MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER - MLS USA

 

Major League Soccer fines Real Salt Lake investor-operator Dell Loy Hansen

Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber announced on Friday that Real Salt Lake investor-operator Dell Loy Hansen has been fined an undisclosed amount for comments made during a radio interview and that were subsequently published earlier this week.

"The comments made by Mr. Hansen are not permitted under the League’s Constitution," said MLS Commissioner Garber. "We are engaged in constructive negotiations with our players and such comments are not appropriate nor helpful to the negotiations.”

Real Salt Lake owner pulls back offer to build USL stadium at Utah State Fairpark

Real Salt Lake and Real Monarchs owner Dell Loy Hansen notified Utah State Fairpark chairman of the board Roger Beattie and the Fairpark's executive director Michael Steele that the club has rescinded its January proposal for stadium development at the Fairpark, RSL announced Wednesday.

"I must convey our deepest gratitude to both Mr. Beattie, Mr. Steele, the Fairpark Board and countless others for their efforts in trying to make this happen," said Hansen, who committed to the Fairpark nearly one month ago, pending a lease extension from the state for the property. "Roger has been tireless in driving this project's vision and Mike has pushed for decisions to take the Fairpark into a new era. Unfortunately, the timing and process involved with this project no longer make the venue a viable option for the business plans regarding the Monarchs and ancillary properties."

• 
  

Hansen and Beattie jointly unveiled a signed term sheet Jan. 24 – contingent on the State of Utah extending the Utah State Fairpark Corporation's lease on the Utah State Fairgrounds for an additional 40 years (the current lease expires in 2017) – for the construction of an $18 million, 8,000 seat stadium at the Utah State Fairpark, with the stadium to serve as the future home of the Real Monarchs SLC (USL) soccer team. In an effort to expedite the stadium's development, Mr. Hansen agreed to pay the entire cost of construction.

Slated to kick off in March of this year, Hansen formed the USL Monarchs to bridge the gap between Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer and the club's academy at the Grande Sports complex in Arizona.

• 
  

For the inaugural 2015 Monarchs season, the club will play a 28-game regular-season slate in the 12-team Western Conference, with additional participation in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. The club will share Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah with RSL, while continuing to seek opportunity throughout the valley for a permanent Monarchs home.