The Seattle Sounders Women released the following statement and quotes today concerning the future of the Seattle Sounders Women in the USL-W League for the next season.
The Seattle Sounders Women will play the 2013 season at Starfire Stadium in the United Soccer Leagues’ W-League. With the backdrop of the USL’s decision, a few weeks ago, to step away from involvement in operating a newly proposed women’s soccer league, the Seattle Sounders Women received word that the franchise proposal from the Sounders Women to U.S. Soccer was not accepted.
The Seattle Sounders Women are confident that our current league (USL, W-League) continues to provide a strong and sustainable platform for the Seattle Sounders Women to thrive. The W-League will represent the strongest and largest contingency of teams on the West Coast. We are excited to continue our rivalries with the prestigious organizations in the USL, W-League.
We cannot thank the Sounders fans enough for their support. We want them to know that we will continue to provide them with quality in organization, game day presentation, and quality from the players wearing the Sounders crest. We are still in great standing with our affiliation partners, the Seattle Sounders FC, and we will continue to uphold the rave green standards that our supporters know and trust.
Lane Smith, CEO & Co-owner of the Seattle Sounders Women, added the following:
“Congratulations to Bill with the new team and league. Seattle is a fantastic market for soccer and the Seattle Sounders Women wish them the best in the upcoming inaugural season. With this new team and the Seattle Sounders women continued representation in the long established W-league Seattle soccer fans will be blessed with the opportunity to attend many high level Women’s soccer matches.”
Jet City Auxillary, a supporters club for the Seattle Sounders Women, released in tandem the following:
The Jet City Auxiliary wishes Mr. Predmore and his new team/league all the best. However, our allegiances lie unwavering and in full support of the Sounders Women. Members of the JCA who’d like to support the new team may do so on their own accord, but the Aux will not support the new team in an official capacity.
I’ve attached a photo taken last season at SeaTac Airport when our girls returned from the Western Conference Final. Moments like these do not happen with supporters who sway from club to club. We love these girls and all those who don the rave green; we simply just can’t get enough.
To all our girls who decide to play in this new league: we wish the best of luck. To those who return to the Sounders: the Aux will be behind the west goal bringing it bigger and better in 2013!
November 28, 2012 at 8:36 pm
I’m surprised they were able to find anyone still in the JCA for comment. The moment they decided to distance themselves from ECS (not a good decision by the way), their numbers just continued to bleed at every match.
November 29, 2012 at 8:29 am
Joe,
Not sure of the politics behind your post, but I have always found the JCA easy to find for comment when I needed them.
November 29, 2012 at 10:18 am
Was it JCA distancing themselves from ECS or the other way around with ECS not working with JCA or any other supporters groups…. I have always found that in order to have friends you have to be a friend…
November 29, 2012 at 3:35 pm
My point was with how small the JCA was becoming towards the end of the season last year, including them in the public statement to try and convey that the Sounders Women are still in a strong position (which I disagree with and I believe their future existence is based solely on whether this new USSF league can actually survive longer than a season) moving forward comes across as a hallow gesture to anyone who’s actually been following recent events.
From talking to people involved in both the JCA and ECS, there seemed to be a mutual disagreement with how things were to be run. ECS has strict guidelines for how sub-chapters must act and JCA didn’t agree with all of them and thought they could be better off on their own. As a result many felt they were forced to choose one group or the other with the JCA more often than not losing many members. If the JCA had been smart, they would have done whatever possibly to stay under the ECS umbrella and utilize ECS’s numbers to help grow before deciding to go at things their own way.