York9 FC

Diyaeddine Abzi with York9, during their final home game of the inaugural CPL season

In December 2017, former Canadian international Jimmy Brennan stepped down as executive director of Aurora FC and announced his intentions to take a role within the Canadian Premier League.[3] In March 2018, it was revealed that Brennan had been named executive vice-president of York Sports & Entertainment back in January.[4] The following day, it was revealed that the company's president Preben Ganzhorn also named himself as president of an unknown entity called York9 FC, believed to be a Canadian Premier League franchise.[5]

On May 5, 2018, York Region was one of four groups accepted by the Canadian Soccer Association for professional club membership.[6] Greenpark Group, headed by Carlo Baldassarra, was revealed as the owner of York9, with his son Mike as the chairman.[1][7][8] Both Brennan and Ganzhorn were pictured at the Annual Meeting of the Members when the group was announced.[9]

York9 FC was officially unveiled on May 10, 2018, as the first team to join the Canadian Premier League.[10] As well as confirming their place in the league for the 2019 launch season, the club also revealed their crest, colours and branding.[11] The club adopted the name York9 FC to represent the nine municipalities that make up York Region – Aurora, East Gwillimbury, Georgina, King, Markham, Newmarket, Richmond Hill, Vaughan, and Whitchurch-Stouffville.[12] On July 27, 2018, York9 announced executive vice president of soccer operations Jimmy Brennan as the club's first head coach.[13]

In August, York9 fielded a York Region Soccer Association Selects team to compete in the U17 International Soccer Cup held at York Lions Stadium. The team beat Juventus F.C. before losing to Toronto FC in the final.[14]

The team has been called "Y9" and “The Nine Stripes” by the media and the league.[15][16][17] York9's inaugural match was a 905 Derby away to Forge FC on April 27, 2019;[18] the match ended in a 1–1 draw, with Ryan Telfer scoring the first goal in Canadian Premier League history.[19]

To determine the Canadian Soccer Association's representative in the CONCACAF Champions League, York9 played in the 2019 Canadian Championship competing for the Voyageurs Cup. The team lost the quarterfinal to Montreal Impact after a 2–2 draw at home and a 1–0 loss at Montreal.[20]

York9 was expected to begin their second season in the Canadian Premier League in April 2020, but the season was delayed by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.[21] During the postponement, the club sold young midfielder Emilio Estevez to Dutch Eredivisie side ADO Den Haag, the first CPL player to be sold to a European top flight.[22]

York9 played the entirety of its inaugural season at York Lions Stadium located in York University's Keele Campus in North York.[23] Initially, the club had planned to use Alumni Field, on the same campus, while York Lions Stadium was being renovated for use at the end of the season.[24]

The club plans to build a modular, wooden, 15,000 seat stadium within the next three years.[25] The financing and location of the new stadium is yet to be determined.[26]

Home

2019

2020

Away

2019

The main feature of the crest's design is nine beams at the top of the crest, one for each municipality in York Region, a nod to the region's motto "Ontario's Rising Star". A white trillium at the base of the crest recognizes Ontario, having been the province's floral emblem since 1937.[27]

The official club colours are green, grey, and black (branded by the club as "electric green", "charcoal grey", and "black on black"). These colours symbolize the region's nature (in tandem with the club's environmental focus) and Black Creek.[11][27]

• Official website