This is going to be a new feature on this site that you guys will enjoy. Each week we will bring you an interview with a front office official from an NASL Club. In the interview we will cover everything from off the pitch to on the pitch topics. The first person we sat down with was Rod Proudfoot, General Manager of FC Edmonton.
John Frusciante (JF): When you were put in control to run the club and make key decisions what made you pick FC Edmonton?
Rod Proudfoot (RP): My career has been one of corporate and sports turnarounds. When Tom and Dave Fath approached me at the start of 2013, I saw that FC Edmonton was very ready for a turnaround. My goal was to introduce the elements like leadership, stable management practices, support new coach Colin Miller, improve business decision making, and present consistent branding and community involvement. I also wanted to get back into pro sports management again.
JF: What were your expectations for the season? Is the club fulfilling your goals on the pitch?
RP: The year one primary goal was to get a stable organization and present the season. In 2013 we only had 4 office staff and our season was opening in just over 2 months. Getting our staff up and trained to put on a game, get the new stands in place and try to fill them was very daunting. With the new stands in 2013, we did manage to double our attendance from 2012. 2014 has been much better. Attendance is up another 40% from 2013, sponsorships are up, branding and recognition is up and game experience has improved. On the pitch, Colin Miller has shaped the team and changed our identity from just a tough defensive group to a much more offensive and exciting team. In doing so, we have moved up the ladder from 9th to the top half of the standings this year.
JF: Since the club and the league fought for a new surface on the pitch, what do you think that means for the clubs future?
RP: The new pitch is top notch for the players, the fans and certainly the live television broadcasts. It also reflects the City of Edmonton’s wish to support the soccer club and improve their facilities. It is the start of even bigger things on the stadium front.
JF: Is Clarke stadium a long term or short term solution for the Eddies stadium situation?
RP: Clarke Stadium is a short to mid-term solution for the Eddies. We have already had two sellouts this season and we expect more of them in 2015. Once this process occurs, our landlord the City of Edmonton, has warranted that they will commit to expanding Clarke Stadium to 8,000-10,000 seats. The fly in the ointment however is timing. Our owners wish to field a sustainable soccer operation sooner rather than later, and this cannot be achieved with the current configuration. If the expansion process takes too long once we begin selling out, then other alternatives may have to be looked at.
JF: I understand you all have plans to build a stadium but the government put in certain laws stating that you have to draw a certain amount of fans to each match every season. Do you think you will be able to build a stadium with out those laws in place and do they really matter?
RP: There are no laws to this effect, but the City is requiring FC Edmonton to be selling out before they consider expanding the existing Clarke Stadium. I think the Club will continue to grow and that the pent up demand from the fan base will begin filling a larger stadium. Again, the issue is timing and funding.
JF: Is attendance an issue? Is the club drawing the most fans they could bring to the stadium or do you think you could draw more fans?
RP: The fan growth has been extraordinary, but it is a long way from being what we think we can draw. Research indicates that there are over 100,000 soccer fans in the Edmonton area. As our brand becomes more aware and more relevant, we will certainly fill up Clarke Stadium. We could always draw more fans, and we need to do so. More buy-in is necessary both from individual soccer fans as well as the corporate community.
JF: Can you talk about your plans for the future and what is your vision for the club. Also do you see this club becoming a famous club?
RP: Tom and Dave Fath bought FC Edmonton as a way to give back to the youth in our community. Part of that is developing elite high school youth soccer players (both boys and girls) to either draft onto the Eddies, or to obtain Canadian and US university and college scholarships. To date, this has been occurring nicely and we want to see it grow even further. Eventually, we will require our own soccer specific stadium to play in…one that seats 10,000 fans is regularly full on game day. FC Edmonton is tied into the growth of the NASL, and we see this growth and stature progressing quite nicely.
JF: Can you talk about head coach Collin Miller and his current form and how you think he is doing.
RP: Colin Miller is a quality man and a top notch coach. Being the furthermost northern professional soccer club in North America comes with some challenges (distance to travel, cost of living, weather, price of the dollar). So Colin and his staff have done an outstanding job making FC Edmonton into a professional, desirable place for players to play and live. He is a fair man who has gotten the respect of his team, and they play hard for him and seem to enjoy the game more.
JF: Do you see the club making the championship?
RP: Absolutely, although the next 2-3 weeks will tell for sure. Our very slow spring start really hurt us and we were incredibly unlucky with something like 12 goalposts over a 4 game spread..
JF: What is your opinion on the new format, the championship where there is playoffs and 4 teams qualify?
RP: I love the new format. FC Edmonton are proof that despite our slow start, we are still in the hunt for The Championship. Our fans and our media have been caught up in our run for The Championship, and if/when we put a few more wins together, this will only increase.
JF: Where do you see the club in 5 years?
RP: Primary goal is to be sustainable…not to make a profit necessarily, but certainly to stop the losses. We want to present our City and fans with continued top caliber professional soccer, be an integral component in the sports scene here in Edmonton, and to grow our Academy and younger players to move on through professional soccer organizations such as ours.
JF: What do you think about the current expansion within the NASL?
RP: I am fully in favour of current expansion plans within the NASL. The goal of 18 clubs by 2018 is doable, and we hope a few of them will be in Canada and the Western United States to establish some good rivalries within the League.
JF: What are your thoughts on PRO/REL and do you see it happening in North America anytime soon?
RP: At the moment, not really. However, with the way the two professional soccer leagues in North America are expanding, the history of other sports in North America has shown us that anything is possible.
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