What's the deal with Palm Harbor

[Unregistered]

I see TBU still has lists RI as the site director for Palm Harbor, but Celtic is also listing the same fields for their club. Are they sharing?

[Unregistered]

I see TBU still has lists RI as the site director for Palm Harbor, but Celtic is also listing the same fields for their club. Are they sharing?

Ask Phil Ossifer he knows !

[Unregistered]

Is he with Celtic? TBU? Or the parks department?

Ask Phil Ossifer he knows !

[Unregistered]

I see TBU still has lists RI as the site director for Palm Harbor, but Celtic is also listing the same fields for their club. Are they sharing?

Not sharing. Celtic has taken over the complexes at Palm Harbor and will be running their recreational and competitive programs out of these facilities. This happened right before tryouts, and TBU is no longer involved in PH.

It's great to have a Pinellas County Club running programs out of those facilities. It's hasn't worked out with TBU, and the area is ready for a new Club that is focused on building from the grassroots, since there has not been much going on there for about 4 years.

Good luck Celtic and I hope it works out!

[Unregistered]

I hope it works out too, but don't think there is some magic that Celtic being in central Pinellas makes them a great fit for Palm Harbor. It is about the people they put there and not whether HQ is in Pinellas. Too bad East Lake and PH can't get back together and leave WFF as that might be a better fit.

Not sharing. Celtic has taken over the complexes at Palm Harbor and will be running their recreational and competitive programs out of these facilities. This happened right before tryouts, and TBU is no longer involved in PH.

It's great to have a Pinellas County Club running programs out of those facilities. It's hasn't worked out with TBU, and the area is ready for a new Club that is focused on building from the grassroots, since there has not been much going on there for about 4 years.

Good luck Celtic and I hope it works out!

[Unregistered]

TBU destroyed PH. And then PH let the fields get destroyed with pickup games.

Landscape is so different w/ FP's massive footprint just to the north. Clearwater might be struggling, but it still is a big program.

Tough situation. Dunnedin FC might be the best case scenarios for club at those fields.

[Unregistered]

I think CC makes more sense to take over PH than Celtic. Central Pinellas and North Pinellas have no overlap and almost nothing in common in terms of the market. They aren't even conveniently close. PH has much more in common with the Countryside area and East Lake (if they got rid of WFF).

TBU didn't destroy PH. It was splitting from WFF that did it. Those sites needed each other as the PH location isn't a great field set up to run independently and is better off as a satellite of something nearby. I don't see it working any better with Celtic than it did with TBU.

What about Oldsmar? Those fields are well located but they clearly need a bigger club to get involved. CC? TBU? Celtic?

TBU destroyed PH. And then PH let the fields get destroyed with pickup games.

Landscape is so different w/ FP's massive footprint just to the north. Clearwater might be struggling, but it still is a big program.

Tough situation. Dunnedin FC might be the best case scenarios for club at those fields.

[Unregistered]

I hope it works out too, but don't think there is some magic that Celtic being in central Pinellas makes them a great fit for Palm Harbor. It is about the people they put there and not whether HQ is in Pinellas. Too bad East Lake and PH can't get back together and leave WFF as that might be a better fit.

I talked with some WFF-EL parents at tryouts, and they seemed none to happy. Liked their coach, but didn't like the organization. Thought the club on focused on Brandon campus too much

Also seems like the marketing plan for Tryouts this year was to hire MG, and promote him? I was in the middle of giving FP props for FINALLY firing the guy, and the next thing I see is WFF not only hiring him, but promoting him. He's had multiple very public "incidents" that, I don't know, WFF might have heard about?

Hope the Tampa Dynamo partnership works out for them, not sure how their competitive numbers turned out this year at EL but I'm sure they improved

Also I don't think it's magic, Celtic will work better than TBU because they run a good rec program and that's what PH wants. Also it's only a 30 min drive from other fields for comp teams, so not that far. It's a different approach than TBU

[Unregistered]

I think CC makes more sense to take over PH than Celtic. Central Pinellas and North Pinellas have no overlap and almost nothing in common in terms of the market. They aren't even conveniently close. PH has much more in common with the Countryside area and East Lake (if they got rid of WFF).

TBU didn't destroy PH. It was splitting from WFF that did it. Those sites needed each other as the PH location isn't a great field set up to run independently and is better off as a satellite of something nearby. I don't see it working any better with Celtic than it did with TBU.

What about Oldsmar? Those fields are well located but they clearly need a bigger club to get involved. CC? TBU? Celtic?

Does CC want/need extra fields? not sure field capacity but geography makes sense.

Oldsmar is a very good call. Do they want to be a bigger club or they happy with mom&pop/rec plus?

[Unregistered]

CC makes sense in theory, but not in reality. The leadership in Clearwater checked out years ago. They are only growing in Bradenton now where they have some hungrier coaches and directors.

Does CC want/need extra fields? not sure field capacity but geography makes sense.

Oldsmar is a very good call. Do they want to be a bigger club or they happy with mom&pop/rec plus?

[Unregistered]

CC makes sense in theory, but not in reality. The leadership in Clearwater checked out years ago. They are only growing in Bradenton now where they have some hungrier coaches and directors.

Agree!!! CC could do so much more but they just want to maintain. A bit too snobby too. Like they want to make sure that it is an honor to belong. So they keep the numbers and programs limited just for that purpose. I guess that is their marketing strategy and it works for them because most people in CC will behave like that and will happily pay their high fees just to belong LOL
PH and EL are too close to FP Tarpon Springs and even FP Mitchell and FP Starkey and TBU Ed Radice. Most good players will choose these instead. So I don't think it's possible to build anything better than rec and low level comp teams on these locations.