Edmonton Aviators

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Logo of the Edmonton Aviators

The Edmonton Aviators were a soccer club based in Edmonton, Canada. They were a member of the North American A-League and folded after playing only one season, 2004. Midway through the season, with the club in financial trouble, the league took it over to save it from folding. The renamed Edmonton F.C. only lasted until the end of the year.

The club had significant problems from the outset. Expectations that Edmonton could support an A-League team were high, as the city had recently hosted the inaugural FIFA U-20 Women's World Championship at Commonwealth Stadium to tremendous success, drawing crowds for the final matches unusual even for Canadian national men's matches. However, the success at the championships was deceptive. First of all, Canada's team did significantly better than expected and advanced to the final against the United States, which drew media attention and brought fans to the game. Just as importantly, all the junior soccer players in the Edmonton area leagues received a free pass to the entire tournament, with many of the adults simply escorting their children. Thus, a large percentage of the attendance was unpaid. History, however, suggested an unpleasant fate for the Aviators, as Edmonton had previously discarded three high-level soccer clubs, including two incarnations of the Edmonton Drillers.

The group that brought the Aviators to Edmonton claimed that they were in it for the long haul, claiming to be able to keep the team in Edmonton for three years at a minimum. However, the owners expected average crowds of 11,000 at Commonwealth Stadium. This would have placed the Aviators, a mere expansion team, near the top of the A-League in attendance. Just over 1,000 fans attended the Aviators' first home game, and attendance did not improve.

One of the problems was with the venue. Commonwealth Stadium was the home of the Canadian national soccer teams, but with a seating capacity over 60,000, the small crowds were utterly dwarfed by the large stadium. Rent was extremely high, and the Edmonton Eskimos had priority with Commonwealth's facilities. As a result, the Aviators were constantly restricted in what they could do at Commonwealth. Smaller Clarke Stadium was just across the street, but the Aviators did not move there until late in the season. Moreover, the team was among the worst in the league, as might be expected for a new team, but still to the displeasure of Edmonton sports fans.

With few fans in seats, the owners bailed on the franchise before the first season ended and just before a lengthy home stand. The league took over operation of the Aviators, renaming the team Edmonton F.C. as the old owners took the rights to the Aviators name with them. The team was run on a shoestring budget, jettisoning what few skilled players the Aviators had acquired and moving to the much smaller Foote Field where, incidentally, attendance was noticeably better. The team was folded by the league after the 2004 season.

The team's only coach was Ross Ongaro.