The Bonk

@SAFC L here's the receipt, homeboy.

Just saw one in a Toronto Maple Leafs beanie. Must be a fan of Hopkinson.

Can barely make out the numbers on the shirts of the players the stream is so shit.

@SAFC L stops in for his weekly wind up.

Mike obviously jealous he's not Canadian.

Depends on the data from this: That will come once he has his people in place and probably aid in the stadium outcome. His strategy team at MLSE was big, so I expect numbers to grow to help support whatever vision he'll eventually have for the club. I've also worked with Roma and Chelsea in a previous position. Chelsea's strategy and data teams were huge (this was under the Russian pre-COVID), so I can see our back office scaling as our commercial business does.

Come visit!

Well, if you're converting pound or USD into CDN, your money will go further than your friends here. We're obviously much cheaper than London and NY to visit.

They aren't wrong.

I'm speculating off of personal experience, but it's a bet I'd be willing to make and have odds in my favour. He's pretty good at looking into fan engagement from my experience in working with his previous organization. It'll be a consideration when evaluating ticket revenue. Yup. I mean, look at this shit: That's resale PER SEAT (Stubhub) and only get's you one season as the resellers own the license for the seat which I'm sure are at an insane price these days.

Yes, most affluent city in Canada and very expensive to live in. Hopkinson's start came in ticketing, he's going to get creative there eventually. If he can generate more revenue from it, he will. Expect more 'tourist support' as the club gets larger and more exposure globally. This includes people like me who have ties to the area via family and don't mind paying through the nose when I go to a match as I only go every few years when I'm over visiting.

No worries! I'm in the excited camp too.

I agree, but expect bigger than expected increases and there will be uproar when it comes. The Toronto Maple Leafs haven't won since 1967 and they are the most expensive ticket in the NHL. Ask your family in Hamilton how many Leafs games they get to a year? I bet it's 1 or 2 at most if they're big fans. Newcastle is a 1 club city and Hopkinson will exploit that if the data backs up what fans are willing to pay BUT, that will mean the product on the field is going to warrant those price increases.

This is a big win for the club, as I stated in the PIF thread, he's a level above Eales in terms of pedigree: His time at MSG: He wouldn't be here if they haven't relinquished most of their oversight. He did the same with MLSE and was a key component in making the organization one of the most valuable in NA. I'm genuinely excited about his appointment for our club, he's no mug and will be taken seriously by other CEO's in the league with his background and expertise. Here's my take on the future: Pro's: He will grow revenue, he's done it everywhere previously and will do it here. Is an incredibly astute professional, he won't be a fan engagement guy directly like Staveley, Mehrdad, drinking with boys Eales (which is what we need to get to the next level as a club IMO) He'll sort out operations, ticketing, partnerships will grow, especially on a global level through his connections. We won't be railroaded by other owners or the league, this guy knows how to influence people, figureheads. Con's: Things are going to get more expensive. The more we win and remain in the top spots of the league, cost to match day going fans will increase. We'll be playing in more meaningless summer tournaments and one off games that have lucrative sponsorships. There will be supporters that say the soul of club has been decayed and commercialized, which sucks, but is inevitable if we want to reach the top. I'd wish him luck, but don't think he needs it.

He’s shit. They sold his last name, so I say fair dues!

Mackem's selling £42m worth of players is impressive as a promoted team.

Nahhhhh......I said several times last year this guy is severely underrated (receipts in post history): Barnes with a beautiful assist at the 3:53 mark on a "sumptuous" finish.

last weekend really sent this place into one of the worst tailspins I've seen in 20 years on here. When he scores for them, I expect another nose dive.

understandable.

Surprised he lasted four years under Dolan.

He did that with MLSE too, pretty sure he was instrumental in working with Masai on getting the OVO Training Center built and got TFC a sweetheart deal with our government on developing BMO field. Hopkinson also had a few good revenue quarters in his short time with MSG: Fiscal Year 2024 (ended June 30, 2024): MSG Sports reported revenues of $1.03 billion, marking a 1% increase over the previous fiscal year. Fiscal Year 2023 (ended June 30, 2023): MSG Sports revenue was $887.4 million. I think Yasir and PIF will give him a healthy amount of control or he wouldn't bother coming, IMO.

As a half bred Geordie and full breed Torontonian, we should be very excited about David Hopkinson as CEO. I had to present to him over a decade ago with a group I was working with designing and developing commercial applications for MLSE. He's in a different league to Eales and has a much higher pedigree compared to our former CEO. You won't see him drinking with the boys in Stack or outside Wembo, but you will see much needed commercial improvement. Some things he accomplished in his time at MLSE: Securing major sponsorship deals: Hopkinson was instrumental in securing significant sponsorship agreements, including the 20-year, $800-million naming rights deal with Scotiabank for the arena previously known as the Air Canada Centre. Leading revenue-generating initiatives: His role as CCO involved overseeing all revenue-generating aspects of MLSE's diverse portfolio of teams, including the Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL), Toronto Raptors (NBA), and Toronto FC (MLS). This included areas like ticket sales and services, global partnerships, and retail operations. Emphasizing the link between winning and revenue: Hopkinson recognized the connection between on-field success and increased revenue, stating that more revenue gives teams a competitive advantage, enabling investments in facilities and amenities that attract players. Some of these are obvious enablers of success, but he was a key component that turned MLSE into a money making machine and worth about $12.5billion CDN (£7billion). The only team that's won anything are the Raptors (TFC fine, but haven't been great since he left) and yet the valuation has only gotten higher YOY. If it's him and Wilson, we should be optimistic about growth, sustainability (remaining competitive) and the future of our club.

Understandable.

Happy now, Micheal?

When are we going to get over the Isak trauma? Seems any dumb thing triggers it.