Planet Backs 300x250

Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Help ASFC Trust Own 49% Of Silverbacks Reserves! - By Steven Bayley

We recently had a lengthy discussion with Atlanta Silverbacks GM Phoday Dolleh about partial ownership of the Atlanta Silverbacks Reserves squad - which may play in the Atlanta District Amateur Soccer League this Fall - Spring. We’ve been offered a 49% ownership stake, but it's going to require immediate fundraising on our part. We’ve been told that this could lead to an ownership stake in the NPSL club. (More on that later.)

For the Silverbacks to compete in the ADASL, they will have an expectation on them to be dominant. It is critical for the Silverbacks as a club to live up to and exceed that expectation. Phoday sees it as both an opportunity to scout additional local talent for the 2017 NPSL team, and to give promising locally based players competitive match action.

What he is not willing to do, however, is to source standard local players through standard local channels and throw a Silverbacks jersey on their backs and have them represent the club as just another ADASL team.

Currently there are 5 players the club is supporting, living in apartments near the stadium through the end of September, who are traveling around getting tryouts with full time pro teams trying to catch on. Currently 4 players are training with NASL teams, and another 1 with a USL team. Ideally he wants these guys getting pro contracts, but if they don't latch on, he wants them in the ADASL squad. He wants to hold training with the ADASL squad every day, to reap the benefits of a viable year round organization both from the grassroots exposure our dominance of the ADASL will give the club, as well as a development for NPSL 2017. As supporters we want year round competitive matches for our total club. This is the way to achieve that affordably.

The standard costs to run an ADASL team with local players is $6000 for the season, all in. This is pretty much straight off the league documentation and includes League fees, player registration fees, referee fees, field rental fees, etc. With Phodays model including additional player costs, housing, stipends, etc. as part of the larger pro window shopping experience, he sees this running $10,000-$12,000 to do this right. He sees it as investments to protect and build the brand through these 18 year round in-town games the Silverbacks Reserves will get in the league. He wants us to raise the $6000 for the official team expenses, and he will match what we raise.

He wants us to control 49% of the Reserves with our 49% money. It will basically be an even partnership where he controls the players / on field and we control marketing, collaborate on revenue, perhaps we charge $2-$3 to attend matches at the Park, which we think is a better idea than offering free, therefore people respect it as a legitimate thing, as opposed to an adult league.

Part of experimenting at this level is seeing what we can do, and Phoday is interested in and willing to run these different experiments with the reserves and implement successful initiatives with the NPSL team in 2017. After we get up and running for the 2016 season, we will develop a separate fund, for which we will raise money, for national cup entrance and travel of Reserve team participation in 2017/2018 Amateur Cup and US Open Cup USASA qualifying track.

The money we invest in the Reserves although going to the ADASL for fees and gameday use, will be credited as overall investment in the Silverbacks club and count as the first money toward fan ownership in the larger Atlanta Silverbacks FC (NPSL) club, with additional discussions with the Trust about %'s this offseason to begin some % of fan ownership THIS COMING NPSL 2017 season, and working on a longer term plan and goals to get to a sizable investment portion.

ADASL games will take place in the main stadium at Silverbacks Park. All home games will be Sunday morning at 11:00 AM.  We are working with partnerships with local soccer pubs to provide shuttles for fans watching early morning English and European matches at 7:00 and 9:00 to shittle them staright to the stadium for the 11:00 kick.

So bottom line, we need to raise $6000 by September 11th. That is the challenge.

Help spread the word!

https://www.gofundme.com/2kzvcuj8

Sunday, August 7, 2016

SIlverbacks Reserves in the ADASL: Will It Happen? - By Taylor Peyton

The short 3-month NPSL season has left many Silverbacks fans desperate for more, as they are not used to such a long offseason. Many fans on Social Media think that the perfect way to deal with the long offseason is to field a Reserve team in the Atlanta District Amateur Soccer League (ADASL).

The ADASL was founded in 1967, there are two division with a Promotion and Relegation system in place, a cup competition called the Perrin Cup. Success in the ADASL can result in eligibility for National Amateur Cup competitions. The season runs from the beginning of October to the beginning of June, which would be an ideal situation for fans who would be desperate need of a Silverbacks fix during the long offseason, and it would allow for standout players in the Reserve team to be called up to the First team.

As part of an attempt to improve their first team after a terrible 2016 season, the Silverbacks local rival Georgia Revolution will be fielding their own reserve team in the ADASL. They have been preparing for the season by playing a few friendlies with players who will likely be part of their squad that will be competing in the ADASL, including a victory over Arsenal Atlanta, an established ADASL club that won the Perrin Cup last season.

In an interview on Gorilla Talk earlier this year, Phoday Dolleh expressed his desire to field a Reserve team in the ADASL. But since then there have been whispers that he is currently uncertain about it mainly for financial reasons. It’s obvious that Phoday knows how to put a team together, and he also knows how to get players into situations where they can develop and advance their careers. It is definitely part of his vision for the club’s future so it would be unfortunate if the Reserves in the ADASL would have to be delayed due to a lack of funds.

Naturally, many fans are hoping for the best in regards to it. If there is a season to be had Planet of the Backs will be covering their season and fans will do everything they can to get the word out by doing things such putting the Schedule on posters and handing them out throughout the city. There’s plenty of ways it will benefit the club, so hopefully it will happen. The ADASL informational meeting for new and returning clubs is on Monday, August 8th so we will know soon enough.