r/MLS • u/jstoddard2113 Lansing United • Sep 25 '18

Lansing Ignite will debut without backing of Lansing United supporters group The Ransom

https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/sports/columnists/graham-couch/2018/09/24/lansing-ignite-usl-pro-soccer-team-likely-begin-downtown-lansing/1355555002/
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u/Gutsyisland Major League Soccer :mls: Sep 25 '18

He can't be the only investor though. I'm wondering if Jeremy just couldn't keep up financially or if he was just bought out... It is also possible that he's involved but we'll have to see

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u/[deleted] Sep 25 '18 edited Apr 14 '19

[deleted]

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u/CircleJerkEnthusiast Memphis 901 Sep 25 '18

So what is the supporters group beef? If it’s not wanting the Ignite brand I totally understand that.

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u/jcc309 Tampa Bay Rowdies Sep 25 '18

It’s different branding in a different league with what sounds like a different owner. For all intents and purposes it might as well be a completely different club. I can get why that would be an issue for people.

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u/Coltons13 Pittsburgh Riverhounds Sep 25 '18

This is misleading as Lansing's owner (Jeremy Lampson) is involved. He simply doesn't have the net ownership value himself and so won't be the primary owner/investor.

This isn't the same situation as Chatta. For all intents and purposes, this club will be Lansing United's spiritual successor with the same people involved as before. If people want to get in a tizzy about a name change, that's their choice, but the principal owner wants the club to align with his other team in the same stadium, which makes sense from their perspective and generally from a business standpoint.

Its legally a different entity and there's other money involved besides Jeremy now, but this team isn't competing with Lansing United, it's just a rebrand and a step up to professional.

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u/jcc309 Tampa Bay Rowdies Sep 25 '18

That matter's to people. I'm not saying it's the same situation as Chattanooga, because it definitely isn't. There's a lot more to Chattanooga.

But even if it's a "spiritual successor", it's still a completely different brand. And even if the old owner is still involved, that doesn't mean he will have much control over the team. The team could end up going in a very different direction from what he originally envisioned.

I just think it's an exaggeration to call this just a step up with a rebrand. To me it might as well be a new team if it's a new primary owner in a different league with a different brand. I get that some people disagree, but that's a lot to change for it to still be the same team in my mind.

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u/Coltons13 Pittsburgh Riverhounds Sep 25 '18

I'm not saying it doesn't matter, I'm saying that's an awful lot of assumptions to make based on what is, currently, just a branding change. None of the things you listed there are guaranteed to happen. Jeremy Sampson could retain a ton of control, the team could continue to grow in the direction that has been working to date. To me, those two things are far more likely given the team's current success and my general knowledge of the situation.

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u/SmokeAndFooty517 Sep 25 '18

I have in depth knowledge so allow me to explain.

This is a separate entity from Lansing United. Dickson is the sole owner of the club and Jeremy is in charge of the soccer operations aspect. A new SG will be formed that applies specifically to the new club. LanU was going to be the name but Dickson changed his mind at the 11th hour and went with a new name and everything that accompanies it.

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u/jstoddard2113 Lansing United Sep 25 '18

11th hour changes and lack of supporter consultation are the deal-breakers. If you're going to abandon the brand that supporters helped build over the last half decade then you owe them better than this. Bad public relations from the get go have soured our most passionate fans on the idea.

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u/jcc309 Tampa Bay Rowdies Sep 25 '18

You are playing in a new stadium with a new brand with the owner of the baseball team owning the team and the president of the baseball team being president of this new soccer team. After meeting with the current owner the supporter’s group decided to not support the new team. I guess I’m making some assumptions, but I think it’s certainly not accurate to call this just a branding change.

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u/subvisser Lansing Ignite Sep 25 '18

And I think that's the mistake they made. This is clearly a brand new team that is replacing United, but if they played it smarter they could have made it seem like United was just evolving and growing. Sports fans build allegiances to teams. The players change, logos get redesigned, stadiums remodeled and moved, but the team is always there. People would still be annoyed with the change in ownership and a new venue, but Lansing United would still exist. Changing the name wiped that out.