Valour FC

Valour FC
Full name Valour Football Club
Founded May 6, 2017 (2017-05-06)
Stadium Investors Group Field
Capacity 33,234
Owner Winnipeg Football Club
President Wade Miller
Coach Rob Gale
League Canadian Premier League
Website Club website

Valour Football Club is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The club will compete in the Canadian Premier League in the inaugural 2019 season and play its home games at Investors Group Field.

The team will be coached by Rob Gale and operated by Winnipeg Football Club.

History

On May 6, 2017, Winnipeg was one of two cities accepted by the Canadian Soccer Association for professional club membership when the Canadian Premier League was unanimously approved.[1] It was confirmed that Canadian Football League clubs the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats were behind the ownership groups.[2] Wade Miller, CEO of the Winnipeg Football Club, was named as the club's president.[3]

In May 2018, it was reported that the club would be called Valour FC.[4] On June 6, 2018 the club was officially unveiled as the fourth team to join the Canadian Premier League.[5] As well as confirming its place in the league for the 2019 launch season, the club also revealed its crest, colours and branding.[6] On June 26, the club named Rob Gale as the first head coach and general manager.[7]

Stadium

The club will play its home games at Investors Group Field, a 33,234-seat Canadian football stadium.[8] The stadium opened in 2013 on the University of Manitoba campus next to University Stadium.[9] The stadium is also used by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, the University of Manitoba Bisons football team, and the Winnipeg Rifles.[10]

Crest and colours

The club's identity is heavily linked to the story of Winnipeg's Valour Road, and named to recognize Corporal Leo Clarke, Sergeant-Major Frederick William Hall, and Lieutenant Robert Shankland, who all lived on the same street and received the Victoria Cross for acts of bravery during the First World War.[11]

The letter "V" in the centre of the crest emulates a folded medal ribbon and also represents the meeting of the Red River and Assiniboine River in Winnipeg.[12] The right side of the "V" creates a "W" for Winnipeg, and the circle under the "V" is in the shape of the Victoria Cross medal. The wheat at the top of the crest represents Manitoba's agricultural industry.[13]

The official club colours are valour maroon, wheat gold and earth black. They are used to signify the colour of the Victoria Cross ribbon, the wheat fields of the Canadian Prairies, and the soil from which wheat grows.[12]

Youth

On August 8, 2018, Valour FC Elite Girls (formerly the Manitoba Blizzard) was founded to give girls in Winnipeg an opportunity to travel to college showcases in the U.S and Canada, while getting educated on the recruiting process. The team will be led by Head Coach Jim Zinko and Manager Trevor Kidd Training begins in the fall, while the Valour FC Elite Girls competition season runs from late November into April.[14]

Club culture

Supporters

Valour FC's main supporters group was founded in January 2017 under the name Red River Rising.[15] Since the club was approved by the Canadian Soccer Association in May 2017, the group have tried to grow supporter numbers in Winnipeg.[16] After the club's official unveiling, a second supporters group named Valour FC North was formed by fans in Thompson, Manitoba.[17]

Staff

Current staff

As of July 27, 2018
Executive
President Wade Miller
General manager Rob Gale
Coaching staff
Head coach Rob Gale

Head coaches

As of July 27, 2018
Coach Nation Tenure Record
GWLTWin %
Rob Gale  England June 26, 2018 – present 0 0 0 0 !—

References

  1. ↑ O'Connor-Clarke, Charlie (May 6, 2017). "Canadian Premier League unanimously ratified by CSA". Waking the Red. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  2. ↑ Friesen, Paul (May 12, 2017). "New soccer league could work here". Winnipeg Sun. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  3. ↑ Golby, Travis (May 7, 2017). "Winnipeg scores spot in Canadian pro soccer league". CBC News. Retrieved June 11, 2017.
  4. ↑ "The CanPL Hub on Twitter". Twitter. May 18, 2018. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  5. ↑ McIsaac, Greg (June 6, 2018). "Valour FC Joins Canadian Premier League". Canadian Premier League. Retrieved June 10, 2018.
  6. ↑ "Winnipeg entry in the Canadian Premier League to be called Valour FC". National Post. June 6, 2018. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  7. ↑ "Rob Gale named inaugural Head Coach & GM". Valour FC. June 26, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  8. ↑ "Stadium Profile". valourfc.canpl.ca. Valour FC. June 6, 2018. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  9. ↑ "Investors Group Field costs balloon to $203.5M". CBC News. September 23, 2013. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  10. ↑ "Stadium History". Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  11. ↑ "Winnipeg entry in the Canadian Premier League to be called Valour FC". Vancouver Courier. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  12. 1 2 "Emblem Inspiration". valourfc.canpl.ca. Valour FC. June 6, 2018. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  13. ↑ "Valour FC announced as fourth CanPL team". The CanPL Hub. June 6, 2018. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  14. ↑ "Valour FC Elite Girls". valourfc.canpl.ca. Valour FC. Retrieved August 10, 2018.
  15. ↑ "Red River Rising". www.redriverrising.ca. Red River Rising. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  16. ↑ Johnston, Adam (March 24, 2018). "Our Story". www.redriverrising.ca. Red River Rising. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  17. ↑ "The CanPL Hub on Twitter". Twitter. June 10, 2018. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
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