Less talking, more listening to Toronto FC fans from Keith Pelley

Sometimes the less said, the better.  

Keith Pelley would be well advised to heed those words and be guided by that simple principle when it comes to dealing with matters regarding Toronto FC.  

It’s not too often that TFC fans hear directly from the president and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, the company that owns the Major League Soccer club. But Pelley felt compelled to reach out to the team’s supporters on Monday after the club came off what can only be described as a disastrous week.  

Getting bounced from the Canadian Championship at the first hurdle was bad enough. That TFC’s preliminary round exit from the domestic cup competition came at the hands of bitter rivals CF Montreal made it worse. And the fact that Montreal is still only one of two teams in MLS without a win made TFC’s loss worse still.   

The Reds’ woes were further compounded in another home loss on the weekend in MLS play, this time to the New England Revolution. Easily TFC’s worst display of the season, the club was treated to a chorus of boos from fans inside BMO Field throughout the contest, with their most thunderous catcalls reserved for the end of the match after the final whistle was blown.   

Some didn’t even wait that long to voice their disapproval over the current state of affairs at the club. A large group of fans in one of the supporters’ sections in the south end stands staged a silent protest at the start of the game before abandoning their seats and walking out in the 11th minute after the Revolution opened the scoring. Before leaving they unfurled two banners that read, “Accept existence or expect resistance” and “This badge don’t belong to you.”    

Cue an almost immediate response from Pelley, who wrote a letter that was sent in an email to the club’s season ticket holders on Monday afternoon, insisting that MLSE “will stop at nothing to restore the pride” at TFC, but also urging them not to give up on the club.  

“At the end of last season, I spoke about the fact that Toronto FC must undergo a full rebuild. Some important steps have been taken, but there is obviously much more to do. The foundation for this rebuild is an ethos that will guide this club, not only this season, but for many seasons ahead. An identity forged in pride and an unrelenting compete level,” Pelley wrote in his letter to supporters.  

“We have seen evidence of that identity and mindset taking root at times this season, although admittedly, it was not at the level we expect in the two matches this past week. Our supporter groups expressed their frustration on Saturday and we not only respect that, we expect it when we fall short.”  

It’s fair to say that Pelley’s message didn’t have the desired effect with some portions of the team’s beleaguered fanbase. Messages have flooded into TFC Republic over the past 24 hours from readers, and the universal tone has been that Pelley’s words were essentially a big nothing burger.  

Subscriber Panos Kelamis went so far as sending a lengthy and thoughtful email of his own to Pelley, in which he told the MLSE head honcho that his letter came across as generic and hollow, and that it didn't solicit any kind of confidence from him that the club is moving in the right direction.  

Kelamis hasn’t attended a game this season with his two young sons, which he said is “an indictment of the general apathy we feel about the club.” The Day 1 season ticket holder (he started with two tickets in Section 110 and now has six total tickets in Section 110 and Section 126) is also considering not renewing at the end of this season.  

“I am not sure Toronto FC is for me anymore. Looking at where my entertainment dollars are being allocated to and with the ever-increasing prices of attending matches, there is no value in my membership,” Kelamis wrote.  

To be sure, Pelley found himself in a “damned-if-I-do-damned-if-I-don’t” position in the aftermath of last Saturday’s loss.   

On the one hand, Pelley had to say something. He’s the president of MLSE and TFC fans often feel as though the team is an afterthought compared to the organization’s other sporting priorities, which include the NHL’s Maple Leafs, the NBA’s Raptors and the CFL’s Argonauts. The supporters had to hear from him after they let their displeasure known in such demonstrable ways during the New England game. Had Pelley said nothing, he would have come across as completely indifferent to a fanbase who already feels as though they’re marginalized by MLSE.  

On the other hand, Pelley’s letter managed to pour more gas on an already raging fire. Nothing new was said; he simply reiterated that the club is in a rebuilding process, that these things take time and that patience will be required. Saying, “we need you there with us” and that “any rebuilding project is challenging, but it is made much easier with focus, determination and unity” was also a misstep. Fans don’t want a lecture on how they should support the club, least of all from the man in charge of this debacle.  

So, what course of action should Pelley and MLSE as an organization should have taken instead? Simply put, they have to talk less and listen more. Supporters are rightly frustrated over a team that has gone the last four years without a single playoff berth and who has started the current campaign with just one win in its opening 11 games. 

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MLSE can’t talk its way out of this mess. They’re in this position, in large part, because they have talked too much, offering too many empty promises. The time for talking is over. It’s now time to listen. 

Listen to the fans about the heartbreak they are experiencing by watching this Toronto FC side. Listen to them about the expense they incur to support an under-performing club that doesn’t provide value for what is an expensive matchday experience in an already challenging economy. Listen to them about the embarrassment they feel of seeing the side go through coaches at an alarming rate ever since Greg Vanney’s departure. Listen to them about their worries of the club’s glory years becoming nothing more than fading memory with each passing game. Listen to them about the anguish they feel of being viewed as customers, rather than supporters.  

Actively listen to what fans have to say in person on a regular basis, rather than simply conducting a once-a-year town hall meeting where they can voice their concerns. Do what the club did in the old days, and hold regular meetings with supporters, giving them a forum to voice their concerns. Fans need an outlet. Provide them with one.  

“I can remember town halls [with season ticket holders] where we just had to sit up there and take it. … I think people appreciated that they could come to an event and vent,” former club VP Paul Bierne said in a 2016 interview with this reporter. 

Fans are feeling a genuine disconnect with Toronto FC. They don’t want to be talked down to or patronized. They just want to be heard. Forget about writing letters. The best thing that Keith Pelley and MLSE can do right now is stay silent and just listen to them. 

(Top photo courtesy of Lucas Kschischang/Toronto FC)

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