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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]The only difference is to scale. The potential income for Spirit is certainly far greater than FCV but I believe Spirit is a long way away from realizing their potential.

The main thing both clubs lack that is holding them back are owning their own fields. Spirit has to rent a stadium for their own games. They don't make money on parking, have to split concessions and have to clear the stadium rent with ticket sales.

FCV also needs to own their own fields and facilities. With fields they can host tourneys, rent them out to other clubs and sports etc. Their economies of scale are different but their problems are pretty similar. [/quote]

I don't think this is true at all, they are radically different.  WS is professional sports business whose primary business goal is to generate revenue via selling tickets, concessions, and merchandise associated with their professional soccer team.  Concomitant (and related) to that goal is to develop a pathway for talent to flow into the professional team; this includes the pro reserves team and other development vehicles, such as the DA.   A secondary business that is related to the development arm of the primary business goal are the youth programs, primarily the DA, also the SuperY and other youth training programming.  This secondary business is essentially standalone from the primary from a business perspective, in that it isn't necessarily required for the primary business to run, but can be very helpful (see men's academies/youth programs in the US and especially internationally).

FCV's primary business goal is WS's secondary business.   They exist simply to sell parents a platform for youth soccer.  That's it.   They do it well at the highest level, but there isn't much meat once you get past their A team's at pretty much any age group on the women's side.  In many age group cases, there isn't a viable B team offering, especially at the youngest ages.   Since they are private, it's anyone's guess with regard to exactly how financially well off they are, but there have been grumblings of the club being on the brink for years.

From a pure business perspective, WS is much stronger than FCV, especially with respect to revenue.   They are not equals, and this is clear once you take away your "soccer" brain and put on your "real-world business " brain.  FCV's success in DA programming in terms of wins means, well, squat from a business perspective.  Any "merger" between the two would be heavily weighted toward the larger party, in this case WS.

What I find the funniest in this whole discussion, should this "merger" take place is that the real winner here is neither WS nor FCV.   It's actually Loudoun Soccer.   How many FCV parents, especially those further west, will be willing to trek to GFR fields in Reston and Great Falls when they have a strong elite ECNL option right next door?   LS has been salivating for years over some of these FCV players, and it's no stretch to think that a good number of these parents won't go for the more convenient option, which also happens to have a much better run youth program than either WS or FCV, and has for years. [/quote]

You missed the main point of the weaknesses for each business. Much of their revenue goes to fields and field space.

If a merger were to happen I'm not so certain the GF fields would be used over Evergreen. Again, FCV is a for profit and would not qualify for non-profit pricing or county priority for the fields. FCV would have to have a partnership with Great Falls for that to happen. [/quote]

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