Toronto FC President Bill Manning’s workload on Friday “increased two-fold” after MLSE revealed he would replace Michael Copeland as the CFL Toronto Argonauts’ new president, while “maintaining his current role” with TFC, according to Kurtis Larson of the TORONTO SUN. Manning will “look to emulate” TFC’s on- and off-field success with the Argos, a team whose “woeful attendance continues to be a massive concern after a move from Rogers Centre to BMO Field did little” to help. The Argos “averaged a league-worst 13,914 fans per game” in ’17. Copeland and Argos Senior VP/Business Operations Sara Moore will “occupy transitional roles following the CFL’s decision to approve MLSE’s acquisition.” Manning’s move will “come as a shock to TFC fans who’ve yet to warm to the idea of sharing a venue” with the Argos despite the ground-share “proving a success over two years” (TORONTO SUN, 1/20). Manning said, “We are all excited about the opportunity to build on the success the Argos enjoyed last season as the teams joins MLSE. Obviously, after championship seasons for both clubs, we have extremely talented team operations in place that I look forward to working closely with to ensure we will continue to bring championships to Toronto and our fans” (CP, 1/19).
