Group Making Bid to Acquire Sockers

At least one local group will submit to the MSL a formal application to take over the Sockers from outgoing owner Ron Fowler, thereby filling a potential ownership void.

Oscar Ancira Jr. on Monday said he and his father, Oscar Ancira Sr., who head a group of several investors, plan to apply for ownership.

Ancira Jr. said the application likely will be filed by today.

Fowler on June 3 announced his intention to fold the club if no one stepped forward by Sunday. At the June 3 news conference, Fowler made it known he would sign over the franchise to anyone willing to pay the league-required $500,000 letter of credit (due Sunday) and pick up operating expenses.

Giving away the team was seen as the only way to save a business that Fowler said lost in the neighborhood of $750,000 last year.

But it might have been too much of a “sweetheart” deal. Sockers’ president Ron Cady said the Ancira group is one of three still interested in acquiring the club.

If more than one application is received, the league would determine the strongest bid and accept it, according to a league source.

The Anciras own Delimex, a local frozen food company, which had revenues of $14.7 million last year. Ancira Jr. said projected revenues for 1991 are $20 million.

“We’re very excited,” Ancira Jr. said. “I think everybody who is either aware of or participates in indoor soccer feels it has excellent potential.”

Ancira Jr. plays indoor soccer at Folsom’s, where the Sockers train.

Cady said he has met with the Ancira group and answered their questions pertaining to the team. He said he sees no hurdles remaining for a group to take it over.

Cady, however, did indicate that Fowler intends to keep income generated from the Sockers’ summer youth camps, organized by the front office and conducted by Socker players.

Cady also said any new owner would have to negotiate for rights to the name “Sockers.”

“Ron Fowler bought the name ‘Sockers’ out of bankruptcy court,” Cady said. “He owns it; it does not revert back to the league. We’ve indicated that if no owner comes forth by June 30, the franchise will revert back to the league. But Ron Fowler will keep the name ‘Sockers.’

“Now if a new owner does come along, we will negotiate with him on the name.”

Asked if a rights fee for the name will be requested, Cady would not comment.

“We don’t negotiate through the newspaper,” Cady said.

Ancira, however, said he understood there would be no negotiation for rights to the name. He also said Commissioner Earl Foreman told him a deal might be completed by Thursday.

Foreman, traveling between Buffalo and Kansas City, could not be reached.

Coach Ron Newman and vice president Randy Bernstein, who embarked on a season-ticket campaign that has been credited in drawing the attention of potential investors, have been asked by Foreman not to comment.

With the Sockers apparently back on line, the focus now shifts to other trouble spots in the Major Soccer League.

There remain four question marks: Tacoma, Wichita, Dallas and Buffalo.

In Tacoma, a news conference was held Monday at which a deadline to sell 4,000 season tickets or fold was extended to Sunday.

Since the original deadline of Monday was set less than two weeks ago, the team’s booster club has sold 1,300 season tickets. In addition, several players began a campaign to sell single-game tickets to area youth clubs. They project a sale equal to 1,750 season tickets after contacting 22 of the 90 area youth clubs.

In Wichita, the Wings have a Friday deadline to sell 5,000 season tickets.

So far, deposits for 3,500 have been collected and the club still has package deals pending with “several factories in the area,” according to Roy Turner, team president.

“Obviously we’re not going to make 5,000,” Turner said. “But we can get over 4,000, which would be the most in the league. So we’re still hopeful something will happen.”

Turner, who assumed a dual role when he took over as coach midway through last season, has told management he is willing to wear two hats once again if it will help keep the team alive.

He remains optimistic.

“I think we’ve got a great chance at having a nine-team league next year, or a 10-team league at best,” Turner said (the MSL operated with eight teams the past two years). “But then again there’s a chance we could have no league at all.

“It’s going to be a hell of a busy week.”

Also going down to the wire are potential expansion bids in Dallas, where the Sidekicks folded at the end of the season, and in Buffalo.