Good article, we should always want to see what is really under the hood.
However, one part I don’t get. Isn’t it obvious why Project 8 doesn’t want to work with CanPL? Things like:
- CanPL's 5 years of no public results on WoSo;
- CSB/CSA coziness and lack of monetary transparency;
- and CSA/Bontis' outward condescension at Mathis' meeting w/ the board
- The talk of corporations asking to become corporate sponsors of “just” the women and being turned away because all deals go through CSB and must also support CPL (which again has no women’s division)
- And having been privy to even just a few minutes of watching the Parliamentary Standing Committee on SafeSport
Aren’t these all enough to explain why any women would be reticent to work with them?
Canadian soccer back for years is people refusing to work with anyone not in their particular fiefdom.
The women shutting out *everyone* here -- not just CSB, but everyone -- is no different and no better. For this to work you need a lot of different people pulling in the same direction.
I think Matheson should remain the face of this, but it would do a world of good to hire a CEO that has experience launching a project of this size and is removed from the soccer world so that he or she can approach all potential partnerships with fresh eyes.
Feel you. And you’re not wrong about the need to pull in one direction. But when articles are framed as “how the women need to learn to play nice” it overlooks the obvious misogyny of the Canada Soccer landscape.
The men haven’t played nice anywhere in this, and have what they want. They have a privately-owned league subsidized partially by women who were never seriously invited to the table. (Despite being organized from before the days of CanPL)
Trust was smashed by a league with no serious initial plan for them. A federation whose greatest international successes have been built by XNT. And a media that seldom took the time to investigate the physical and financial abuse of pro/semi-pro/amateur systems the women spoke about.
If this is not a moment for the men at Canada Soccer, CanPL/CSB and the like to step up, cap in hand to see how they can help, there will never be one.
We are talking about a Canadian Women’s Pro Soccer League solely because of Diana Matheson. Full stop.
The CSA had a 2015 World Cup to build off. The CSB had an opportunity since 2018 at least to start the serious legwork. Neither have impressed on those fronts. (It could be argued they’ve regressed in a lot of ways)
Do I think this plan is perfect? Nope.
Do I think it may fail? Quite possible.
Do I think it’s necessary? Hell yes!
They sooner the dudes in Canadian Soccer start handing out real olive branches, the better. Or at least get out of the way if you don’t wanna help.
Good piece, Duane. I should not be surprised by the credulity of Cansoc nation but it's really disheartening that this is being regarded as having more credibility than teams and leagues that actually exist in the real world.
Good article, we should always want to see what is really under the hood.
However, one part I don’t get. Isn’t it obvious why Project 8 doesn’t want to work with CanPL? Things like:
- CanPL's 5 years of no public results on WoSo;
- CSB/CSA coziness and lack of monetary transparency;
- and CSA/Bontis' outward condescension at Mathis' meeting w/ the board
- The talk of corporations asking to become corporate sponsors of “just” the women and being turned away because all deals go through CSB and must also support CPL (which again has no women’s division)
- And having been privy to even just a few minutes of watching the Parliamentary Standing Committee on SafeSport
Aren’t these all enough to explain why any women would be reticent to work with them?
(Let alone a former XNT member?)
Canadian soccer back for years is people refusing to work with anyone not in their particular fiefdom.
The women shutting out *everyone* here -- not just CSB, but everyone -- is no different and no better. For this to work you need a lot of different people pulling in the same direction.
I think Matheson should remain the face of this, but it would do a world of good to hire a CEO that has experience launching a project of this size and is removed from the soccer world so that he or she can approach all potential partnerships with fresh eyes.
Feel you. And you’re not wrong about the need to pull in one direction. But when articles are framed as “how the women need to learn to play nice” it overlooks the obvious misogyny of the Canada Soccer landscape.
The men haven’t played nice anywhere in this, and have what they want. They have a privately-owned league subsidized partially by women who were never seriously invited to the table. (Despite being organized from before the days of CanPL)
Trust was smashed by a league with no serious initial plan for them. A federation whose greatest international successes have been built by XNT. And a media that seldom took the time to investigate the physical and financial abuse of pro/semi-pro/amateur systems the women spoke about.
If this is not a moment for the men at Canada Soccer, CanPL/CSB and the like to step up, cap in hand to see how they can help, there will never be one.
We are talking about a Canadian Women’s Pro Soccer League solely because of Diana Matheson. Full stop.
The CSA had a 2015 World Cup to build off. The CSB had an opportunity since 2018 at least to start the serious legwork. Neither have impressed on those fronts. (It could be argued they’ve regressed in a lot of ways)
Do I think this plan is perfect? Nope.
Do I think it may fail? Quite possible.
Do I think it’s necessary? Hell yes!
They sooner the dudes in Canadian Soccer start handing out real olive branches, the better. Or at least get out of the way if you don’t wanna help.
Good piece, Duane. I should not be surprised by the credulity of Cansoc nation but it's really disheartening that this is being regarded as having more credibility than teams and leagues that actually exist in the real world.
Great article Duane
*owe*