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Goodbye Drillers |
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A Fan's Farewell
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Join the Discussion
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What is your opinion on the demise of the Drillers? Do you think anything could have been done to stop it, and if so, what?
Paula
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It was a very sad day for soccer fans on November 30, 2000. On that day, the National Professional Soccer League announced it would
be ceasing operation of the Edmonton Drillers. In early December, the league held a re-entry draft
so the players could join one of the remaining ten teams in the league, mainly in Wichita.
Dwindling revenue was the main reason for the team's demise. In simple terms, the previous owner
W. Wojcicki, was not able to pay the team's lease of the Skyreach Centre, and shortly before
the bad news was announced, resigned as owner.
This has left soccer fans in Edmonton fuming -- especially younger ones, many of whom themselves
play the game and looked to the team as an inspiration.
Sixteen year old Casandra Gagnon is one such fan. A student in grade eleven at Ross Sheppard Composite High School,
she is an avid soccer fan and player. "I just want to get the point across from a younger soccer player's point of view," she says, stating that
young players want a voice in this matter, but are not the only ones upset about the loss of the team. "I want people to know how much we appreciated them and we should have fought a little harder for them."
Part of the problem may have been that Edmonton is very much a hockey city,
the players of the Edmonton Oilers command
millions of dollars in salaries and has extensive corporate and private backing. The Drillers, however, have struggled financially for
a while, did not pay salaries anywhere close to NHL standards, but was a championship team that
demonstrated good sportsmanship on and off the field.
Gagnon says that losing the Drillers is a loss to young fans especially because, "Soccer is the fastest growing sport and a lot of kids look up to them." She cites in particular the Drillers'
soccer camp she attended regularly, and the players' approachability and friendliness to fans.
But perhaps most importantly, the Drillers unified young soccer players from teams all over the city. "We would all see each other and hang out at games even though we'd hate each other on the field," she says.
Gagnon gathered names for a petition that was sent to Mayor Smith, the Sun, Journal, the National Professional Soccer League and Alderman Robert Noce (the member of City Council in Ward 3 where Gagnon lives).
"I really have no expectations in anything coming out of this; it's just to get a point
across because I was upset and a lot of people on the petition are upset. They have
to see it from a younger person's eyes. A lot of the people who were trying to save
them were adults. I know we don't understand a lot of the financial stuff but as younger
people we need them."
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