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It appears that we'll know the fate of the Atlanta Silverbacks long and short term futures very soon. Sulaiman Folarin, a soccer journalist, tweeted the details today of the North American Soccer League Board of Governors and Presidents meeting in Atlanta on Monday and Tuesday.
The biggest item on the agenda seems to be what will happen to Atlanta's franchise.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">SOURCE: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NASL?src=hash">#NASL</a> board of governors & presidents meet in Atlanta on Monday & Tuesday. Part of agenda? Will they keep <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Silverbacks?src=hash">#Silverbacks</a> in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ATL?src=hash">#ATL</a>? 1/2</p>— Sulaiman Folarin (@sulaiman4real) <a href="https://twitter.com/sulaiman4real/status/648233170907721728">September 27, 2015</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">SOURCE: Three cities at meeting (will present bid as they're) hoping to bring <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ATL?src=hash">#ATL</a> team to their cities for the 2017 season 2/2</p>— Sulaiman Folarin (@sulaiman4real) <a href="https://twitter.com/sulaiman4real/status/648234431128297472">September 27, 2015</a></blockquote>
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San Francisco, Oklahoma City, and Detroit appear to be the three cities in the running to acquire the franchise. It is assumed that we'll know exactly what will happen to the Silverbacks after the meetings conclude.
If Atlanta's NASL franchise leaves, it is not known what will happen to Silverbacks Park. It is currently owned by Boris Jerkunica, an Atlanta businessman.
NASL commissioner stated in June that if the league is unable to find local owners to buy they club that the franchise could be moved.
"If we can't find local ownership, " Bill Peterson, NASL Commissioner and interim Board Chair, said on a recent podcast, "the next step would be to look at relocation of the team to another group that's interested in being in the league."
With the arrival of Atlanta United FC, the city's MLS expansion franchise, perhaps there just isn't a potential owner in the area who wants to try and compete for fans.
Silverbacks fans have started a petition on Change.org to ask Peterson to let the fans buy the club and become a supporter-owned franchise. It currently has 177 supporters.
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