation of its own, just not to the level of TopHat... but then again, what club doesn't quite match them.
|
|
|
|
Post by Futsal Gawdess on Feb 25, 2020 9:51:24 GMT -5
For the record TH needed that merger more than NASA from a financial standpoint...
|
|
|
|
Post by atv on Feb 25, 2020 9:57:06 GMT -5
I think Atlanta Fire and and GSA would be a strong merger. However, I’m not sure the club leadership cultures are that similar. Geographically both centered around Gwinnett and have relatively the same club pyramid.
|
|
|
|
Post by cleansheet on Feb 25, 2020 10:03:07 GMT -5
I think sometimes people get a little too cynical about soccer clubs and their motivations. I am not sure that mergers are "directly" related to money. Rather, I think it is about survival. Just like companies, they need to expand and continue gaining access to markets or they die. From a complete outsider's perspective, it seems that the NASA/TH merger was a good example of a win/win. TH was predominantly a Buckhead club with limited field access. While it had/has a great reputation as a girl's club, the TH leaders had the foresight to realize that ATL growth is outside the perimeter (they aren't creating more land for soccer families inside the perimeter) and it needed to get further north as well as get more fields. NASA clearly saw the benefit of merging with one of the best girl soccer brands in the US. Maybe I'm wrong, but I doubt the top directors made more money. They just guaranteed their existence for another cycle until the competitive world rotates again. As for CF, knowing GB very well, he is NOT about the money. He could retire today financially. Yet, he still coaches teams and works his ass off including going to every ECNL showcase, running the college ID camp, manual labor on the fields, hustling to get kids into college (oh that is just the last 60 days).... I have no inside info, but would think CF and SSA could merge if they conclude that they have synergies. CF certainly has boys DA and girls/boys ECNL, great success in ECNL, and national reputation (CF was 13th in the country overall for whatever weight you give to TopDrawer). I would suspect boys/girls combined, CF eclipses NASA/TH in "rank." All that said, CF is similar to the old TH that it is a north end perimeter (inside and outside) club which has lost its dominance in the 141 and 400 corridors to UFA. SSA seems to have a lot of fields and a number of kids and it would give CF access to the west and northwest as well as give SSA kids access to CF high level leagues and teams. So solid synergies. The interesting one to me is AFU's future given it is geographically squeezed/surrounded by UFA and CF, and its results, at least on the high level girls' side are not very good- AFU is in the bottom of the ECNL girls' table almost across the board (and below the CF second ECNL team in many instance.) THE END. This post is why I am here. Fantastic, OP! Thanks |
|
|
|
Post by atlfutboldad on Feb 25, 2020 10:34:24 GMT -5
I think Atlanta Fire and and GSA would be a strong merger. However, I’m not sure the club leadership cultures are that similar. Geographically both centered around Gwinnett and have relatively the same club pyramid. Would make sense geographically, but the philosophies are very different. |
|
|
|
Post by Soccerhouse on Feb 25, 2020 10:38:36 GMT -5
I think sometimes people get a little too cynical about soccer clubs and their motivations. I am not sure that mergers are "directly" related to money. Rather, I think it is about survival. Just like companies, they need to expand and continue gaining access to markets or they die. From a complete outsider's perspective, it seems that the NASA/TH merger was a good example of a win/win. TH was predominantly a Buckhead club with limited field access. While it had/has a great reputation as a girl's club, the TH leaders had the foresight to realize that ATL growth is outside the perimeter (they aren't creating more land for soccer families inside the perimeter) and it needed to get further north as well as get more fields. NASA clearly saw the benefit of merging with one of the best girl soccer brands in the US. Maybe I'm wrong, but I doubt the top directors made more money. They just guaranteed their existence for another cycle until the competitive world rotates again. As for CF, knowing GB very well, he is NOT about the money. He could retire today financially. Yet, he still coaches teams and works his ass off including going to every ECNL showcase, running the college ID camp, manual labor on the fields, hustling to get kids into college (oh that is just the last 60 days).... I have no inside info, but would think CF and SSA could merge if they conclude that they have synergies. CF certainly has boys DA and girls/boys ECNL, great success in ECNL, and national reputation (CF was 13th in the country overall for whatever weight you give to TopDrawer). I would suspect boys/girls combined, CF eclipses NASA/TH in "rank." All that said, CF is similar to the old TH that it is a north end perimeter (inside and outside) club which has lost its dominance in the 141 and 400 corridors to UFA. SSA seems to have a lot of fields and a number of kids and it would give CF access to the west and northwest as well as give SSA kids access to CF high level leagues and teams. So solid synergies. The interesting one to me is AFU's future given it is geographically squeezed/surrounded by UFA and CF, and its results, at least on the high level girls' side are not very good- AFU is in the bottom of the ECNL girls' table almost across the board (and below the CF second ECNL team in many instance.) THE END. This post is why I am here. Fantastic, OP! Thanks Agree! I'll hear "gossip" at the fields and on occasion people pooping on this place, but the reality is we have much more positives then negatives. fridge always brings quality! |
|
|
|
Post by allthingsoccer on Feb 25, 2020 10:51:55 GMT -5
It only makes a win, win. You also have to add SSA does have a Pro path. This would be a huge benefit for CF.
Yes, GB works his tail off. One of the hardest working. Does he still mow the grass? I found that crazy funny that I would see him on the mower before or after practice. He's created a great national brand. I think he needs to open it up by creating a supergiant by a merger. However, does he play well with others? I dont know him well enough to determine if he's willing to give up full control or share control of a club. Always a fear a CEO has.
|
|
|
|
Post by atlfutboldad on Feb 25, 2020 11:07:40 GMT -5
There is so much more knowledge on here than on any given IRL location in the state. And there's a lot left un-shared here (for political reasons).
That said, there are people who will come on here and back up the devil if they know him (not saying fridge is that person).
|
|
|
|
Post by allthingsoccer on Feb 25, 2020 11:34:41 GMT -5
wow. soccer isnt political. lol
some good some bad. I think times do change. If you are in it or close to it at that time people may have a different point of view. Views can change.
Maybe grass isnt always greener on the other side. Maybe its a personal thing.
Backup the devil in your context is pretty harsh.
|
|
|
|
Post by slickdaddy96 on Feb 25, 2020 12:21:32 GMT -5
wow. soccer isnt political. lol some good some bad. I think times do change. If you are in it or close to it at that time people may have a different point of view. Views can change. Maybe grass isnt always greener on the other side. Maybe its a personal thing. Backup the devil in your context is pretty harsh. I'll go on record with 2 kids in SSA, I'm not a fan of mega-clubs. I think a lot of branch locations of these mega clubs need to go back to being smaller clubs. Only the top 2-5% of the players in the club benefit from DA/ECNL and higher teams. If they are that good to begin with then those kids can go to Atlanta Metro and join the clubs that have that. No need to drag branch locations into it which doesn't benefit 95% of the branch location players. Just my opinion based on being in a mega club at a branch location. It is what it is though. That ship has sailed and it isn't coming back. |
|
|
|
Post by fridge on Feb 25, 2020 12:34:41 GMT -5
There is so much more knowledge on here than on any given IRL location in the state. And there's a lot left un-shared here (for political reasons). That said, there are people who will come on here and back up the devil if they know him (not saying fridge is that person). Not sure what the implication or innuendo is here, but everyone has different perceptions based on their own circumstances and I'm not here to say GB is not human and has never erred. We all have. That said, in about 15 years in CF with multiple kids at multiple levels/teams and involving thousands of issues, my experience is that GB's consistent north star has been "the best interest of the kids." I have seen him make difficult decisions that may have seemed wrong at the time only to find out years later what was really going on behind the scenes through independent verification --learning the decision was 100% correct. Hell, he's created one of the best clubs in the nation through a patch work of middle school fields and his home turf 45 miles away at the airport. During this time the "main" competitors have ebbed and flowed between UFA, AFU, GSA, NASA and TH. The one consistent club in the top echelon of GA soccer in the past 20 years has been CF led by GB. I would submit that actual facts sometimes stand in the way of and run counter to implication and innuendo (not saying atlfutboldad is that person). |
|
|
|
Post by atlfutboldad on Feb 25, 2020 12:38:07 GMT -5
I certainly wasn't talking about yourself or GB (don't even know his name), don't know anything about either of you.
I was referring to past threads/conversations within the forum with regard to what house said a few posts up. |
|
|
|
Post by atlfutboldad on Feb 25, 2020 12:46:21 GMT -5
wow. soccer isnt political. lol some good some bad. I think times do change. If you are in it or close to it at that time people may have a different point of view. Views can change. Maybe grass isnt always greener on the other side. Maybe its a personal thing. Backup the devil in your context is pretty harsh. Club politics, not US politics (but I sense sarcasm in your post).  In reference to not releasing information to allow clubs/leagues to build up a press release or because releasing it too early or not at all as it may be detrimental to their club (normal club politics). My point there was that a lot of information IS shared on here, but there is a lot more left un-shared due to club affiliation (club politics). The devil comment was hyperbole. Lets just say there may be people currently under criminal investigation who have had their supporters on here. (I'm being political now) |
|
|
|
Post by Soccerhouse on Feb 25, 2020 13:02:11 GMT -5
Clubs over all in general need to do a better job communicating with players and parents -- once they get u16+ age group, communicating with players only is fine with me.
I know so much more than I can say on most topics. Some material isn't suitable for internet fodder.
But coaches/clubs read this board, it never hurts to ask.....and most responses are helpful and are supported with facts and we are all human and will have difference in opinions.
youth sports has and always will have politics --
I"ve seen it all. players/families getting preferential treatment, to the exact opposite, players/families who should get preferential treatment given their commitment and volunteering to a club not getting special treatment - by special treatment I mean, clear/concise/early communication -- not favoritism etc. (you give 8 years of your life to a club, your owed a phone call etc...)
This city/town/MSA/State has some of the best youth coaches in the country.
This city/town/MSA/State has some of the best youth players in the country.
off topic:
"But Parents are part of the Solution!"
|
|
|
|
Post by atv on Feb 25, 2020 13:27:08 GMT -5
... so any credence to the rumors?
|
|
|
|
Post by soccerguru on Feb 25, 2020 13:34:12 GMT -5
I've been knowing Greg for a long long time and I can guarantee you it's more about the money than the soccer and kids. You must don't know him that well and how do you think he became financially sound.
CF has never had fields except GSP. They're gonna rent those fields forever, and pay themselves to take care of the fields.
|
|
|
|
Post by soccerguru on Feb 25, 2020 13:39:26 GMT -5
ALSO, Concorde should never put another club's name in front of it or behind it, because everyone knows the brand and it's been around and established forever. It sells itself.
Might not be a fan of GB, but Concorde attracts Top Players from all locations.
|
|
|
|
Post by soccermaxx72 on Feb 25, 2020 13:51:23 GMT -5
I've been knowing Greg for a long long time and I can guarantee you it's more about the money than the soccer and kids. You must don't know him that well and how do you think he became financially sound. CF has never had fields except GSP. They're gonna rent those fields forever, and pay themselves to take care of the fields. The Concorde field situation has always confused me, I remember 2-3 years back having the top 2 girls u11 academy teams in the state play each other and the game was on a crappy elementary field. The fields compared to their players has always been a stark contrast. |
|
In reference to not releasing information to allow clubs/leagues to build up a press release or because releasing it too early or not at all as it may be detrimental to their club (normal club politics). My point there was that a lot of information IS shared on here, but there is a lot more left un-shared due to club affiliation (club politics).
