TFC fan stoops lower then low.

[Argoknot]

TFC groundskeeper at BMO Field on the hot seat
With Argos moving in — a tenancy that didn’t go over well with many Toronto FC fans — Robert Heggie’s profile has suddenly sprouted.
Laura Armstrong Staff Reporter thestar.com May 7, 2016

If Michael Bradley and Sebastian Giovinco are the stars on the pitch for Toronto FC, Robert Heggie is the star behind it.

As head groundskeeper for the Reds for the past seven years, Heggie plays an integral, if largely behind-the-scenes, role in the club’s home performances.

But with the Toronto Argonauts moving in to BMO Field for the first time this summer — a tenancy that didn’t go over well with many Toronto FC fans — Heggie’s profile has suddenly sprouted.

He may not be Bradley or Giovinco, but Heggie knows it’ll be his number people are calling if BMO Field’s new tenants muck up the field.

“I’m just a quiet old grass guy that just wants to take care of his plants,” Heggie laughed when asked about all the attention he and his field have garnered as of late.

That being said, the interest in his turf doesn’t surprise Heggie.

When the idea of housing the CFL at the stadium started to get kicked around more than two years ago, he had a feeling the “very passionate” Toronto FC faithful would voice concerns.

It’s a lot of work, maintaining two sports, Heggie admits.

When Heggie spoke to the Star last month, he said his team had been working from midnight to 6 a.m. for the last few weeks, staying out of the way of the construction crews but on top of the grass’s growth.

He’s not overly worried by the challenge of two teams.

“This year there will be growing pains, don’t get me wrong. There always are growing pains with a new project but I don’t see it being a catastrophic disaster by any means.”

Those growing pains could be exacerbated by Toronto FC’s condensed home schedule due to Phase 2 of construction on the stadium.
Next year, Heggie said there will be fewer conversions from soccer to football, with longer periods in between.

Heggie talked to many others in his field, like the groundskeeping teams at FC Dallas — who will share the pitch with Toronto FC on Saturday — and Wembley Stadium in London.

“If someone is already doing something similar to what we’re doing, why reinvent the wheel? Why not just modify it for Toronto?” he said

The pitch at Wembley, Heggie said, sees about 400 hours of use over a season, between soccer, rugby, the odd NFL game and concerts.
BMO Field, he estimated, will only see about 120 to 150 hours a season.

And Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment has spared no expense getting Heggie the tools he needs to make the change from soccer to football, and the more difficult conversion back.

That includes a $1 million artificial heating system to speed up the growing process and Supaturf, an Australian brand of removable paint that will be used to draw on the gridiron.

With the grass for football at least a quarter of an inch taller than for soccer, some of the paint will come off with a good mow.

The rest must be removed; having gridiron lines across the soccer field isn’t acceptable, Heggie said.

“That’s very aesthetic (sic) and it just looks like junk.”

There’s also a backup field purchased and growing in the Hamilton area if necessary.

He’s in constant contact with players and coaches. As a man of many bosses, it’s Heggie’s goal to keep everyone happy.

“We want to have the best pitch in the league. Last year a lot of the players, like Bradley and Giovinco, all told me I have the best pitch in the league. So that’s what we’re going for again.”

[ArgoZ]

I moved this from the BMO field thread, seemed more appropriate here.

I wouldn't count on that. They're still waiting for the first big rain during an Argos game. If it happens only once that will be enough for them to deem the groundshare a total failure. Some of them are already turning on Kurt Larson of the Sun (who would hardly be called Argo friendly) but who posted the BMO conditions are far better than at France and the Euros and the French aren't whining about it like the RPB do. It would be hilarious (and not out of character for them) if they banned Larson.

I don't know how to say this without being somewhat offensive or politically incorrect without getting the proper message across, but I can't defend some of these particular fellow TFC fans. These individuals are some of the biggest complaining wussies, who unfortunately are able to influence their "followers". If you were to meet them outside of their "TFC gangs", you would have experience an intimidation level of zero, LOL. Eli, the "crazy" Inebriatti leader sells yuppie like men's clothes. The "powerful" Red Patch Boys are lead by Tobin. A relatively young, out of shape, slop (I have seen him during games), who I can't imagine even being able to kick a soccer ball, never mind be an expert of the sport. They are regular fans like you and me who's "tough guy" personas are created by keyboard warrioring and strength in small numbers. Sorry for the hard truth, but I can't take it anymore, these guys need to shut up and just enjoy the soccer.

[AngeloV]

I moved this from the BMO field thread, seemed more appropriate here.



I don't know how to say this without being somewhat offensive or politically incorrect without getting the proper message across, but I can't defend some of these particular fellow TFC fans. These individuals are some of the biggest complaining wussies, who unfortunately are able to influence their "followers". If you were to meet them outside of their "TFC gangs", you would have experience an intimidation level of zero, LOL. Eli, the "crazy" Inebriatti leader sells yuppie like men's clothes. The "powerful" Red Patch Boys are lead by Tobin. A relatively young, out of shape, slop (I have seen him during games), who I can't imagine even being able to kick a soccer ball, never mind be an expert of the sport. They are regular fans like you and me who's "tough guy" personas are created by keyboard warrioring and strength in small numbers. Sorry for the hard truth, but I can't take it anymore, these guys need to shut up and just enjoy the soccer.

Great post. That is precisely the way I envisioned them. Keyboard tough guys.

[Argoknot]

Great post. That is precisely the way I envisioned them. Keyboard tough guys.

Really? I pictured them as whiny, entitled, selfish hipster doofi suckered into buying 15 dollar craft beers. Might be time to stop the fun before the PC types here get the vapours and tell us how much Argo fans are responsible for the ill will.

[Argoknot]

^You're telling us something we don't know? LOL. These guys lie like rugs and the reason I posted that article and video from above is so when they do their usual lying and misrepresentations you have the words of the actual experts who these RPB clowns seem to think they know more than. Funny how the Caps share and you don't hear a word from them. Then you have the brilliance of the Impact below:



Much of the TFC fanbase has gone out of their way to discourage any goodwill others may have towards them. So if they want to have an exclusive club in their now no longer exclusive tree fort, so be it. And they wonder why they draw flies on TV and suggest that is a conspiracy as well. Or that their resident hipsters don't watch TV.

[R.J]

LMAO. "TFC Gangs"

[Wobbler]

How odd. That sounds like something rdavies might say.

[Argoknot]

How odd. That sounds like something rdavies might say.

Yes it does, too bad he was banned by an insecure mod for free speech. That was like something they would do at RPB.

[AngeloV]

Yes it does, too bad he was banned by an insecure mod for free speech. That was like something they would do at RPB.

I liked rdavies. Wonder if he will ever be back.

[Wobbler]

I liked rdavies. Wonder if he will ever be back.

It seems less and less likely. But who knows?

[Argoknot]

I liked rdavies. Wonder if he will ever be back.

I liked him too, I thought he added a lot of good information to the group

[Will]

I kinda hope he does.

[Wobbler]

You have a point, argoknot; rdavies sometimes contributed to this forum. If you know him, please pass along the message that if he stops being a jackass he is welcome here!

[Argoknot]

Well IIRC a mod was trying to goad rdavies into calling him a liar which rdavies wouldn't and didn't do. And the mod must have been frustrated that rdavies couldn't be goaded into it and then abruptly banned him and also deleted and destroyed the evidence. Why would they do that if they weren't guilty of something?

Maybe the archive.org Wayback machine has a screengrab of the exchange, I'll see if I can find it. But it's really none of my business.

[R.J]

Well IIRC a mod was trying to goad rdavies into calling him a liar which rdavies wouldn't and didn't do. And the mod must have been frustrated that rdavies couldn't be goaded into it and then abruptly banned him and also deleted and destroyed the evidence. Why would they do that if they weren't guilty of something?

Maybe the archive.org Wayback machine has a screengrab of the exchange, I'll see if I can find it. But it's really none of my business.

While I liked rdavies (still do) and want him to return; the issue was that he was asked to drop a subject, but rdavies choose not to - if anything it actually got worse.
The favourism towards a certain poster seems to be slowly coming to a halt. Once it finally does I think this forum will be in a good place.

[Gill The Thrill]

Well IIRC a mod was trying to goad rdavies into calling him a liar which rdavies wouldn't and didn't do. And the mod must have been frustrated that rdavies couldn't be goaded into it and then abruptly banned him and also deleted and destroyed the evidence. Why would they do that if they weren't guilty of something?

Maybe the archive.org Wayback machine has a screengrab of the exchange, I'll see if I can find it. But it's really none of my business.

Sounds like a job for the FBI or the OPP, the former is trying to get that wayback machine to chase all of Hilary's deleted government emails from her personal server, while the latter has supposedly been trying to do the same with the McGuinty and Wynne's govt emails and messages regarding the cancelled Gas plants and the Pan Am games expenses. I think those issues are a bit more pressing than some TFC fans taking a hissy feet because he wants taxpayers to pay for his friggin playground for just him and his TFC friends.

I like soccer, but it's nimwit TFC fans that turn me off. They can't get it through their thick skulls (must be because if they had brains, they'd realize the stadium was supposed to be used for Canadian football from day 1) that BMO was originally designed for Canadian football, as much as it was for soccer.

[R.J]

I like soccer, but it's nimwit TFC fans that turn me off. They can't get it through their thick skulls (must be because if they had brains, they'd realize the stadium was supposed to be used for Canadian football from day 1) that BMO was originally designed for Canadian football, as much as it was for soccer.

It wasn't designed for both originally, but it was passed by the City on the basis that it be able to house both soccer and Canadian football.

[Gill The Thrill]

It wasn't designed for both originally, but it was passed by the City on the basis that it be able to house both soccer and Canadian football.

What do you think I meant? it was supposed to be designed on the compatibality of playing both soccer and football. MLSE was made in charge of building the facility, which is where Tom Anselmi came in as the engineer, and the city did not do their due diligence. The Endzones were never meant to be built permanently using brick and blocks but it's what Anselmi allowed to happen, even though he knew full well (imo) that a Canadian Football field would not fit.

[R.J]

What do you think I meant? it was supposed to be designed on the compatibality of playing both soccer and football. MLSE was made in charge of building the facility, which is where Tom Anselmi came in as the engineer, and the city did not do their due diligence. The Endzones were never meant to be built permanently using brick and blocks but it's what Anselmi allowed to happen, even though he knew full well (imo) that a Canadian Football field would not fit.

Personally I blame Richard Peddie. He's single handedly the reason the Argonauts/football weren't involved with BMO from the beginning. Peddie admitted that when he was negotiating with the City on the stadium he received a call from Howard Sokowlski about getting involved with the deal; of which Peddie replied no, "because there wasn't enough time for him (Peddie) to negotiate with the City and the Argonauts". According to Peddie - "They (C+S) ran out of time. Time to properly negotiate and time to come up with the money."

[exhibitionargonaut]

Strange that tfc socer fans act like this. that guy was so out of line. Somebody showed me a retreet of someone from the soccer fan club and some guy going at it. the soccer fan got owned by this guy backing up statistics how soccer is viewed among canadians and americans. I think his uncle like works for global or owns it is what i heard. it was pretty funny how all these soccer clowns acted with this guy and he just kept owning them over and over.