To build or not to build
To build or not to build
Difference in opinion on stadium plan said to be root of dispute between Al Simpson and Novatrek
In the end, it came down to the stadium.
According to those close to the situation, the biggest point of difference between Joe Belan and Al Simpson was the size of the stadium project at Prairieland Park. Whereas Belan preferred to add to the existing structure — a grandstand that was used during the Saskatoon exhibition and for horse racing — Simpson wanted to aim for a more significant build.
The plan that was eventually put forward was the $28-million project that was unveiled in 2022. A project that, critically, requires significant public support. Most of the funding, in fact, would come from multiple levels of government. Simpson and the company he formed, Living Sky Sports & Entertainment, would only kick in about $2-million.
Those with knowledge of Belan’s plan say that there would not have been public money requirements if they had moved forward with the scaled back stadium plan.
“I’m not sure why they needed the stadium they are proposing — there was enough there to prove the concept and then maybe look to build on top of it once the team was established,” a Saskatchewan source said.
“Al (Simpson) ultimately decided he needed a new build. I guess that’s why he pulled out of the deal,” they added.
It’s the contention of Belan that Simpson independently negotiated with Prairieland behind his back, despite exclusive rights to the project being held by Belan. That is the basis of his $10-million breach of contract law suit.
We have yet to hear what defence Simpson and the other defendants will put forward.
Reporting done. Opinion below:
The first thing that jumps to mind here is how unfortunate all of this is. Putting the business part aside for a moment, this is just another frustrating example of something that looked like it had so much potential going, well, to crap.
Saskatoon is exactly the type of market that the CanPL needs to get into. It looked to have momentum. The Saskatchewan Summer Soccer Series proved there was an appetite. For this to end with court filings is just…disappointing.
Many fans are going to blame Belan for putting this is doubt. I understand the instinct, but that does ignore how much investment that he put in prior to Simpson sweeping in. Based on the court documents filed, it certainly does seem like there was a deal in place and that it was violated. If it was, it’s hard to argue that he shouldn’t be compensated for his losses.
The defence may yet prove that untrue (and they should be provided with every opportunity to do so), but the timing of the email from Prairieland to Belan (outlined in the linked story above) is pretty damning. Regardless, that’s for the courts to decide, not this newsletter.
We’re her to talk about the soccer. On that front, it is difficult to see how this bid moves forward until this is resolved. Without resolution, there’s no team in Saskatoon. That’s unfair to the loyal fans there who have been taken for a ride in all of this.
It also underlines the fallacy of handing out “expansion teams” to groups that don’t have all the approvals they need yet. It’s too much of a tease to the fans in the area and it’s unclear if it has any sway at all at the local government level.
This isn’t a NHL or CFL team we are talking about here. Hell, it’s not even a CHL team. The prospect of a CanPL team coming to town is not going to influence local politicians to hand over money. It’s going to take convincing. And explaining of what the CanPL is.
Which brings us back to this mess. Even without the court case this was a big ask. We might believe that Saskatoon is ripe for a team, but it’s not a widely held opinion there. It’s very much soccer bubble thinking to suggest otherwise.
A smaller stadium plan that didn’t require political buy-in would have made sense. It’s never been clear to me why the Saskatchewan group is waiting on this proposal. Why not start smaller?
It’s a lesson other expansion efforts may want to learn.
Let’s hope a resolution can be found that ends with a team actually playing in Saskatoon.
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