Argonauts owners David Cynamon and Howard Sokolowski, at a meeting of the league's governors during Grey Cup festivities in Calgary, introduced a plan that would have the team relocate to BMO Field, perhaps as early as the 2010 season. The most successful franchise in CFL history, the Argos currently play their home games at the much-larger Rogers Centre and finished the 2009 season averaging 26,374 fans per game, despite winning just three of their 18 games. The listed capacity at BMO Field is 20,844, meaning the team would be playing in front of smaller crowds on a weekly basis, unless they push to have the facility expanded, a move that would likely cost around $30 million.
"The Canadian Football League board of governors instructed the league office to work with the Toronto Argonauts to provide a detailed report on the feasibility of the city of Toronto's BMO Field for CFL football," said league commissioner Mark Cohon in a release. "The board was assured this work will be undertaken as quickly as possible."
The Canadian Soccer Association, however, plans to fight against any proposed move that would see the soccer-specific nature of BMO Field compromised.
"We would have great difficulty with it for numerous reasons," said Peter Montopoli, general secretary of the Canadian Soccer Association. "The playing surface for the sport of soccer is really critical, and now that it's gone to grass, it's even more critical. You just can't be using it for anything and everything anymore, because the sport of soccer relies on the turf itself for playability. And bringing in Canadian football - as much as it's a great sport - it just damages the field."
Despite objections from the country's soccer federation and Toronto FC owners, the ultimate decision on whether to allow the move falls solely to the City of Toronto as the owner of BMO Field. But it would be a shame and an absolute disservice to TFC supporters to allow the facility's newly-installed grass pitch to be repeatedly torn up and painted with football lines.
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AMEN BROTHER.
and for those who haven't been following this saga, let me tell you something. for years the Canadian Soccer Association tried to get a stadium built with various partners. This was before MLSE went after an expansion franchise, now called TFC. The CSA had a deal (there was even a press conference) to build a stadium at York University in Toronto with the Argonauts as partners. Then shortly after, the Argonauts pulled out of the deal, choosing remain at the cavernous Skydome on a cheap lease deal.
The CSA then went ahead with a smaller stadium in partnership with the city, the other levels of government, and MLSE. This brought about the "National Soccer Stadium", also known as BMO Field, the home of Toronto FC.
Now that they dislike their place at Skydome, the Argos are hoping to push their way into BMO Field. It's a disgrace that these weasels are trying to get into a stadium they wanted nothing to do with before.
Thankfully, the regulation CFL field is 150 yards long (110 yard field + 2 20-yard endzones). There's no way to configure BMO to fit a regulation field. Not to mention the width is supposed to be 65 yards. BMO is wide enough but it would be very tight to have teams on the sidelines.
So if the CFL just wants to come in as a tenant, they have to bastardize their own game (perhaps only 5 yard endzones) and live in a stadium dressed in red and devoted to TFC.
They are too cheap to offer $30 million to renovate the stadium simply to be a tenant for the 9 home games.
The real disgrace is that BMO was built by TAXPAYERS as a MULTI-USE facility.
Now TFC is installing natural grass so nobody else can play there.
BMO is such a minor-league facility I'm not even sure it's good enough for the Argos.
What a sweetheart deal for the evil empire MLSE, they get a free stadium for their own use.
Millions of dollars of taxpayer money to fund a second-rate soccer team...only in Canada....taxpayers and the public get screwed again.
umm 3.55 it was built as a year round soccer field
hence the turf. TFC finally was able to get a second field that can be a year round place.
Welcome back TJ! You have been missed.
doesn' matter who is coach, more importenet are the strong player. Kreis is the bad couch, but RSL is the champion.
Kreis is the poor couch, but RLS is the champion. It is un beleivable.
I try to support all of Torontos teams, Leafs,Argos,Jays,Raptors, Marlies. but jeez, i draw the line at TFC, MLS is total bush league, basically unwatchable. Might as well watch kids soccer for free at the local park. The stadium reflects the team, thankfully the Argos are outa that prospect.
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