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US owner wants to move franchise

Franchise relocations are part and parcel of most US sports, but Major League Soccer in the US has largely avoided them. However, the owner of Columbus Crew, one of the league's original franchises, has announced that the team is not meeting his 'revenue targets' and is exploring the possibility of moving the club 1,200 miles south to Austin, Texas.

Fans are understandably furious, but the alternative would be for local government to stump up for a new stadium, something that does sometimes happen in the US either though the economic benefits are questionable.

It should be noted that clubs joining the MLS have to pay a 'franchise fee'. Minnesota United had to stump up £114m when they joined last year. It would cheaper to move a club to Austin than setting up a new one.

There is even some debate about abandoning the closed 'franchise system' and introducing promotion and relegation. The Court of Arbitration for Sport will soon rule on whether the US Soccer Federation is violating Fifa rules by not having an 'open' system. The league recently received an offer for its media rights of £3 billion over ten years, a more than fivefold increase over the existing deal, if it introduces promotion and relegation.

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