David Beckham getting closer to Miami MLS team
by Kartik Krishnaiyer
David Beckham’s dreams of an MLS team in Miami have taken many twists and turns. What initially appeared to be a straight forward process for Beckham’s team has turned into long and winding road. Unable to secure land near downtown Miami as required by MLS, Beckham has had to desperately work to secure private land near downtown. “Brand Becks” is an important component to developing the club
The Miami area is mostly decentralized and largely linear in its composition.
Downtown Miami has never been the center of local life or business, unlike major northern cities such as Philadelphia, Chicago and Boston. Interestingly, MLS clubs in all three of those markets have been allowed to play far from downtown and, in the case of Philadelphia, an expansion team was awarded to the city despite no attempt to secure land or play near the city center. Miami is a place where private land can be had outside of the downtown area, but MLS having failed once already in the market is gun shy it appears about playing too far from the city center.
“Downtown Miami has never been the center of local life or business”
On Tuesday, The Miami-Dade County Commission voted to allow Beckham’s team to play games temporarily at FIU Stadium.
The facility on the campus of Florida International University is at rush hour about 45 minutes due west of downtown Miami. This initiative which we understand was NOT pushed by Beckham or his representatives does give the global icon an option however to start playing as soon as possible. Rumors have begun circulating in south Florida that the team could play as early as 2016 at FIU, though it would seem that if the team is really destined to start play next year they must get a management team up and running in the next two months.
Beckham has gotten a boost by the offseason struggles of the second-division NASL runner-up Fort Lauderdale Strikers who are under new ownership. Many Strikers supporters and NASL Commissioner Bill Peterson have engaged in wishful thinking claiming Fort Lauderdale and Miami are somehow different markets.
This is a complete canard – No professional sports team has EVER survived more than a season or two in South Florida without drawing support from both Dade and Broward counties. Should Beckham’s stadium be built in downtown Miami, it would be accessible to much of the Strikers fan base.
The FIU campus is well away from Downtown Miama
Google Maps
For a basis of comparison, downtown Fort Lauderdale is closer to downtown Miami than the bulk of Chicagoland population is to Toyota Park, most of Metro Philadelphia’s population is from Chester, downtown Boston is from Foxborough, the traditional Galaxy fan base in the northern part of LA County is from the StubHub Center and either downtown Dallas or downtown Fort Worth are from Frisco.
Simply put Fort Lauderdale and Miami are virtual twin cities separated on weekends when traffic is relatively light by only about 30-45 minutes of driving time. Fort Lauderdale would actually be closer to Beckham’s stadium than many core MLS markets are from the stadiums in those areas.
Many locally thought a strong brand like the Fort Lauderdale Strikers playing in a growing league like NASL might give Beckham problems. However, the new ownership of the Strikers have made enough missteps that mean Beckham may have the market virtually to himself going forward should he find a stadium site.
