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Eric Cantona's appointment at the New York Cosmos part of battle to restore football to heart of the Big Apple
Eric Cantona will front an English-inspired attempt to win a £250 million battle to restore professional football to the heart of America’s biggest city when he returns to the game as director of soccer at the New York Cosmos.
Star of the Cosmos: Eric Cantona is fronting a bid by English investors to return football to the heart of New York Photo: AP
By Mark Ogden 10:30PM GMT 19 Jan 2011
Wednesday’s announcement of the 44 year-old’s return to football for the first time since he walked away from Manchester United, aged just 30, in 1997, delivered the global publicity desired by Cosmos chairman Paul Kemsley, the former Tottenham vice-chairman, and his executive team of Rick Parry and Terry Byrne, David Beckham’s former personal manager.
Kemsley is understood to be working with Inner Circle, the sports’ specialist investment bank, in his attempt to relaunch the Cosmos, one of the most iconic sports brands of the 1970s prior to its collapse in 1985 following the failure of the North American Soccer League.
But although Cantona’s recruitment has ensured that the Cosmos retain the ability to make headlines as they did with their acquisition of Pele and Franz Beckenbauer in the Seventies, securing the prized licence for MLS membership is likely to prove costly and involve a wait of at least two years.
Stiff competition from the New York Mets baseball team, who are also pursuing the MLS licence, and a fee approaching $75 million to secure the franchise are initial obstacles for Kemsley and Cantona to overcome.
Then there is the issue of building a stadium, with sites being considered in Queens and Long Island, which is anticipated to cost around $250 million. At present, Cosmos have no players or a stadium.
But with the 16-team MLS due to expand with the arrival of Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps this year, plus the introduction of Montreal Impact in 2012, plans by the league to hand the 20th licence to a New York franchise are well advanced.
“The focus is firmly on New York for the 20th MLS team,” said Dan Courtemanche, the MLS senior marketing and communications vice-president.
“There are multiple potential ownership groups and the New York Cosmos is one of those groups.
“We have had very productive meetings and, with Paul Kemsley and Rick Parry, they are an impressive group. They are very committed and are keen to develop the legacy of the Cosmos brand.
“But even if the Cosmos were to break ground on a new stadium tomorrow, then it would take at least two years for them to be ready for MLS. The 20th team is likely to be three to five years down the road, though.”
During their heyday in the Seventies, the Cosmos attracted sell-out crowds and even wore a Ralph Lauren-designed playing strip as they attempted to impose football on the hearts and minds of a sceptical American public.
Beckham’s four-year stint with the LA Galaxy has taken the game to a new awareness level in the States, but despite New York’s 13 million population, there are 10 sports franchises from NFL, NHL, NBA and football competing for a slice of the action.
The New York Red Bulls, based in New Jersey, are understandably wary of a second New York football team arriving on the scene, but Courtemanche insists the demand is there.
Courtemanche said: ““New York is ready for a second team and the Queens district, where the Cosmos could be based, is home to people from Ecuador, Brazil, Mexico and many other nationalities. The appetite is there.
“The Cosmos have taken Pele on board again and he is a global icon who transcends sport. He draws a crowd wherever he goes, so that gives an example of the impact soccer can make in the city.”
A relaunch game in the summer, with Manchester United a leading candidate to be invited by the Cosmos, is being planned, but the likelihood of Beckham joining Cantona in New York is slim.
Courtemanche said: “When David signed for the Galaxy, his contract included an option to buy an MLS expansion team, but New York is not an option for David.
“But he has been a real success for the MLS. Our commissioner, Don Garber, was in a remote part of China when he mentioned the MLS to a local and the immediate response was, ‘David Beckham!’
“Awareness is growing and we believe that a second team in New York will only help accelerate that.”
Cantona’s return has helped the Cosmos win the publicity battle, but the race for the franchise is not even past first base.
A galaxy of stars
New York Cosmos have never struggled to attract stellar talent to Manhattan, since their formation in 1971.
»Pele The Brazilian was semi-retired when he arrived in America in 1974, but still helped his new club achieve record attendances and the 1977 North American Soccer League championship.
»Franz Beckenbauer The lure of a new challenge – not to mention a fistful of dollars – tempted The Kaiser to New York in 1977. He helped the club win three NASL titles.
»Carlos Alberto Another Brazilian tempted to the Big Apple. As well as two stints between 1977 and 1982, he also played for the gloriously-named California Surf.
»Dennis Tueart Maybe not quite in the same league as his team-mates but still just as bizarre, in its own way. Joined from Manchester City in 1978 and scored 26 goals in 47 games for the Cosmos.
© Copyright of Telegraph Media Group Limited 2011
Eric Cantona will front an English-inspired attempt to win a £250 million battle to restore professional football to the heart of America’s biggest city when he returns to the game as director of soccer at the New York Cosmos.
Star of the Cosmos: Eric Cantona is fronting a bid by English investors to return football to the heart of New York Photo: AP
By Mark Ogden 10:30PM GMT 19 Jan 2011
Wednesday’s announcement of the 44 year-old’s return to football for the first time since he walked away from Manchester United, aged just 30, in 1997, delivered the global publicity desired by Cosmos chairman Paul Kemsley, the former Tottenham vice-chairman, and his executive team of Rick Parry and Terry Byrne, David Beckham’s former personal manager.
Kemsley is understood to be working with Inner Circle, the sports’ specialist investment bank, in his attempt to relaunch the Cosmos, one of the most iconic sports brands of the 1970s prior to its collapse in 1985 following the failure of the North American Soccer League.
But although Cantona’s recruitment has ensured that the Cosmos retain the ability to make headlines as they did with their acquisition of Pele and Franz Beckenbauer in the Seventies, securing the prized licence for MLS membership is likely to prove costly and involve a wait of at least two years.
Stiff competition from the New York Mets baseball team, who are also pursuing the MLS licence, and a fee approaching $75 million to secure the franchise are initial obstacles for Kemsley and Cantona to overcome.
Then there is the issue of building a stadium, with sites being considered in Queens and Long Island, which is anticipated to cost around $250 million. At present, Cosmos have no players or a stadium.
But with the 16-team MLS due to expand with the arrival of Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps this year, plus the introduction of Montreal Impact in 2012, plans by the league to hand the 20th licence to a New York franchise are well advanced.
“The focus is firmly on New York for the 20th MLS team,” said Dan Courtemanche, the MLS senior marketing and communications vice-president.
“There are multiple potential ownership groups and the New York Cosmos is one of those groups.
“We have had very productive meetings and, with Paul Kemsley and Rick Parry, they are an impressive group. They are very committed and are keen to develop the legacy of the Cosmos brand.
“But even if the Cosmos were to break ground on a new stadium tomorrow, then it would take at least two years for them to be ready for MLS. The 20th team is likely to be three to five years down the road, though.”
During their heyday in the Seventies, the Cosmos attracted sell-out crowds and even wore a Ralph Lauren-designed playing strip as they attempted to impose football on the hearts and minds of a sceptical American public.
Beckham’s four-year stint with the LA Galaxy has taken the game to a new awareness level in the States, but despite New York’s 13 million population, there are 10 sports franchises from NFL, NHL, NBA and football competing for a slice of the action.
The New York Red Bulls, based in New Jersey, are understandably wary of a second New York football team arriving on the scene, but Courtemanche insists the demand is there.
Courtemanche said: ““New York is ready for a second team and the Queens district, where the Cosmos could be based, is home to people from Ecuador, Brazil, Mexico and many other nationalities. The appetite is there.
“The Cosmos have taken Pele on board again and he is a global icon who transcends sport. He draws a crowd wherever he goes, so that gives an example of the impact soccer can make in the city.”
A relaunch game in the summer, with Manchester United a leading candidate to be invited by the Cosmos, is being planned, but the likelihood of Beckham joining Cantona in New York is slim.
Courtemanche said: “When David signed for the Galaxy, his contract included an option to buy an MLS expansion team, but New York is not an option for David.
“But he has been a real success for the MLS. Our commissioner, Don Garber, was in a remote part of China when he mentioned the MLS to a local and the immediate response was, ‘David Beckham!’
“Awareness is growing and we believe that a second team in New York will only help accelerate that.”
Cantona’s return has helped the Cosmos win the publicity battle, but the race for the franchise is not even past first base.
A galaxy of stars
New York Cosmos have never struggled to attract stellar talent to Manhattan, since their formation in 1971.
»Pele The Brazilian was semi-retired when he arrived in America in 1974, but still helped his new club achieve record attendances and the 1977 North American Soccer League championship.
»Franz Beckenbauer The lure of a new challenge – not to mention a fistful of dollars – tempted The Kaiser to New York in 1977. He helped the club win three NASL titles.
»Carlos Alberto Another Brazilian tempted to the Big Apple. As well as two stints between 1977 and 1982, he also played for the gloriously-named California Surf.
»Dennis Tueart Maybe not quite in the same league as his team-mates but still just as bizarre, in its own way. Joined from Manchester City in 1978 and scored 26 goals in 47 games for the Cosmos.
© Copyright of Telegraph Media Group Limited 2011
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