Cavalry FC

Cavalry FC
Full name Cavalry Football Club
Founded May 5, 2018 (2018-05-05)
Stadium Spruce Meadows
Capacity 5,000 (proposed)
Coordinates 50°53′02″N 114°05′56″W / 50.884°N 114.099°W / 50.884; -114.099
Owner Spruce Meadows Sports & Entertainment
Coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr.
League Canadian Premier League
Website Club website

Cavalry Football Club is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Calgary, Alberta. The club will compete as a founding member in the Canadian Premier League for the 2019 season and will play its home matches at Spruce Meadows.

The team will be coached by Tommy Wheeldon Jr. and operated by Spruce Meadows Sports & Entertainment.[1]

History

On May 5, 2018, Calgary was one of four cities accepted by the Canadian Soccer Association for professional club membership.[2]

Cavalry FC was unveiled on May 17, 2018, as the second team to officially join the Canadian Premier League.[3] Spruce Meadow Sports & Entertainment Group CEO Linda Southern-Heathcott and COO Ian Allison were joined by league commissioner David Clanachan and league president Paul Beirne to unveil the team.[4]

The club's name, crest and colours were all revealed at the event at Spruce Meadows, while Tommy Wheeldon Jr. was announced as head coach and general manager.[5][6] Plans to renovate existing facilities at Spruce Meadows, resulting in a soccer-specific stadium with a capacity of at least 5,000 seats, were also revealed.[7][8]

Colours and crest

The team's crest was designed by Jon Rogers. The crest features a chevron in homage to the Lord Strathcona's Horse armoured regiment, Alberta Foothills and Rocky Mountains, and a football to represent the past and future of Calgary as a sporting city.[8]

The club's colours are Army Green, Calgary Red and Black on Black. Army Green is used to represent the foothills and green lawns at Spruce Meadows, while Calgary Red represents a sporting identity known to the city. Green and Red are both prominent colours on the regimental flag of Lord Strathcona's Horse.[9]

Stadium

Cavalry FC will play in a 5,000-seat stadium to be built at Spruce Meadows, at the existing 'Meadows on the Green' horse ring.[10] The stadium will be modular to allow for future growth, and will use natural grass. Free shuttles will bring fans to the stadium from the Somerset–Bridlewood CTrain station.[11]

Club culture

Supporters

Cavalry FC are supported by the Foot Soldiers, a supporters group that originally formed in 2015 to support PDL club Calgary Foothills.[12]

Rivalries

In 2018, the FC Edmonton Academy played provincial rivals the Calgary Foothills FC in two friendly games to help them prepare for their upcoming season.[13][14] The fixtures were also used to gauge Edmonton's interest into a potential return to join the Canadian Premier League.[15] The series was suggested by supporters groups from the two clubs and dubbed "Al Classico", inspired by the El Clásico rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona.[16] The rivalry will continue between FC Edmonton and Cavalry FC when the Canadian Premier League begins in April 2019.[17]

Staff

Current staff

As of September 18, 2018[18][19]
Executive
Owner, chairman, and CEO Linda A. Southern-Heathcott
President and COO Ian Alisson
General manager Tommy Wheeldon Jr.
Coaching staff
Head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr.
Assistant coach Martin Nash
Goalkeeper coach Jordan Santiago

Head coaches

As of August 11, 2018
Coach Nation Tenure Record
GWLTWin %
Tommy Wheeldon Jr.  England May 17, 2018 – present 0 0 0 0 !—

References

  1. ↑ "Cavalry FC, Calgary's new professional soccer team, to debut in 2019". Yahoo. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
  2. ↑ "Four clubs get pro membership from Soccer Canada; expected to join CPL". TSN. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  3. ↑ "Spruce Meadows unveils name of Calgary's pro soccer team". Sportsnet. May 17, 2018. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  4. ↑ "Canadian Premier League reveals Calgary team "Cavalry FC"". Waking The Red. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  5. ↑ Rieger, Sarah. "Cavalry FC, Calgary's new professional soccer team, to debut in 2019". CBC. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
  6. ↑ "Cavalry FC announced as second Canadian Premier League club". Sporting News. May 17, 2018. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  7. ↑ "Calgary welcomes Canadian Premier League team - 660 NEWS". 660 NEWS. May 17, 2018. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  8. 1 2 Austin, Daniel. "'Cavalry FC' the Canadian Premier League team in Calgary". The Calgary Sun. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
  9. ↑ "Canadian Premier League". canpl.ca. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  10. ↑ Austin, Daniel (May 18, 2018). "'Cavalry FC' the Canadian Premier League team in Calgary". Calgary Herald. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  11. ↑ "Cavalry FC: "An unlikely sport in an unlikely place"". the11.ca. Retrieved May 18, 2018.
  12. ↑ Armen Bedakian (July 11, 2018). "Supporter's Voice | Sean Clarke, Foot Soldiers SG". Cavalry FC.
  13. ↑ Gradon, Stuart (April 30, 2018). "Calgary Foothills FC beat FC Edmonton squad in first Al Classico". Total Soccer Project. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
  14. ↑ Gradon, Stuart (May 5, 2018). "Calgary Foothills FC win 2nd leg of 'Al Classico' in final pre-season match as news breaks of Calgary Canadian Premier League club". Total Soccer Project. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
  15. ↑ "'Battle of Alberta' match breathes life into hopes for pro soccer in Edmonton". CBC News. May 1, 2018. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
  16. ↑ Van Diest, Derek (April 29, 2018). "Big crowd turns up to support FC Edmonton Academy". Edmonton Sun. Retrieved June 10, 2018.
  17. ↑ Van Diest, Derek (June 7, 2018). "Edmonton the next stop for Canadian Premier League". Edmonton Sun. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
  18. ↑ "Owner Profile". cavalryfc.canpl.ca. Retrieved September 11, 2018.
  19. ↑ "Cavalry FC Unveils Coaching Staff". cavalryfc.canpl.ca. September 18, 2018. Retrieved September 18, 2018.
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