Thread by @Chattwjonathan

Reminder that the USL/RWs group came to this city to BE Chattanooga Football Club - not to compete.

Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke used the term “Hostile Takeover” (at 11:30) when talking about what happened.

Let me provide added context to that thought.

facebook.com/chattanoogafc/…

First off - this whole fiasco started just 13 days after the 2018 CFC season ended. The books weren’t done, and the dust was hardly settled after the 2018 CFC season ended. Not all the players had even left town yet.

There was no serious warning from the outside.

On 7/27 - a Friday at 4pm, a “leaked” story came out that USLD3 was coming to Chatt and they hired former CFC GM, Board Member and co-Owner Sean McDaniel to fill similar roles for them.

There had not yet been a formal announcement that Sean had resigned CFC (he had 3 days prior)

Also former US Soccer GM and CFC Board Member Bill Nuttall had apparently resigned that Wednesday.

I haven’t heard anything official, but I can tell you he is also a part of the Red Wolves organization. I see him in the background of on-site shots (where he likes to be).

Further evidence of Nuttall at Red Wolves-Nuttall’s former Teammate and USSF Gen. Secretary Hank Steinbrecher visited the Red Wolves HQ a couple weeks back.

Hank did not visit Chattanooga FC - the club that made a mustache scarf in his honor after winning his namesake trophy 😕

Bookkeeping isn’t even closed on the 2018 season at this point - and the acting Treasurer was McDaniel who is gone. Where is CFC financially? What has been paid? Who has been paid? Who hasn’t? Yikes.

Actually, that one still has its issues.

timesfreepress.com/news/sports/pr…

McDaniel is very close friends with the CFC coaching staff from college. His relationship with Coach Bill Elliott and Assistant Jimmy Weekley insinuates that the two of them will also be heading to join the organization.

And who would blame friends for joining up?

With coaches go players of course.

Across the pond an English Goalkeeper who starred for Chattanooga FC is adamant about “listening to what’s happening” and not rushing to judgement. AKA, he's on board already, too.

I've shared a previous conversation that I had with Sean. He said that when CFC turned pro, that Gregga is the first person he signed.

Sean also shared that in previous issues with visas, it was specifically mentioned that being a professional soccer player might help him.

In Chattanooga, there’s only one current soccer venue that you really want to be - and that’s Finley Stadium.

CFC had a couple points of contention with Finley in 2018, and apparently hadn't paid yet.

Rumors were abound fed by USL PR that the Wolves group is in -and CFC was out

And remember that this is “Professional Soccer” coming to Chattanooga. Every article. Every other word out of their mouth. Even their initial branding - “Chattanooga Pro Soccer”

About that “Professional League” status? Pretty much in name only.

theathletic.com/495692/2018/08…

And don’t forget from before: Chattanooga Football Club was exceeding market expectations of most MLS teams in terms of attendance.

There simply isn’t room for 2 teams in Chattanooga and everyone knows it.

https://twitter.com/Chattwjonathan/status/1082524132380762112

In just days in from USL's announcement, Chattanooga FC has been blitzed on all sides by the new soccer org. Everyone is in Shock and Awe.

USL has your gameday management, coaches, players, stadium, and you know that two teams can't survive the small market.

CFC is Trapped.

Then there is this weird period of silence.

But how much is true? How much is a front? Where does CFC stand? Is there even time to find out options??

The USL PR is a saccharine level of friendly, but the USL/Red Wolves Organization was (and is) waging all-out war.

After a couple weeks of tension, the new Red Wolves boss (after a couple of TFP fluff pieces reporting how successful and excited he is) flies in from Utah to make Chattanooga FC "an offer that they can’t refuse."

This Hostile Takeover is straight out of a mob movie.

This Hostile Takeover isn't out of the blue:

USL made pitches to Chattanooga FC for YEARS to get us on board. I heard from McDaniel as far back as 2015 that USL would halve entry fees.

In 2017 I heard that they would allow Chattanooga FC to retain its IP, which is unheard of.

USL just had to have CFC to consolidate its control of leagues.

I want to be clear that the former USL competing league NASL made CFC pretty much the same offers as USL.

We never went because we have a good thing going and financially neither league was stable.

But here I am after this Hostile Takeover Attempt by USL franchise Red Wolves. I am an Owner of a very small piece of CFC.

Chattanooga FC has survived to this point. I think we have the steam to carry forward despite the black lists that USL & Friends will throw at us.

Why didn’t CFC accept the offer when blitzed?

1) The offer was INSULTINGLY low

I’ve heard the same Dollar number twice from 2 different people. It was a number prior to debt clearance. It was a pittance.

The number offered was LESS than CFC raised in the first 24 hours of Supporter Shares. It was also less than the investment from Lamppost and others.

And that's prior to debt clearance!

Go buy some shares, by the way: wefunder.com/chattanoogafc

Why didn’t CFC accept the offer when blitzed?

2) Nothing about continuance of CFC’s community involvement

Chattanooga FC is more than an NPSL team, but also works with the Academy, Operation Get Active, Chattanooga Sports Ministries, and many others.

CFC has roots.

Why didn’t CFC accept the offer when blitzed?

3) CFC has massive local support

18,228 people showed up to watch Chattanooga FC take on the New York Cosmos in 2015. 400,000 people have been through the gates for a CFC game. We like what we see - and we made this happen!

Why didn’t CFC accept the offer when blitzed?

4) The Tone-Deaf campaign

The USL group hyped up Chattanooga as an awesome soccer town. They wouldn’t even mention the name of Chattanooga Football Club.

It's completely insulting to be treated that way as supporters (& owners)

In summary, from the outset the USL/Red Wolves group counted on Friendly PR hiding their extreme intimidation tactics.

The group then tried to force Chattanooga Football Club into taking a shit offer before they even knew what hit them.

Hostile Takeover 101

I just love how the Red Wolves PR trolls have tried to spin themselves into victims, and that they don’t know why the Chattahooligans went so negative.

“We just want to play more soccer!”

You LITERALLY did not want to be fielding a “Red Wolves” team. You wanted to be CFC.

Go back to the beginning. This whole orchestration of USL swooping in to try to usurp CFC did not happen in a couple of days.

This is months or years in planning on USL’s behalf.

I’m sure that Bob Martino was told by USL that he was buying CFC, and would be greeted with joy.

And as much as I feel bad for Bob Martino being sold a “pig in a poke” here in Chattanooga by USL, he’s had the chance to stop this whole shit storm from happening again and again by pulling the plug.

Was there even a Plan B?

The “Red Wolves”? Come on - what a terrible joke.

Anyway, the Red Wolves didn’t buy CFC, so then they have to crush them.

One of these days, I’ll detail all the tactical moves that Red Wolves have tried in order to buy up everything that wasn’t nailed down. Also how it mostly isn’t working.

Please don't give the Red Wolves franchise money. This entire move isn't an accident. It isn't kumbaya and we hold hands and live together right now.

It was a failed coup engineered by a big league (USL) to put Chattanooga FC in their pocket.

#businessmetrics #builtnotbought