Wellman: NASL will be sanctionedhttp://www.indyweekblogs.com/sports/2010/01/08/wellman-nasl-will-be-sanctioned-new-franchise-to-be-announced-soon-discusses-fifa-calendar-prorel/Among the highlights:
* Wellman said at least 11 teams will play in NASL in 2011, including a franchise to be announced within a couple of weeks.
* He said there are representatives of four prospective franchises also present in Fort Lauderdale.
* He acknowledged being the last holdout from the provisional agreement that was announced yesterday.
* NASL is filling league office positions, interviewing candidates in Fort Lauderdale this week.
Can you give us an idea what kinds of issues are in those proposed revisions to standards?No, because that work has not begun yet.
But I would expect to see stadium standards. For example, one of the major problems we had in the past with USL was stadiums: playing high school football stadiums on not-properly sized soccer fields with football lines. That’s not proper. We need to make that a standard: You’ve got to be on a soccer field in a soccer stadium. That’s one example. And then ‘How big is the stadium,’ and ‘How many does it seat.’ And maybe things like the owners’ net worth, equity, etc.
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One reason I've been so passionate about keeping the old ballpark available for pro soccer, is that it would be about the only Tulsa outdoor venue that's close to the right size and scope for a league that is one level below Major League Soccer. Three to five years from now, who knows? If a Tulsa team fails, the county can still bulldoze it for a sporting goods store, parking lot, etc.... However, if it succeeds then you may have a situation in 5 or 10 or 15 years time in which a new Tulsa Landing or next phase Jenks Riverwalk project could come along and show interest in building a new venue.
If somebody from Rossetti Architects asked me what modifications would be needed for the old ballpark, I'd be tempted to advise they try designing a concert stage with a few rows of modular/retractable east side stands and leave it at that. No big or costly renovations would be necessary....
