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elifutbol: Nick - when will the ownership group move from their current offices into the stadium offices?


  We have some really nice digs here at 1105 North Market in Wilmington. It's a building our partners the Buccini/Pollin Group own and they have been awesome leasing it to us. I think we'll stay here until the stadium is ready and move in when our offices are complete.



rj_adidas: Who do you think will win Euro 2008 now? Have you watched the tournament and thought you might be interested in a player or two?


  Yes of course I've been watching! My favorite at this point is Holland vs. Portugal. Holland finally wins something because Portugal can't ;-) I heard Ronaldo is available but I don't think we'll be able to afford him. There are many nice players in the tournament and we'll always look for opportunities.



elifutbol: Are there any plans to jointly operate an indoor facility?


   No but we would like to have an indoor facility as part of our training center



Rupert: National team players often miss MLS games because MLS does not follow the FIFA match day calendar, will this influence you in the type of players selected for the new club?


  Great question! You know it does weigh in with some of the key players but I've always felt that if you have players that are doing well you are going to eventually lose them to the national team anyway. The thing I really look at more is having quality players on the bench that can come in a do the job when the national team players are away. Depth on the bench is very important in MLS and that will be one of the main focuses.



Mike: Nick, Thank you for the MLSPhilly2010 window clings!  Do you have any plans for more logo items to be made available to deposit holders?  Any chance of a Wallbanger??


  You are welcome. We though you would enjoy those. Yes, we will be in regular contact with the over 4500 season ticket depositors we have in the family. There will be many privileges to being a season ticket holder and we'll be doing more than just sending our merchandise in the future



rj_adidas: What style of play would you like the coach of the Philly MLS squad to have?


  There is only one style for me....a winning style!  More specifically I can say I'd like to see a 2-way attacking brand of football. ATTACK the goal when we have the ball and ATTACK the opposing team to get the ball when we don't have it. I'd like to see a very fit team that runs off the ball and works hard all game.



ChefJim27: How encouraged are you with the season ticket drive?  We are 6th in season tickets in MLS and still 22 months away.


  I'm very encouraged. This is truly the City of Brotherly love with a lot of soccer fans. We are very lucky to have such great fans and support so early on and we will never take that for granted



kba26: I've moved since I put down my deposit and will be moving again in August ( finally to philly).  How can i go about updating the information associated with my deposit? I had sent a few emails to the contact address on the website but never got a response (heard you guys were out of town) Would hate to miss something important.


  Sorry you've had trouble with the email. We are receiving a huge number of emails and just may be backed up. But if you call 1-877-MLS-2010 they will be able to help you with any of your questions.



BucksCounty Mark: Nick-What are your thoughts on Electronic signage?  Or at least scrolling signage?


  Love it. Adds a great element and fan experience to the stadium. We're planning it.



Mister T: hey Mr S What is your favorite part of being a owner


  We will work with Soccer UNited Marketing which is a company we are invested in to bring some events. Not sure where they will be played but the Linc is the obvious and best place.



Mike: Who could you envision our DP being in the first or second year?


  Everything!!



Rupert: Will 'FC' - Football Club, be incorporated into the team's new name, or better yet, 'AFC' - Associated Football Club, afterall that is where the word 'soccer' comes from?


  Not sure yet. One thing we will not be or try not to be is a copy cat name. We want to be traditional, authentic and something that relates to this area.



Mike: Is there any chance of having a "guest/fan writer" on the website?  It needs more content


  Great idea! I'll pass it on to our web site people.


   

andrew king: Could you tell us who the architect for the stadium is and if you plan to have a scale model built to help generate interest?


  Rossetti Architects (Home Depot, Toyota Park, Real Salt Lake). Yes we will build a scale model for our sales center to be located at the site.



elifutbol: How is the uniform design/color scheme progressing?  Any chance that the Philadelphia Flag/Delaware Flag colors will be utilized?


  Going great! adidas, the League and our outside consultant are a terrific team developing options which we'll share with the public in a campaign in the fall. Stay tuned.



m_sabal: IIRC, Jeff Larentowicz, currently playing for the NE Revs, is from this area.  Do you think he would be interested in coming back to play for the home team?


  Don't know. haven't asked him.



Fitzy: Hello Everyone! When do you plan on bringing in a coaching staff for the future MLS champions?


  Going to start with a Technical Director Jan 1 and then within 6-8 month depending on the candidate and availability we’ll bring the head coach



ChefJim27: MLSPhilly2010 uses the Blue/Yellow for it's icon on the browser.  Are there still plans to vote on the color scheme?  What would your color scheme vote go towards?


  Yes. I don't want to say until I hear from the fans. I believe my favorite will be what the fans favorite will be. Gotta let the fans take you where they want to go!



John S: Has the team and/or the SoB thought about trying some type of viral / fan-driven marketing to generate buzz for the team and ticket deposits?


  I'd say we got quite a buzz going right now but I'm always open to ideas.



elifutbol: Important question - will there be a pub in the development near (or in) the stadium?


  We certainly hope so and we're working on it.


   

Mark Dunfee: how was the tour of the SSSs of the country?  has it changed the way you're looking at anything?


   I've seen everyone. We learn a little at each one but ours will be unique



Andy: How hard is it to be patient knowing how exciting 2010 is going to be?


  Not hard the weeks are flying by.



Mike: Can we please, Please, PLEASE see at least a glimpse of the new stadium???  Pictures, sketches, SOMETHING!


  NO! Just kidding.....we'll release images in a couple of months.



ChefJim27: Overall, how soon do you see MLS as a whole achieving profitability?


  We are now. Many teams are breaking even and some are making money. We're working hard top get more stadiums built because that is the key to being profitable. Without a stadium no pro sports team can be profitable.



luis orozco: hello there,very please to finally have a professional team in town.  What's gonna be the impact among the spanish population?


  Huge! We are going to reach out to the Latin population just as much as we reach out to every other. They are great passionate soccer fans and I've always felt they are an important part of our culture and fan mix


   

rj_adidas: What will the Technical Director's responsibilities be?


  Win championships, recuiting, player development. In that order



Mark Dunfee: are you planning on capping season tickets?  where is the balance of making sure the stadium is sold out weekly vs. creating high demand?  toronto raised their cap this year


  Yes. Not sure what the cap will be but we're only building 18,500 seats initially and we're already 25% accounted for with almost 2 years to go



elifutbol: How would you improve the current "Reserve" Division in MLS?


  Play more quality games and have the right balance of training with games. Year round program with training everyday



luis orozco: How much importance are you gonna give to the youth?


  They are the cornerstone of everything we do. I developed the first youth program in MLS back in 2000 and generated Rodrigo Faria (MLS rookie of the year), Gabriel Ferrari (Sampdoria). Tim Howard (Man U), and many college scholarship and pro players. It is the future and the only want to go for us.



Rupert: Just an idea, any thought as to having TWO name the team contests. First, name the team, such as 'Philadlephia Athletic FC' and the second to name the nickname, 'Liberty Bells' , Not my choices! It would generate more media interest in the team and it is something I don't think has been doen before


  Great idea



elifutbol: Which rivalry are more keen on establishing - DC/NY/NE?


  I think all three will be great rivalries but New York and DC will be the best!



Mark Dunfee: what season ticket packages will be available?  full season only?


  Still developing what our plans will be. Stay tuned.



ziggybear: Have you been watching euro 2008? Which players could you see in this town?


  I could see a lot of them. They may not be playing for us and they would be here playing internationals but I sure would like to see some of them on our roster.



Mark Dunfee: any surprises this weekend at futbolito?


  Bryan James scores the winning goal to take the trophy.



Mike: Besides merchandise, What marketing do you have planned for the next year?  Are we going to see any commercials, ads, etc.?


  To let you know now would take away the surprise. Stay tuned ;-)



m_sabal: One other thought... There's been some chatter about SoB hosting a full band of some form or another at the games.  Any chance of plugging us into the electrical and A/V systems in our section?  We probably won't need it during the game, but a little pre-game amplification could be helpful.


   Gotta check into that with the guys.



Buckscounty Mark: Have you heard any news about the Italian cup; which could be played here or in NY?


  Stay tuned.



ChefJim27: Is the Ownership Group looking to name the stadium, or would the OG like a corporate sponsor to jump in?


  Yes we will sell the name of the stadium. In market now. Going to be a great opportunity for the right company



elifutbol: Nick - you spoke of depth being key in the MLS.  Would you rather have 1 star and 15 solid players and a handful of average players filling out the roster (ala Chicago) or 3 stars and 8-10 solid players (ala Galaxy)?  LA has the larger star appeal, but Chicago appears to be more fit to succeed in the league.


  We want a roster that believes in the game plan and works every game to win. I don't believe in the term "star players". It's a team sport and every player on the roster makes a difference.



Mark Dunfee: with our big trip to harrisburg on tuesday for their us open cup game i've been thinking about how little respect that prestigious cup gets from most of the league, with most teams playing their reserve sides until they make the semifinals or so...if you remember last year about half of the MLS teams were eliminated by USL teams in the earlier rounds.  will you treat the cup differently?


  Absolutely NOT! We will go to win the US Cup every season.



Mike: What are your thoughts on the MISL folding/restructuring?


  I wish them luck. I played one season of indoors in NY and have an affinity for that game. I hope they regroup as I've heard it's been rumored



elifutbol: Any chance that the team will set up public transportation to and from the games to large "hubs" (i.e. Center City/Wilmington/Camden)?


  There is a lot of public transport to the site. Train and busses. We will look to run shuttles from the two train platforms in Chester.



Rupert: I believe there are still a few of the MLS clubs without sponsors names on the front of their jerseys, how are the team's efforts in securing this type of a sponsor?


  Going full force. Building the story, assessing the values and putting the broadcast packages together before we go to market. We still have a ways to go and are too far out to be presenting prices but we're talking to a lot of companies and there is a lot of interest out there.



Mike: Do you have any plans to do another "Meet the Owners" night at the Dark Horse?


  Would love to do that. Time and date to be determined



Fitzy: What other type of events could/will the stadium be used for?


  Music concerts and some other sporting events. We already have 40 events for 2010.



Buckscounty Mark: Any personal choice in who you would like as a broadcaster for the games?


  Not sure yet. Still taking to a few stations/broadcasters and expect to have something put together by the end of the summer.



Mark Dunfee: will the local USL, PDL and NPSL teams play into your plans at all?


  Yes I would hope so. I would expect our technical staff will work with them to form alliances to help each other out. We have not reached out to them yet. It's still too early



ChefJim27: Thanks for taking the time to do these chats for us.  It's amazing to have owners this involved with their fans.  Thanks again, Nick!


  Delighted to do them and honored to have fans that are so passionate to get on the net and spend some time with me. Well it is time to sign off as our hour is up and I gotta run to a biz dinner. So long for now and keep checking in at mlsphilly2010.com or at sonsofben.com Cheers everyone!!!


 

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