In the old days of the North American Soccer League it wasn't uncommon for the Edmonton Drillers to get over 15,000 fans for home matches. In Calgary the Boomers had a short run but still had some respectable crowds. Edmonton was king of Indoor Soccer during the NASL's brief try at the sport. The Drillers of the Indoors lived on successfully after the NASL died. Echoes of these teams will surely reverberate in the 2004 A-League campaign as the Edmonton Aviators and Calgary FC revive the pro soccer rivalry in Alberta.
I recently had a chance to swap e-mails with several Calgary and Edmonton footy fans. For the most part they see 2004 as a chance for their respective clubs and cities to "try it again," and begin to get it right concerning pro soccer.
In Calgary there is a growing sense of urgency that 2004 is a make or break year. The A-League Storm were left ownerless near the end of the 2003 season and were kept alive by donations from other A-League clubs so that the schedule would not be lost. In the off-season Calgary FC have found their new owner, Thomas Niendorf. This brief moment of hope is surrounded by many questions about how things will be when the team returns to the league. Calgary fans have a right to be concerned in several areas. First and foremost on their e-mail agenda is where Calgary FC will play their home matches next season. "Foothills Park is a horrible venue for watching soccer and attendance has been affected because of it," states one Calgary supporter. "Built primarily for track and field, the main stands are quite far from the pitch." Other options for a home ground include a baseball stadium where the field would be a tight fit, and the larger stadium that the CFL Stampeders call home.
Calgary, with no team moniker as of yet, must also consider how they can create a new image in the minds of Calgary soccer fans and general sports fans. "Calgary was actually more professionally run when it was an amateur club. Calgary FC is a professional sports franchise and needs to show itself as such," said one e-mail note. The fans of Calgary FC await many important decisions: Which players will return to the "new" 2004 club? What will it be called? Where will it play? Will the new owner be willing to see it through beyond 2004?
Despite all these unknowns there is still excitement in the air in Calgary. Soccer lives on, and in 2004 Edmonton join the A-league to give Calgary its first A-League derby. "The natural rivalry between the sports teams of Alberta's two major cities is as much a given as frozen fingers in February," states a Calgary FC fan. "The addition of the Edmonton franchise will do wonders for soccer in Calgary and the rest of Alberta."
The Edmonton Aviators arrive with a splash of color. They have set their hopes and standards toward the high end of the A-League spectrum. How's about playing in a 60,000 seat stadium? They will call Commonwealth Stadium home in 2004. "Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton is the big time," says a fan, adding "There's nothing better than walking out from under the concourse and seeing the huge stadium with the fresh green grass pitch." The differences between Calgary FC and the Aviators, it would appear, are already being noticed.
Aviator fans are excited about the chance to watch outdoor footy at a high level again. As with any new franchise, the anticipation is high and the challenges daunting. The Aviators will have to find a way to unify the Edmonton soccer community, both lovers of outdoor and the hardcore base that kept the Indoor Drillers on the map for so long. "Edmonton is a great city for supporting sports, and as can be seen by the U-19 FIFA Women's Championships (and other friendly matches) there's a market for soccer," writes one Edmonton supporter, adding "the city had some very hardcore supporters of the indoor version of the Drillers. I feel there is a market there. It just needs to be tapped."
The Aviators will likely face their new derby-mates six times, or more, in 2004. One would think that Calgary FC has the running advantage. However, everything is new in both cities: New possibilities, new optimism, new faces, new names, new colors. "These are interesting times for Calgary FC," concludes one e-mail, while another chimes in "Edmonton Sucks!" then quickly adds with a smile that it is likely that the addition of the Edmonton Aviators was the key to keeping Calgary FC alive. The league worked hard to find new owners in Calgary for the fans there, and also because of the desire to build a derby with Edmonton "I guess we owe them one," admitted a Calgary supporter, "at least until the first ball between the sides is kicked, that is."
