Several stories have surfaced regarding the Cleveland USL franchise. They range from a guaranteed drop to USL-2 or even dropping out of USL altogether. All sources point to a new ownership group bringing the club back in USL-1. We have been told that the new owners have “deep pockets” and are willing to spend money to improve the team. All indications suggest that the franchise will be run as a business with less emphasis on non-profit ventures. The league office is fully committed to
A source in New York reports that a meeting between the new ownership group and club officials was scheduled for today. Apparently some final details are being discussed and some questions are being answered. It is unclear whether the new ownership has entered the due diligence stage with the league office. However, we were told by yet another source that finances are not an issue for the new owners.
We received word that the public announcement regarding the sale of the club will not take place for 2-4 weeks. There are meetings scheduled for this week, but nothing will be given to the media or the public until a later time. Sources suggest that the club has been sold to a businessman from the east side of Cleveland. The new owner reportedly owns several local businesses and will bring a strong sense of fiscal responsibility. One source suggests that the
Enough sources have come forward to definitively report that the City Stars will indeed remain in Cleveland. All report that a letter of intent has been indeed been signed by a group in the Cleveland area. A formal announcement is expected on October 1st. Individuals employed by the league will be notified early (Tuesday) of the decision. We imagine that the full-time staff of the City Stars will be told this information sometime after. We have been told that negotiations between the Cleveland Soccer Foundation and the
We received a very quick response from Mr. Tim Holt. We appreciate that Holt took the time to discuss the situation surrounding the City Stars. It is obvious that he has many other things on his minds with several clubs for sale and what some believe is a real threat of a breakaway league. Here is the quote: “We have been working with the ownership and management of the City Stars to solidify the future of their franchise and will continue
A source with the Canadian Soccer Association stated that the organization would support any club looking to play soccer in Canada. It was also clear that the association would also support any ownership group that would move an existing club into Canada. Our source talked about the number of markets in Canada that could sustain a pro team. Ottawa is not the only city that has looked into bringing a franchise into town. Canada has a great deal to offer; the Nutrilite Canadian Championship is
We have received word from multiple sources that a letter of intent has been signed by a group looking to buy the Cleveland City Stars. It is good news and possibly the end of this story. Several outlets are speculating that a Canadian group, based in Ottawa, has purchased the club. This seems to be far fetched considering none of our contacts in Canada knew anything about the situation. Our sources in Canada also confirmed that there was no discussion about moving the
Our sources confirm that a deal to sell the Cleveland City Stars is imminent, but it will not be announced at the club’s end of the season banquet tonight. Two sources suggest that the deal is already done with the City Stars going to a U.S.-based group. This would take several groups out of the running to purchase the club: a group from Canada and a group from Kenya somehow connected to the Nairobi City Stars. What remains cloudy is the team’s future
Our sources continue to provide us with information about the possible sale of the Cleveland City Stars. It doesn’t appear that an announcement is coming anytime before Monday. We were initially told by multiple sources that the sale would be finalized by this Friday (9/18) or Monday (9/21). Other agencies suggest that a group from Canada or Kenya might be in the running to purchase the franchise. We have heard that a group from New York had expressed interest during the preliminary