K–W United FC

K-W United FC
Full name Kitchener-Waterloo United Football Club
Nickname(s) Rage, Black and Blue Army
Founded 2010 (2010) (as Hamilton FC Rage)
Stadium University Stadium
Waterloo, Ontario
Capacity 6,000
President Barry MacLean
Head coach Martin Painter
League Premier Development League
2017 2nd, Great Lakes Division
Playoffs: Conference Semifinals
Website Club website

K–W United FC was a Canadian soccer team based in the Kitchener-Waterloo region in Ontario, Canada. Founded in 2010 as Hamilton Rage FC, the team played in the USL Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American & Canadian soccer pyramid, in the Great Lakes Division of the Central Conference.[1]

The team previously played its home games at Brian Timmis Stadium and Ron Joyce Stadium in Hamilton, Ontario, but has played its games since 2013 at University Stadium in Waterloo, Ontario, after the club was moved by new owners to Kitchener-Waterloo and renamed following the 2012 season.[2]

The men's team also had a sister women's team in 2013 and 2014, K-W United FC, who played in the USL W-League, but had no affiliation with SC Waterloo Region.[3]

An announcement in February 2018 stated that the team would no longer be part of the Premier Development League. The team's president Barry Maclean[4] did not make any comment to the news media.[3] He did, however, share the specifics about the team's demise with NSXI.[1] The most recent content on the K–W United FC Web site in July 2018 was dated October 2017.[5]

History

Hamilton FC Rage was announced as a USL Premier Development League expansion franchise on February 17, 2011.[6] They played their first competitive game on May 25, 2011, a 2–0 loss to the Toronto Lynx,[7] but won their second game 5–0 over the Ottawa Fury. The first goal in franchise history was scored by Dominic Bell.[8]

Relocation and re-branding

Following the 2012 PDL season, the club was sold, renamed K-W United FC and relocated to Kitchener-Waterloo due to low attendance numbers in Hamilton since the club's inception in 2011. The club has no affiliation with SC Waterloo Region, who also plays in the area.[2]

In 2015, after finishing 2nd in the competitive Great Lakes Division, they became PDL Champions in the playoffs, defeating New York Red Bulls U-23 on August 2 in the final played at Starfire Stadium in Tukwila, Washington, 4–3, with goals from Ben Polk, Joel Perez, Jarek Whiteman-Asiamah, and Juuso Pasanen.[9][10]

Notable former players

This list of notable former players comprises players who went on to play professional soccer after playing for the team in the Premier Development League, or those who previously played professionally before joining the team.

Year-by-year

Year Division League Regular Season Playoffs
Hamilton FC Rage
2011 4 PDL 6th, Great Lakes Did not qualify
2012 4 PDL 7th, Great Lakes Did not qualify
K–W United FC
2013 4 PDL 4th, Great Lakes Did not qualify
2014 4 PDL 2nd, Great Lakes Conference Semifinals
2015 4 PDL 2nd, Great Lakes PDL Champions
2016 4 PDL 2nd, Great Lakes Conference Semifinals
2017 4 PDL 2nd, Great Lakes Conference Semifinals

Honors

  • 2015 PDL Champions
  • 2015 Central Conference Champions

Head coaches

Stadiums

Average attendance

Attendance stats are calculated by averaging each team's self-reported home attendances from the historical match archive at https://web.archive.org/web/20060319215614/http://www.uslsoccer.com/history/index_E.html.%5Bbetter source needed%5D

  • 2011: 168 (as Hamilton)
  • 2012: 135
  • 2013: 705 (first season as Kitchener)
  • 2014: 306
  • 2015: 250
  • 2016: 350

See also

References

  1. 1 2 http://www.northernstartingeleven.com/what-happened-to-kw-united-fc/
  2. 1 2 "Region scores two new professional soccer teams". www.TheRecord.com. February 7, 2013. Retrieved February 9, 2013.
  3. 1 2 https://www.therecord.com/sports-story/8149077-k-w-united-fc-on-the-sidelines/
  4. ↑ https://www.kwunitedfc.com/page/show/3275258-staff-directory
  5. ↑ https://www.kwunitedfc.com/
  6. ↑ "Hamilton FC Rage Joins PDL". Uslsoccer.com. February 17, 2011. Archived from the original on October 10, 2012. Retrieved June 20, 2012.
  7. ↑ "United Soccer Leagues (USL)". Pdl.uslsoccer.com. May 25, 2011. Archived from the original on October 18, 2014. Retrieved May 26, 2012.
  8. ↑ "United Soccer Leagues (USL)". Pdl.uslsoccer.com. May 29, 2011. Archived from the original on October 18, 2014. Retrieved May 26, 2012.
  9. ↑ Dave Rowaan (August 3, 2015). "KW United win club's first ever PDL Championship". WakingTheRed.com. Retrieved August 3, 2015.
  10. ↑ Paul Kennedy (August 3, 2015). "Ontario's K-W United FC takes PDL crown". SoccerAmerica.com. Retrieved August 3, 2015.
  11. ↑ "USL welcomes Hamilton FC to Men's U23 PDL". Retrieved February 20, 2011.
  12. ↑ "Neely Appointed K-W United Head Coach". United Soccer Leagues (USL). March 3, 2014. Archived from the original on October 18, 2014. Retrieved March 4, 2014.
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