Vancouver FC Joins Canadian Premier League
November 2, 2022 – Canadian Premier League (CPL) News Release
Langley, BC – The Canadian Premier League today announced Vancouver FC as the league’s newest club, ahead of its inaugural season in 2023.
The club’s name, logo and colours were launched at an in-person event at the Langley Events Centre in Langley, B.C on Wednesday night. President Rob Friend, a former member of the Canadian Men’s National Team, also announced that industry veteran Afshin Ghotbi, 58, will lead the club as the first head coach in club history.
“We are delighted to officially announce Vancouver FC as part of the Canadian Premier League family,” said CPL Commissioner Mark Noonan. “Expanding into new markets across Canada is critical to the growth of the CPL, but we do not take the responsibility of launching a new team lightly. A successful expansion requires a dedicated ownership group, the backing of the local communities and corporate sponsors, and top-class infrastructure. I am confident the foundation Rob Friend and the team at Vancouver FC is laying will lead to lasting success on and off the pitch.”
The CPL announced plans to expand to the Vancouver area in Nov. 2021. The league announced in April that the Vancouver-area club would call Willoughby Community Park in Langley, B.C. home.
The new club’s logo features a V-shape design, a silhouette traditional to many sports organizations on British Columbia’s South Coast. The design evokes a bald eagle, as the South Coast is home to the largest gathering spot for the animal in the world. The wings of the design emulate the cables that unite the Lower Mainland, as well as the precision of agricultural fields in the Fraser Valley, a symbol of the potential for growth here at home. A neutral palette of shades of Charcoal Black, Silver, Dark Grey and Cinder are complemented by pops of Warm Red throughout the club branding.
“Honouring our sporting past, celebrating our region and uniting the South Coast are among our key objectives as we introduce soccer fans on the Lower Mainland to Vancouver FC,” said Rob Friend, Owner, Vancouver FC “We look forward to sharing the region’s existing passion for the game with the rest of the Canadian Premier League through its support for our club and, together with our fans, building an even stronger soccer culture on and off the field that serves as a point of connection for all of our local communities.”
Leading Vancouver FC’s charge on the field will be Ghotbi. The native of Iran, who was raised in the United States, has held head and assistant coaching roles in the United Soccer League, Major League Soccer, the Persian Gulf Pro League, Thailand’s Thai League 1, Japan’s J1 League and the Chinese Super League over a career that has spanned nearly four decades. Ghotbi was part of coaching staffs at three FIFA World Cups: as an assistant with the United States at 1998 FIFA World Cup France© and as an assistant with South Korea at the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan© and the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany©. He previously helmed the Iranian national team as head coach from 2009 to 2011 and most recently served as the manager of Cangzhou Mighty Lions in the Chinese Super League.
“I want to thank Rob Friend and the team at Vancouver FC for trusting me with this exciting project,” said Ghotbi. “Now is an exciting moment for Canadian soccer, and the ever-growing passion for the game on the Lower Mainland is already evident to me. I look forward to building a club that will make our communities proud on and off the field.”
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