We want to first congratulate you on the job you have done thus far in creating a truly wonderful league. As supporters of the MLS, we see improvement in the quality of play, fan experience, and overall value. 

We the members of the Crocketteers, San Antonio’s Premier Soccer Supporters, are writing you this letter to state our intentions to support MLS in San Antonio.

We state our commitment to continued growth.

We state our commitment to creating a festive atmosphere that both the City of San Antonio and Major League Soccer can be proud of.

Today, we have over 350 members including over 180 paid members.  We wear our scarves with pride and we exist to see the establishment and subsequent support of professional soccer in San Antonio.  We have sold out our initial order of 200 scarves and will have 200 more on the way in the coming weeks.

Our growth has been tremendous over the last year and half of our establishment. In fact on this very day, 50+ members of the Crocketteers will be in Houston to cheer on the MLS All Stars and to proudly wear our supporter colors.

As you may or may not know, San Antonio’s new mayor, Julian Castro seems to be very open to the idea of professional soccer in San Antonio based on limited public comments he has made. We would like to believe that he is not unlike previous mayor Ed Garza in his willingness to see the MLS in San Antonio. And we are hopeful that this change might put the unfortunate events of 2005 behind us and that this change might also be an opportunity to reopen the dialogue between MLS and San Antonio.

In addition, the parent company of the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs, San Antonio Sports & Entertainment (SS&E) has recently indicated that they are interested in getting into the professional soccer business (perhaps MLS).  And while SS&E is interested in the prospects of our very own Soccer-Specific-Stadium, many of us believe that the Alamo Stadium with its storied history is certainly viable at this point in time. The success of the Sounders in Qwest Field and the prospects of seeing the Vancouver franchise in BC Place drive this point home nicely. 

We were very pleased to learn that Major League Soccer has continued interest in the San Antonio market. Your statements the past few days mentioning San Antonio as an expanision market for MLS reaffirms our establishment. We feel we are the largest supporters group without a team. We hope that is not always the case as we look forward to the day we see our team finally take the pitch.

Commissioner, the Crocketteers humbly ask you to strongly consider San Antonio once again. Perhaps you and your league are already in talks with Mayor Castro and a potential ownership group.  We hope all sides realize the tremendous potential of the MLS/San Antonio partnership.

If there indeed exists advanced discussions with your league and our city, I can assure you that the Crocketteers will support it’s future hometown team and all that MLS brings to our great city.

Lastly, I invite you to share in our vision for what could be the day MLS finally calls San Antonio home. We can make this happen!

Thank you again for all that you have done for the beautiful game in America and we look forward to hearing from you soon.

Yours Sincerely,

The Crocketteers

This interview is the second time in a matter of days he has mentioned San Antonio. Speaking to the British newspaper the Telegraph Garber talks about the massive demand in cities like Atlanta, Detroit, San Antonio, and San Diego.

Is this just talk Garber is placing out to get a feel for what cities are prospective expansion cities or is it in response to the rapid growth of the Crocketteers and our grassroots effort to bring a franchise to San Antonio?

As the largest soccer supporters group in the country without a team were are sure Garber and MLS have been keeping tabs on the growth of our group but having a large supporters group is only one piece of the puzzle.

A franchise needs a solid investment group and a plan for a soccer specific stadium. All three of these components are necessary for a successful franchise. San Antonio has shown that a fanbase is here.

The successful Texas Pro Soccer festival in 2008 drew over 10,000 fans for its three exhibition matches. The Crocketteers had sell out crowds for the US World Cup games at the Alamo Drafthouse and nearly 900 soccer fans showed up with the Crocketteers for the World Cup final down at the AT&T Center.

So the final two pieces of the puzzle must be brought together to make a successful pitch to MLS for a expansion franchise. Is there an investment group speaking with MLS? Are their plans for a MLS stadium to be built or is their plans to refurbish an existing Stadium?

We as the Crocketteers will continue to do our part in growing the fanbase here in San Antonio. Now are their some investors out there willing to step onto the pitch to bring us a pro soccer franchise? The fans are waiting.

Links:http://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/mls/2010-07-24-commissioner-don-garber-chat_N.htm San Antonio mentioned at the 11:26 minute.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/news/7908343/Thierry-Henry-just-the-latest-step-on-MLS-chief-Don-Garbers-path-to-world-domination.html

Red Bull Battle Del Toro is a spirited, fiercely competitive homage to the Battle of the Alamo – soccer style. Throughout this three-day tournament, four U16 teams from Texas featuring some of the state’s biggest phenoms will clash cleats with four U16 teams from Mexico boasting some of the country’s top emerging stars.

What’s on the line? Tournament bragging rights. Personal triumph. National pride. Plus a trip to New York to face off against The U16 Academy Team of the NY Red Bulls in the new state-of-the-art Red Bull Arena.

All matches will be played at the STAR Soccer Complex, the premier soccer facility in South Texas.
SPECIAL APPEARANCE BY MEXICAN FOOTBALL LEGEND JORGE CAMPOS

One of the most notable Mexican footballers, goalkeeper Jorge Campos, will make an exclusive one-day-only appearance at the STAR Soccer Complex Saturday, July 17.
Teams Competing

Mexico

* Club America – Mexico City
* Tigres UANL – Monterrey
* Atlas – Guadalajara
* Chivas de Guadalajara – Guadalajara

Texas

* Classics Elite – San Antonio
* Dallas Texans – Dallas
* FC Dallas – Dallas
* Albion Hurricanes – Houston

TICKETS

This is a three-day event, with qualifying games at 6:00 and 8:00 p.m. Thursday and Friday and final round games at 6:00 and 8:00 p.m. on Saturday. Admission each day is only $5.

Advance, pre-sale tickets can be purchased at STAR Monday-Wednesday 9:00-11:30 a.m. and 1-4 p.m.

Walk up, event-day tickets can be purchased starting at 4:00 p.m.

For more infomation, contact STAR at 210-495-8686

A Crocketteers Supported Event 

Back inside, you wipe the sleep from your eyes and pull your Alamo FC jersey over your head. A quick look in the mirror confirms that you are, in fact, awake. You walk out of your building and grab a coffee from the shop on the corner.

Drinking in the first sip of invigorating morning caffeine, and burning your tongue in the process, you emerge back onto the pavement just in time to catch the River North Streetcar that climbs up Broadway. You hop on, give “the nod” to the dozen or so others in their Alamo FC garb and allow the morning breeze to further awaken your senses.

Once at your stop, you and the other supporters exit the streetcar and join the throngs of folks just like you making their way toward the pubs lining the northern edge of the Museum Reach of the Riverwalk. There is an electricity in the air as you find yourself knee-deep in the pulsing pre-match festivities.

Supporters from The Upper Room and Puro 33 gather at Vito’s Sports Bar, where the michelada flows and the smell of chorizo soaks the air. You and the Crocketteers gather in your traditional spot, filling the old tavern with singing, shouting, and Freetail brews. Bands play as the supporters prepare to give a full 90 minutes to the home side just a short walk away at Alamo Stadium.

Match-time approaches and you begin the trek with the other supporters towards the stadium. The spirit of revelry is thick amongst the group. You smile as some around you wave scarves in the Texas sun, blow on parade horns, and generally swim in the pool of anticipation that is an old-world match-day. You think to yourself, “This is why I love soccer. This is what I waited so long for…”

Alamo Stadium is particularly lively this afternoon, the glorious old bones of the stadium made new with the fresh renovation. ABC is here to televise the MLS Match of the Week. All eyes (and cameras) are trained on Thierry Henry, as he warms up in his first San Antonio appearance as a member of Red Bull New York.

You slide into Row 6 and greet the familiar faces around you as the chants of your fellow Alamo FC supporters echo off of the limestone walls of the historic venue. An overflow crowd of 26,000 buzzes while the teams take to the pitch, flashbulbs popping away.  You look around and drink in the atmosphere, the revelry, the beautiful game.  What a moment for San Antonio…

The referee’s whistle blows, the ball is played in. You take a deep breath and survey the surreal scene one last time before throwing yourself fully into the match. This is real. The MLS is home in San Antonio.

Reminder: MLS Watch Party at Freetail Brewing Co. tonight May 13, 2010 8:00 PM

WHO

WHAT: Practice session by the Haitian team in preparation for international competition early next month in Argentina.

WHEN: 4-6 p.m. Thursday, April 29, 2010.

WHERE: STAR Soccer Complex, 5103 David Edwards in Northeast San Antonio near the intersection of Wurzbach Parkway and Thousand Oaks Drive next to Morgan’s Wonderland.

WHY: A devastating earthquake in Haiti destroyed the country’s soccer infrastructure, so the men’s national team has been practicing in San Antonio.

ETC.: STAR is the state’s newest and most spacious soccer venue. It includes 14 lighted soccer fields and support facilities that cost $10 million to build. STAR participants may not realize it, but while they’re having fun and getting exercise, they’re contributing to a great cause. Proceeds from STAR will support the operation and maintenance of Morgan’s Wonderland, the world’s first ultra-accessible family fun park specifically designed for individuals with special needs. The non-profit park and STAR were created through the vision and leadership of the Gordon Hartman Family Foundation.

CONTACT: Ed Sakiewicz at STAR – (210) 495-8686, or Bob McCullough at Morgan’s Wonderland – (210) 495-5888.

We’ve addressed in this space already that soccer is a sport that is built on anticipation. That anticipation, when cultivated in the proper atmosphere, can give way to absolute euphoria.

For San Antonio, soccer all of the sudden seems closer than ever to being a professional reality, as the perfect atmosphere for “The Beautiful Game” in South Texas has emerged. The supporters of soccer in San Antonio can only hope that this hopeful atmosphere, this raised level of anticipation, leads to eventual euphoria in the form of a top-flight pro soccer team calling San Antonio home.

A recent article in the San Antonio Express News revealed that San Antonio Independent School District and Spurs Sports & Entertainment have in fact had discussions about venerable Alamo Stadium being placed in the managing hands of SS&E.

Alamo Stadium is a legendary local sports shrine that has fallen into various levels of disrepair as the cash-strapped inner-city SAISD struggles to maintain the facility. In its 70 years of existence, Alamo Stadium has hosted high school sports of all kinds in addition to college and professional football.

The beauty of the talks between SAISD and SS&E is that the Spurs organization (which has been itching to get into professional soccer) would not have to build a stadium for any proposed team, but simply would renovate an existing jewel that happens to be just the right size and in just the right place.

Some of the most revered (and well-attended) stadiums in Major League Soccer share a common trait: an urban location.

Seattle’s Qwest Field and Toronto’s BMO Stadium are the two oft-cited urban jewels of the league, each drawing capacity crowds and each famous for an incredible gameday atmosphere. Each also happens to be in the shadow of their respective city skylines. Alamo Stadium, for those keeping track at home, is a mere 4 miles from the front door of the Alamo.

Unlike stadiums in far-flung exurbs (like Pizza Hut Park in Frisco or Gillette Stadium in Foxborough), Alamo Stadium would be accessible by people from all over San Antonio by a simple 20 minute drive. Supporters from Stone Oak and Southtown would have easy access, as would families from the suburbs and young urbanites in the city. And for that growing number of folks living in the urban core, Alamo Stadium is accessible by public transport, with a VIA ride from Alamo Plaza taking a mere 15 minutes. With plans to add a streetcar line on Broadway in the near future, the booming residential area that is about to be River North will be connected to a refurbished, resplendent Alamo Stadium in a myriad of ways.

So the anticipation rises as the atmosphere around the potential for soccer in San Antonio heats up. SS&E is interested enough in bringing high-level soccer to San Antonio that they have entered into talks regarding management and renovation. SAISD is interested enough in staying solvent that they will bend over backwards to allow someone with resources to take over their historic facility. And San Antonio’s starving soccer fans are one step closer to realizing the euphoric dream of having professional soccer in the city. In Alamo Stadium, the beautiful game is as close as it has ever been to finding itself in the shadow of the San Antonio skyline.

Read more San Antonio Soccer articles at Crocketteers.com

We all saw the scenes of devastation in Haiti earlier this year.  We saw the horrific photos and footage from the scene, we saw the struggle to maintain order.  The earthquake affected 3 million people leaving around 230,000 people dead.  The Haiti Football (Soccer) Federation (FHF) was no different, their headquarters collapsed in the earthquake and 32 of their back office staff died in the disaster, a number of their national team players were also among the deceased.  The FHF also gave use of their national team’s stadium for a refugee camp, which is still in use.

The outpouring of support for Haiti has been moving, millions of dollars have been donated from all over the world, and the Hope for Haiti concerts drew thousands.  Last night was San Antonio’s turn to help.

With the National Soccer Team stranded, without a home, lacking facilities (including balls & cleats) & needing a place to train, connections lead the FHF to contact San Antonio, who welcomed them with open arms.

The team has been staying in San Antonio since last week while training in New Braunfels.  The Haitians have a friendly against Argentina followed by the Caribbean Cup, an important tournament that doubles as a qualifier for the CONCACAF Gold Cup, and needed some way to prepare for that.  San Antonio was able to offer facilities for training & lodging along with counseling.

When it comes to preparing for an important tournament it is important to get some match practice in, and that’s where Trinity University stepped in, offering to play a friendly match against the Haitians last night.

The soccer loving public of San Antonio responded, with short notice, over 2000 people crammed the sides of this tiny 400 seat field, largely driven to the game by the social media such as Facebook. The Crocketteers also attended, starting up chants to spur on the Haitian team.

This game had a different feel to it than the other fundraising events for Haiti, this wasn’t about mourning. This was a celebration of the Haitian’s recovery and the power of soccer for good. The Haitian’s arrival on the pitch was welcomed by a round of applause and donations were given before the kick off.

The Haitians won the match 2-0, although that wasn’t the most important thing last night. The support the San Antonio Soccer public gave this organization in deep need was immense.  We don’t know the figures but large buckets were being filled with money for donations, people were wearing the “I love Haiti” t-shirts that were on sale at the grounds, not to mention the number of equipment donations.

San Antonio Soccer shined last night in their support of a desperate Haitian National Team.  Imagine the amount of good that could be done by the San Antonio soccer community if we had our own pro team behind us, that 2000 was only the start of what we could do.  Last night, cheering for the Haitian National Team was like cheering for our very own team.

WHO:

WHAT:   Women’s Soccer Association of San Antonio’s 32nd Annual Women’s and Co-Ed Fiesta Soccer Tournament.

WHEN:   8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, April 17 and 18.

WHERE:   STAR Soccer Complex, 5103 David Edwards, near the intersection of Wurzbach Parkway and Thousand Oaks Drive next to Morgan’s Wonderland.

WHY:   To hold a Fiesta San Antonio soccer tradition for the first time at the state’s newest and most-spacious soccer venue.

ETC.:   The Women’s Soccer Association consists of several divisions: Competitive, Recreation, Under 23, Over 30 and Co-ed. For further information, visit www.wsasa.org.
ABOUT STAR:   STAR includes 14 lighted soccer fields and support facilities that cost $10 million to build. STAR participants may not realize it, but while they’re having fun and getting exercise, they’re contributing to a great cause. Proceeds from STAR support the operation and maintenance of Morgan’s Wonderland, the world’s first ultra-accessible family fun park specifically designed for individuals with special needs. For more information, visit www.starsoccersa.com. The non-profit park and STAR were created through the vision and leadership of the Gordon Hartman Family Foundation.

CONTACT:   Ed Sakiewicz at STAR – (210) 495-8686, or Bob McCullough at Morgan’s Wonderland – (210) 495-5888.