CSB CEO Noonan wants to have dialogue with CWNT, host World Cup send-off

Canadian Soccer Business CEO Mark Noonan offered a few explanations regarding the disconnect between Canada Soccer and its womens’ and mens’ players.

The Canadian Women’s National Team had announced on Feb. 10 that they would be taking job action ahead of the SheBelieves Cup to protest budget cuts and inequity within Canada Soccer. On Feb. 11, the national team announced that they would be training and competing — under protest — after Canada Soccer told them they would take legal action.

Noonan, who took over as CSB CEO and Canadian Premier League commissioner on Aug. 25, 2022, appeared on Tim and Friends and said that CSB wants to “be an ally” to the CWNT.

“The first thing is having a dialogue with the team,” Noonan said. “We’ve reached out to the team to have that dialogue and to understand what the needs are.

“But I don’t want to presume that I know what they need before having that dialogue.”

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Noonan denied that CSB was “stealing money” after a statement from the men’s national team read “Canada Soccer’s principal revenue stream have largely diverted to Canada Soccer Business to the benefit of the owners of for-profit minor league professional soccer teams.”

The CSB struck a 10-year deal with Canada Soccer back in 2018, the CPL’s inaugural season. Along with representing the business interests of the CPL, CSB also represents “all corporate partnerships and broadcast rights for Women’s and Men’s National Team Program” according to the official CSB launch statement.

“I see all these grossly exaggerated reports that we’re stealing money but it wouldn’t be anything further from the truth,” Noonan said. “I’d invite anybody to come and see how hard-working women and men we have in the office trying to make this sport bigger and better every day.”

Along with budget cuts slashing camps and staff, the players were also concerned with the lack of a send-off game ahead of the 2023 World Cup.

Noonan referenced the players’ disappointment and added that two CPL owners of “right size stadiums” have reached out to offer their stadium “rent-free” for a possible send-off game.

Noonan later clarified on social media that a right-size stadium would be over 30,000 in capacity “in order to provide the proper send-off and maximize revenues for [Canada Soccer].”

The Canadian Premier League only has one stadium with a larger-than 30,000 capacity, Winnipeg’s IG Field (33,000). The next two biggest CPL stadiums are Ottawa’s TD Place (24,000) and Hamilton’s Tim Hortons Field (23, 218).

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