MLS team to Houston - fansite?

[TexanJohn]

Since the MLS has all-but-decided that Houston will be the new home for the San Jose Earthquakes ('quakes to H-town (http://www.soccertimes.com/mls/2005/jul08.htm)), does anyone here want to get together and start a fansite like ClutchFans for futbol? Other fansites for Houston teams include:
HoustonProFootball (http://www.houstonprofootball.com)
ClutchFans (http://www.clutchfans.net)
Astros Daily (http://www.astrosdaily.com)

[Master Baiter]

Since the MLS has all-but-decided that Houston will be the new home for the San Jose Earthquakes ('quakes to H-town (http://www.soccertimes.com/mls/2005/jul08.htm)), does anyone here want to get together and start a fansite like ClutchFans for futbol? Other fansites for Houston teams include:
HoustonProFootball (http://www.houstonprofootball.com)
ClutchFans (http://www.clutchfans.net)
Astros Daily (http://www.astrosdaily.com)
That would be like starting a fan website for the Comets. No one really gives a ****.

[rikesh316]

I care about soccer. A fansite would be cool.

[Svpernaut]

You'd get a lot more coverage for a futbol fan site if it was mainly spanish, because that is going to be the majority of the Houston team's fans... or make sure you have a good spanish translator.

[Xerobull]

I could see it being bilingulal, you know, like The Houston Rockets Official Site (http://www.nba.com/rockets/) is in English/Chinese.

Alot of this has been covered in a previous thread, but I will reiterate- I am not a huge soccer fan, but the fans and stadium energy in soccer stadiums is second to none. I would definately go see some games.

[RocketFan007]

I doubt it will happen until the move is final, there's still quite a bit to be worked out.

[PhiSlammaJamma]

I am 95% DC united fan first, but I'll check out any houston fansite and will be rooting for the Houston team hard. I may even need to buy MLS ticket. You gotta start somewhere so go for it.

[Svpernaut]

Can't wait for 90 minutes of shin grabbing fun!

[tigereye]

For anyone interested in backing Club America Houston right now, you can always do so at the Big Soccer Boards Houston forum (http://bigsoccer.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=964). There are a ton of fans there already keeping an eye on the situation. Also check out the Quakes forum, which has a thread devoted to our fair city entitled "Houston Sucks." (http://bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=226661). There are plenty of other smack talk forums for promoting team rivalry's there too.

AEG (Quakes owner) will make a decision on the sale of the club by a self-mandated August 18 deadline. As you can expect, San Jose does have some investors trying to save the club. But according to many articles, Televisa (Club America owner) already has a deal in plce to buy the club and move them to Houston. By late August, Houston should have soccer.

[JBIIRockets]

Soccer? why don't you just kick me in the nuts.

[Mr. Brightside]

I'm down. I love futbol.

[sums41]

I care about soccer. A fansite would be cool.

i second that. I love soccer.

[MadMax]

i'm coming around on soccer. the last world cup really caught my interest.

and if you slap houston on it, i'll root for it. (except for womens' basketball, which i just can't get into.)

[tXhiggs]

i am extremely interested and would love to be involved in a fansite...

...just as soon as i finish my master league in winning eleven 8 :)

[rrj_gamz]

AEG (Quakes owner) will make a decision on the sale of the club by a self-mandated August 18 deadline. As you can expect, San Jose does have some investors trying to save the club. But according to many articles, Televisa (Club America owner) already has a deal in plce to buy the club and move them to Houston. By late August, Houston should have soccer.

This is great news...I can't wait for futbol...

[ipaman]

Are you ready for some FUTBOL!

I AM!!!!

Fansites are all about the community that develops around the site. Plus having insiders is a coup as well. That's why I love clutchfans.

[plcmts17]

Has anybody heard about a possible venue and team name?
I'm certainly interested in anything having to do with Houston and/or futbol.

[Smokey]

Do it. Then I can feel on that board like posters on this board that have no clue about the Rockets :D

[DrLudicrous]

Has anybody heard about a possible venue and team name?
I'm certainly interested in anything having to do with Houston and/or futbol.

There hsn't been anything said about the name yet, probably something involving Club America, Houston, Eagles, or some combination thereof.

The stadium talk now is they would play in the Astrodome for a while while working on their own venue. Possibly something with HISD involving Delmar field.

I would be willing to contribute some to the site if one was started.

[tigereye]

There hsn't been anything said about the name yet, probably something involving Club America, Houston, Eagles, or some combination thereof.

The stadium talk now is they would play in the Astrodome for a while while working on their own venue. Possibly something with HISD involving Delmar field.



Actually, its a little of both.

If the Delmar plan is a go, it would be completed in time for the 2007 season. expect oversized European style roofs on both sides of the pitch to shelter Houston fans from the sun (something they need to attract fans to games anyways). Also, the stadium's development would signal a total redevlopment of the entire Delmar campus, with new facilities for baseball, a rec field and a new multipurpose arena. HISD is also building there new Headquarters next to Delmar. As if this isnt enough, this Delmar complex redevelopment would be accompanied buy a multimillion-dollar renovation of the old Northwest Mall that is next door. The current proposal has the mall's food court being shifted closer to the street so that it can be bridged to the entrence of the new soccer stadium across the street. A street (dont know which one) currently seperates the two properties. It this happens, the NW side of town is changed forever.....for the better.

Another solution that is being studied is renovating the Astrodome for long term use. Hence the reason Televisa had Azteca Stadium engineers here studing the Dome for so long. As everyone knows, Club America does things on a grand scale, They are like the Yankees of Mexican soccer. No venue in this city is grander then the Astrodome due to its history. Couple this with the fact that Harris County is trying to find a profitable way to keep the Dome in use and you should clearly see the motive of why the Dome would be considered as a long term option.

One hurdle still remains for the long term MLS/Dome plan though....a company currently in charge of redeveloping the Astrodome into the grand indoor theme park/hotel most have heard about, has until August 18th to submit a "go" or "no go" as well as a plan for the redevelopment project if it is a "go." This date coincides with AEG's (Quakes current owner) self mandated deadline on whom to sell the Quakes to.....Club America to move to Houston, or local investors in San Jose trying to save the club from moving.

One way or another, August 18th will be a big day in Houston sports history. Either Houston lands a rather championship competitive soccer team to possibly play at the Dome long term or Houston watches as the Dome turns into an indoor theme park/hotel complex.

Which would you guys prefer to have?

[DrLudicrous]

A street (dont know which one) currently seperates the two properties. It this happens, the NW side of town is changed forever.....for the better.


It looks like it would be W 18th St. Google map of area (http://maps.google.com/maps?q=houston,+tx&ll=29.801773,-95.455012&spn=0.006801,0.010131&t=h&hl=en)

I like both of the ideas. The only downside to the Delmar plan is that HISD would have a say in what goes on. I would hate to see a team here have to play on a bad field with football lines because it's high school football season. As long as we get a team I'll be happy though.

[MadMax]

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/3317055

UH in talks with MLS franchise about Robertson
Maggard says any agreement must help school
By BERNARDO FALLAS
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle

If Major League Soccer is to come to Houston from the west, it might have to bypass the Reliant Astrodome and head east — to Robertson Stadium.

University of Houston athletic director Dave Maggard on Thursday said his office has had discussions with officials from San Jose Earthquakes owner Anschutz Entertainment Group regarding a possible move by the MLS franchise to Houston, with the university's stadium serving as a temporary home.

"We've talked to them a little bit," Maggard said. "We've made no deal. We have a lot of things to look at and consider. I'll say this: I'd be very open to doing something if the arrangement would be mutually beneficial.

"But that term 'mutually beneficial' is important. We have to have some benefit from this, and the benefit that I'd be looking for is improvement to the facility and some of those kinds of things."

AEG made headlines last month when it sold D.C. United, one of its then-five MLS franchises, to a Washington-area investors group. Televisa-owned Club América has been in negotiations with AEG to purchase the Earthquakes and move them to Houston. But according to Maggard, all indications are AEG now wants to relocate the team to Houston.

"My understanding is that it's AEG," Maggard said.

AEG spokesman Michael Roth would not confirm or deny such discussions late Thursday.

Officials with the Harris County Sports and Convention Corp. on Wednesday said investment company Astrodome Redevelopment Corp. has obtained the necessary funds for its proposal to transform the county-owned Astrodome into a hotel, entertainment and retail area.

The company had been given a Thursday deadline for the proposal.

Meanwhile, Club América had expressed interest in moving its potential U.S. franchise to the Astrodome on a temporary basis. But the latest news by Astrodome Redevelopment could hamper América's plans, as the proposal's final approval by the Harris County Commissioners Court is not expected until late in the year or early next year.

América reportedly was aiming to have a team for the 2006 MLS season, so it was counting on the county to make a quicker and likely unfavorable decision regarding Astrodome Redevelopment's proposal.

Also, América's desire to use the 40-year-old facility for three years likely would create a conflict if the proposal is approved.

"That is an issue as it stands today," Sports and Convention Corp. director Willie Loston said. "We've made it clear to Club América that the (Astrodome Redevelopment) proposal had priority, and we're going to work with it until it runs its course."

Club América representatives Javier Pérez Tueffer and Juan de Villafranca could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Scheduling conflicts, parking and the increased use of the Robertson Stadium field are among the issues that have been discussed by Maggard and AEG officials. Maggard said the most viable solution to the latter concern would be to install artificial turf, but that would require sharing the cost of the installation and maintenance.

"We'd have to put in FieldTurf, and I've told them that," Maggard said. "That's the only way we'd do it.

"What I have talked to them about is, 'If you guys are serious about this, and we can improve Robertson, then I'm open to it.' "

Maggard also said financial aspects of a potential one- to two-year deal for use of the stadium have come up, but no conclusions have been made.

But he added that because AEG has indicated it would like to have a team in place at Robertson for the spring of 2006, "discussions likely will speed up."

Staff writer Michael Murphy contributed to this report

[Groogrux]

My niece is really upset about this. She's a huge soccer fan/player and her team's trainer plays for the Earthquakes, so they go to quite a few games a season. If my niece is upset, I'm upset. :)

[MadMax]

My niece is really upset about this. She's a huge soccer fan/player and her team's trainer plays for the Earthquakes, so they go to quite a few games a season. If my niece is upset, I'm upset. :)

tell her to get over it and enjoy watching him play with the Houston Hurricanes. :)

[Groogrux]

tell her to get over it and enjoy watching him play with the Houston Hurricanes. :)

She was actually really upset. I thought she was faking for a while, but nope. Apparently, they go to nearly all the home games.

[SwoLy-D]

This here MEXICAN could contribute with translation to Spanish.

Why didn't you start this in the HANG OUT??? There are surely more futbol fans in there.
¿Por qué no comenzaste esta discusion en el "HANGOUT? De seguro hay más fanáticos futboleros allí.

I thought CD America (Mexican Soccer team housed in Azteca Stadium) was bringing a team here. I know CHIVAS already took theirs to L.A.
Yo pensaba que el C.D. América (equipo mexicano con base en el Estadio Azteca) iba a traer un equipo aquí a Houston. Sé que Chivas ya tiene uno en Los Angeles.

I am a big AMERICA fan. Bringing WHATEVER team to Houston for MLS would ROCK.
Yo soy un Americanista. Traer CUALQUIER equipo a Houston para la MLS sería bueno.

I am in, TexanJohn

[DrLudicrous]

She was actually really upset. I thought she was faking for a while, but nope. Apparently, they go to nearly all the home games.

It does really suck that the owners are moving the team. There's supposedly a local investor group talking about buying the team but I'm not sure how much truth there is behind that or if AEG are still considering selling the team or if they just want to keep them and move them to Houston. Buf from what I understand if they stay in San Jose they have to find a new stadium to paly at because their current situation is costing them too much money.

I thought CD America (Mexican Soccer team housed in Azteca Stadium) was bringing a team here

They were talking about buying the Earthquakes and moving them, I'm not sure if they are still interested or not. They may be working with AEG in some sort of partnership, or AEG wants to move the team then sell them to try and make more money. I think Kansas City's team is also for sell so America could try to do something with them if they can't buy the Earthquakes.

[tigereye]

They were talking about buying the Earthquakes and moving them, I'm not sure if they are still interested or not. They may be working with AEG in some sort of partnership, or AEG wants to move the team then sell them to try and make more money. I think Kansas City's team is also for sell so America could try to do something with them if they can't buy the Earthquakes.

This whole scenario has taken a strange turn....

Like I said, on August 18, the picture would get clearer. Well, it did becasue financing to renovate the Astrodome into that "city inside a bubble" concept was approved. It looks like this will happen. And judging from the reaction fo Bob McNair in his TV interviews with the local media, it seems the Texans were pushing this plan all along, as a way to sweeten future Super Bowl bids. So in essence, no soccer in the Astrodome. Delmar is the future.

This is why we are now hearing of talks between UofH and AEG. And its no surprise as AD Maggard has been favorable to the idea of an MLS team playing at Robertson as way to generate more funds and stadium improvements. This is definitely only a temporary solution. If the team is a success, Delmar will be there home.

This is where it got strange. Judging form Maggard's coments, AEG (The Quakes owner) is now looking to move the team itself to Houston rather then selling to Club America. This is strange because it was no secret that AEG wanted to sell the Quakes in an attempt to lessen the financial burden it already has with the MLS. This was the reason why AEG sold DC United earlier this month. This probably means a sale of the Quakes to Club America might have fell apart. Or maybe AEG see a brighter future in Houston and wants to be involved solely on its own.

Whatever it means, Houston is still on the verge of landing an MLS team. A soccer stadium and its location is also clearly evident at this point. The only question that reamins now is who will be the owner...AEG or Club America?

[SamFisher]

and if you slap houston on it, i'll root for it. (except for womens' basketball, which i just can't get into.)

Note to self: cock tattoo plans back ON.