Fury owners blame 'politics' for decision to suspend operations

The owners of the Ottawa Fury areblaming "politics"for the decision to suspend operations for the 2020 season, after the team failed to obtain sanctioning from governing bodies that oversee the United Soccer League (USL).

• Ottawa Fury won't take the field next season

In order for a team to play in the USL, they must be sanctioned by three governing bodies: Canada Soccer, the U.S. Soccer Federation and CONCACAF.

The latter is one ofFIFA'ssixcontinental governing bodies that overseesoccer in North and Central America and the Caribbean.

The team did receive a one-year sanction from Canada Soccer for 2020, but the other two bodies have not indicated they would sanction the team for the upcoming season.

In a statement, Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG) Mark Goudie said he believes the U.S. Soccer Federation and CONCACAF intentionally ran them out of time.

"I think it's apparent that soccer's hierarchy is trying to force Fury FC out of the USL," the statement said.

OSEGis Fury FC'sparent company andalso owns the Ottawa Redblacks and Ottawa 67's.

'It's a very sad moment for soccer in Ottawa'

5 years ago

Duration 1:17

John Pugh, president of Ottawa Fury FC, says "politics" are at the root of the club's decision to suspend operations in 2020.

John Pugh, an OSEG partner that oversees the Fury, wrote in a letter to fans posted on the team's website that the reason for suspending operations wassimple.

"[It's] politics," Pugh wrote. "Despite our best efforts over a period of many months, we were unable to obtain full sanctioning and since schedules must be developed, players signed and tickets sold, we simply ran out of time."

Canada Soccer released its ownstatement, calling the news"disappointing" and saying theylobbiedthe other governing bodies to approve the Fury for the USL.

Sanctioning in doubt last season

The Fury's future has been in doubt before, afterCONCACAF told the Canadian Soccer Association in 2018 it would not sanction the team's ongoing membershipin the USL.

Fury FChad widely been expected to be home to the eighth team in the Canadian Premier League, which launched in 2019.

The desire to join somebody who has issued you a ransom note was not particularly high.- Mark Goudie

At a press conference Friday, Goudie said he envisioned the team joining the CPL, noting the league's existenceis important for soccer in Canada.

Butthe organization wanted to do it on their own terms, Goudie said, rather than being forced by governing bodies into the league.

"The desire to join somebody who has issued you a ransom note was not particularly high," said Goudie.

The clubwas allowed to remain in the USL for the 2019 season after an about-face by the agency.But this time, Goudie said the governing bodies delayed granting approvaluntil it was no longer feasible for Fury FC to have a season.

• Ottawa Fury sanctioned to play in USL in 2019

"If the they didn't want us playing in the USL, I wish they had the courage to stand up and say that rather than just drag their feet," Goudie said.

Pugh said at Friday's press conference the USLlobbiedthe governing bodies to sanction the Fury.

"[They] bent over backwards in so many ways to avoid what is happening today," Pugh said, appearing to chokeback tears.

'The end of an era'

5 years ago

Duration 0:48

Fan Aaron Hooper says losing Ottawa's soccer team is "heartbreaking," the result of a lack of promotion and investment in the team by the league.

Fury FC general manager Julian de Guzman also joined Goudieand Pugh at the press conference, mostly hanging his head while the other two spoke.

But when he was asked how he took the news, the former Canadian soccer starstruggled to overcomehis emotions.

"For a lot of the [heavily] invested individuals who believe in this vision, idea, philosophy, this dream that has now come to an end," he said.

"It's just really hard to digest at this moment."

Finished 8thin 2019

The Fury initially played in the North American Soccer League (NASL) from 2014 to 2016 before jumping into the USL in 2017.

The statement from OSEG alsoincluded a comment fromUSL president Jake Edwards, who said he was "disappointed."

"Ottawa Fury FC is an extremely professional, well-run organization and it's frustrating to see them treated in this way," Edwards said.

Ottawa was the only Canadian team playing in the USL.

Last month, the team announced it was parting ways with head coach Nikola Popovic after two seasons.

The Fury plays home games at TD Place stadium at Ottawa's Lansdowne Park, which can hold 24,000 spectators.

The club finished in eighth place in the USL's eastern conference in 2019 with a 14-10-10 record.

Goudie said the organization will be taking a step back before deciding what to do for 2021.