2012 is shaping up to what could be the best year of Canadian football in recent memory. The women’s national team appears back on track heading to the London Olympics, the Men’s national team, buoyed by the potential addition of dynamic midfielder Jonathan De Guzman, are positioned to make progress in the third round of World Cup Qualifying, and for the first time since 1983 there are top flight teams in Canada spanning coast to coast.

The three domestic teams of Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal are proving to be a huge part of a renaissance in optimism, as all are committed to youth development, operating with a highly professional approach and delivering a top notch looking product. However, despite this, the number of fans and supporters prepared to commit their money to season’s tickets do not parallel the ascent for growth of the game in Canada. 

Years of mistrust between Toronto FC and it’s supporters have resulted in their numbers receding and coming closer to matching their expansion season predictions, pre-Beckham. Vancouver looks to be on stable ground, but a TFC-esque inaugural season has left a sour taste in the mouths of many and only vague mentions of where they are at in terms of support. Only Montreal have an actual number floating around for what currently is their season ticket base, a disappointing estimate of around 7,000 into last week.

While it is encouraging that ticket sales for their opener have gone beyond 25,000, the modest number of season tickets should be cause for concern. However, Vice President Richard Legendre said to 98.5 Sports that they are satisfied with those numbers and they think they can reach their goal of 13,000. He also added the idea that people will start to come, feeling an urgency for tickets.  

Considering their reputation in the USL and NASL, this number must still come a somewhat of a surprise. Surely if their support base was this number in the Second Division, with weekly turnouts in the areas of 10-12,000, then a step up to the top flight would have fans lining up for season's tickets, regardless of the month - a reason given by Legendre for the slow sales, to witness them compete in MLS.

Season ticket numbers are far more complicated than a simple formula of A+B=C, and there is a bigger part of the equation, one more important than a shiny renovated stadium, some of North America’s best players stepping onto the pitch and “supply and demand”. It is not 2007 anymore, and what Montreal must grasp from the beginning and make their top priority is the most obvious component of sports and competition – winning.

A modest season ticket holder base heading into the month before their inaugural MLS season, while somewhat embarrassing considering the club’s reputation, could prove to be a blessing in disguise. This reality check for Joey Saputo et al. could be the motivation that if they are to be successful off the pitch, they will need to do so on it right from the start.

Many have thrown around the fact that a big name signing has been one reason for their struggling numbers thus far. This notion, in reality, would prove to be nothing more than a short-term solution for a long-term problem. The sooner the Impact get out of their heads that all will be solved if someone in the realm of Luca Toni, Michael Ballack or Alessandro Del Piero come aboard for big-time money, the better off the team will be now and in the future.

If there is anything Montreal should learn from their Canadian counterparts over the last year, it’s that results speak more than the name on the back of the jersey. Eric Hassli – who? Danny Koevermans – huh? In fact two of the league’s all-time best Designated Players, Guillermo Barros Schelotto and Cuauhtémoc Blanco, are far from household names. The Impact would be better off seeking the services of players in the mould of Rickie Lambert, Emanuel Villa or for irony’s sake Christian Benitez, over aged superstars who are hoping they can collect their full paycheque at half the effort.

The sports market in Montreal is unique unto itself, but Toronto, and Vancouver to an extent, have laid the blueprint of what to avoid if they intend to keep their supporters and ticket base onside. The city’s history of failed teams all had similarities in their demise, and much of it had to do with failure on the field, whether it be baseball, football or soccer.

The amount of faith one can put into Joey Saputo et al. all depends on the individual, but hopefully there is a realization that this team, in order for it to be successful across the board, will need to have a balanced approach and take nothing for granted, specifically the expectations of fans who already have, and will, put down their hard earned money.

There is still plenty of time to rack up more of a permanent support base for 2012, but now is the time for the Impact to come to terms with what it is that will fill out Stade Saputo. There is one thing that people will line up to see week after week, year after year, and I’m not talking about the delusional idea of underwear models, European passport holders, or the fear of missing out on something. Simply put, it’s a winning team consisting of eleven players, not one. 

The Impact need take a good look at where they are at now and understand the work is far from done. It’s time to strike the right balance, and to not put the cart before the horse. The message sent for who is willing to commit week in week out to coming to Stade Saputo could be the tipping point in fostering the right approach for the organization to continue Montreal’s reputation as one of the best supported football cities in North America.