![[Jeff Carlisle] Piece has been updated to reflect that earlier this year, Gavin Wilkinson was hired by the MLS league office as a consultant & went through a restorative accountability process that was reviewed by league & overseen by MLS EVP Sola Winley. Wilkinson was then cleared to work for MLS.](https://external-preview.redd.it/9a-yJrPRauAfkqVp50Xs_AofEzwPIoGDFp0W0SQUL2k.jpeg?width=70&height=70&auto=webp&s=b87e3eee19002ab457e16fbee287ddf2a2770ee7)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Jc2YonjBhQ (whitecaps talk starts at 1:38:50)
some interesting bits of info:
"I think the province and the Whitecaps are having discussions about how the management of BC Place can be transitioned [...] I'm also optimistic because, obviously I can't give any details, but there has been since the last time I was on the show a significant amount of interest by groups both domestic and international. But it all hedges on getting the economics of the stadium correct, getting it right because that will then speed up the whole process of who the potential new investors will be into the club. There's a lot of interest... more than just you know saying I'm interested, like actually signing NDAs and getting stuck into the economics of the league and all the stuff you got to do. But they're not going to go to the next level until this stadium thing is sorted. So they're in the middle of that. I was happy to see that the province was open-minded about that because, you know, with all due respect, I'm not sure a government should be involved in the management of a sports and entertainment stadium. I think if we can get a win-win situation where you keep the team here and the public asset is actually profitable to the citizens of this province, I think to me is a win-win."
"When you have more than one group at the table, you have you have an opportunity to compile the cards the way you want, right? And this is why I go back to my concern is not so much are we going to get investors to pony up to whatever the ticket price is, right? That is not my ultimate concern. It's that, for us to lift the gate and let the dogs loose and may the best investor win, it's sorting out the stadium because once that's sorted then you lift the gate and let them out, then you got a great opportunity to say, "Hey, who's in, who's out, and who's the best fit, right?
matt sekeres says "the other thing Blake and I had heard is there might be some European interest in the club [...] we had heard that there's some European interest and that it might have even been fuelled and spurred on by the World Cup and all the scenes that they saw here in Vancouver." montagliani confirms this: "No, 100% correct. There are international groups, including a European group, that are interested. I think the World Cup and the way Vancouver displayed itself did not hurt in the process at all. Whether they came or were watching it abroad, and I know some of them actually came here... they were like this is unbelievable and so that didn't hurt us at all."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQEsmHXwZ3A
firstly, some info from matt sekeres at the start of the show:
Nathan Cadell of the Georgia Strait incidentally reported in May that Cadell said one source said that Griffiths is working with an international group.
"somebody mentioned to me last week that Arthur had a group together and a bid together. Arthur is not a part of the local group that Blake and I are aware of and have been talking about on this program for some time. There is a collaboration association loosely of wealthy people in this town who are looking at this but I was told from my source in that group that Arthur is not a part of the group as far as he knows."
(In addition to the Griffiths group) "There is another competing local group. That much I can tell you."
"One person told me there's been a local bid on the caps that has already been rejected by MLS."
"Greg Kerfoot's been trying to sell this team for a while now. Somebody mentioned to me that Greg Kerfoot may now be at the point where he's willing to accept not exactly a pretty penny in terms of what he would accept versus what this franchise is said to be worth. I think that Greg Kerfoot and the ownership group knows full well the differences between where the white caps are now and what some of those public valuations are. And would bet my bottom dollar they're willing to take less than what some of those public valuations are because I do think they have would make money on the 15 plus years of MLS with some of those numbers or at least break even [...] What Greg Kerfoot and his group are willing to accept is different versus what MLS is willing to accept. MLS is going to have a say in this, right? They are going to want to make sure that this franchise sells for an appropriate price in their eyes, which allows them to continue to talk about how much their franchises are worth and charge things like a half billion dollars."
(i'll put the info from axel and PJ in a comment so that this post isn't obscenely long)