The NAAF finds a New Owner for the Athletics

BREAKING NEWS

The NAAF finds a New Owner for the Athletics 

It took about a month and a half for the Owners to reconvene with a potential owner. It was the Boston Owner, Benjamin Harris, that found a lead. After contacting Commissioner Ryan Jameson, the owners were on their way to Ottawa to discuss the situation.  

The meetings opened with Harris welcoming the potential owner, Elliot Hudson, the man behind the OFU’s Halifax team. The Halifax team had been once again put on hold due to the lack of funding for a building in Halifax to play. Hudson is not a very rich owner candidate, spending most of his work in not-for-profit, and gives back a lot of what he gains from it. He loves football and would love to bring a team to his hometown, but he has never had the ability to do so. He originally went to Benjamin Harris, who is a long-time friend, to get some insight on what to do. In the end, Harris brought up the Athletics situation and that seemed to spark an idea, one where Harris may help in getting the team. Within a couple of days, they found themselves heading for Ottawa. 

It wasn’t an automatic solution as a move to Halifax had its issues. First, there was still no stadium. There was a plan and a place to build one, there was just the issue of money. Now being that it was an OFU team, the stadium was not expected to be very big, which might be an issue if they were to play in the bigger NAAF. Second, the city was not as big as other markets for teams, and there was certainly some hesitation from several other owners and even Jameson.  

The two major issues seemed to dampen the hopeful mood. There was unease about the decision, but then Indiana Victors Owner Sammy Kirkdale stepped forward: “Look, I know what it is like to be in Mr. Hudson’s shoes. For many years, I tried to get Indianapolis a team in the GLFL. All they told me was, Indy was too small and that I had no place to play. They barely gave me a chance. It wasn’t until the NAAF came along and allowed me to finally fulfill my dream. I can’t stand by and not give Halifax a shot. I will help with funding for the stadium.” 

After the statement, the remaining owners would step up and commit to helping fund the stadium. Boston and Indiana were the biggest contributors, but overall the rest of the teams had a fairly equal share, aside from Buffalo who already had put a lot into their own new stadium. The remaining owners took no issues, especially with Milton Charles and the Blue Wings being a big reason the Tigers landed in London. The amount that the NAAF was putting forward would help towards expanding the original plan to a more suitable size for the NAAF. On top of the NAAF’s funding, they will also help to promote a level of community ownership with the team, selling shares of the team to also boost funding. 

There was still another issue brought up by Elliot Hudson himself. What of the dealings with the OFU?

Well with the lack of funding, it seems unlikely that the Halifax team would be getting going anytime soon. Ryan Jameson would spend a few days having a conversation about the situation with the OFU. In the end, the NAAF would compensate the OFU for taking over the Halifax team and plans. OFU Commissioner and Toronto Lakers owner Jerry Anderson, who took over for his father Donald Anderson a few years ago, has been trying to fish the league out of a hole but has not had the success. The compensation was ultimately more valuable than keeping the Halifax team at this point in time. Jerry Anderson is hoping that the deal will create a stronger bond with the NAAF and the OFU; a relationship his father neglected. 

The deal and the funding confirmed that the Athletics would be heading to Halifax, Nova Scotia. They’re hoping their new stadium will be ready to go by the start of the 1963 season. As for this season, the NAAF is likely going to have the Athletics play at various stadiums in a few different markets. It will make for a tough season for the team, but there aren’t many other options due to their lack of stadium. Elliot Hudson will reveal more details about the team's future plans in the coming months.