Victoria Highlanders FC
Full nameVictoria Highlanders Football Club
Nickname(s)The Highlanders
Founded2008 (2008)
StadiumCentennial Stadium
Victoria, British Columbia
Capacity5,000
ChairmanMarvin Diercks
Head coach
  • Steve Simonson (men)
  • Neil Sedgwick (women)
LeagueLeague1 British Columbia
2023L1BC, 1st
Playoffs, Finalists
WebsiteClub website

Victoria Highlanders FC is a Canadian soccer team based in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. The club was founded in 2008 and currently play in the League1 British Columbia.

The team had played in the American USL League Two from 2009 to 2019 (except 2015). The team's colours are white, black, and gold.

History

Highlanders logo 2009–2017

The Highlanders were founded in 2008 when the United Soccer League awarded the city of Victoria, British Columbia the rights to a semi-professional Premier Development League franchise.[1] One of the major contributing factors was the successful 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup, of which Victoria was a host city, which led local businessman Alex Campbell Jr. to create the Highlanders.[1] The initial goal of the club was to eventually move to the fully professional USL First Division.[2][3] Their initial home field was the Bear Mountain Stadium in Langford, British Columbia, achieving great attendance in their inaugural season.[1]

The team debuted in the 2009 season, after spending a year assembling a coaching staff under head coach Colin Miller and recruiting a roster.[1] They played their first match on May 1, 2009 against the Spokane Spiders, winning by a score of 1–0, with the first goal in franchise history being scored by Patrick Gawrys.[4] They finished their inaugural season placing 5th in the Northwest Division with a 6–4–6 record.[1] Over the course of their inaugural season, they averaged crowds of 1,734, including a crowd of 2,412 for their home opener. After the season, head coach Colin Miller announced his resignation to be closer to his family in Abbotsford.[5] The club also announced an affiliation with USL First Division club Austin Aztex in a farm club role, for player development as well as exhibition matches.[6] Ian Bridge was named Miller's replacement for the 2010 season.[7]

In 2011, they qualified for the playoffs for the first time after placing second in their division,[8] but lost to the Fresno Fuego in the first round by a score of 3–1.[7] In 2012, the Juan de Fuca Plate, which was awarded to the best British Columbia PDL team based on matches between the clubs (originally the Highlanders, Vancouver Whitecaps FC U-23, and Fraser Valley Mariners and later TSS FC Rovers).[9] The Highlanders finished as runners-up for the original title, finishing second to the Whitecaps due to a tiebreaker.[9]

In 2013, they won their first Northwest Division title, as well as the Western Conference Championship.[10] In the playoffs, they defeated Ventura County Fusion and Portland Timbers U23s in the first two rounds, before being defeated by the Thunder Bay Chill in the semi-finals.[10] In 2014, the club played exhibition matches with Scottish club Rangers F.C. and NASL club FC Edmonton.[11][12][13] They finished second in their division in 2014, but lost in the play-in round of the playoffs 7-2 to the Vancouver Whitecaps FC U-23,[14] but they did capture their first Juan de Fuca plate title after defeating the Whitecaps U23 in both regular season matches.[9]

In January 2015, team owner Alex Campbell Jr. folded the team due to not finding financial partners amid mounting financial losses, as the club had never posted a profit since 2009.[15] However, on April 1, Marvin Diercks and Dave Dew, long time Victoria soccer advocates, purchased the franchise and branding rights to the Highlanders from previous owner Alex Campbell reviving the team and announcing that they would join the Pacific Coast Soccer League for the 2015 season.[16][17] After a good run in the regular season, the Highlanders finished third overall and clinched a berth into the Sheila Anderson Memorial Challenge Cup play-offs. In the playoffs, the Highlanders advanced to the finals, where they lost in a penalty kick shootout to Khalsa Sporting Club.[18]

After a successful season in the PCSL, the club started making plans to return to the USL PDL.[18] During the USL Winter meetings in December 2015, Diercks and Dew purchased the PDL franchise rights from the Puget Sound Gunners FC and rejoined the PDL on January 29, 2016.[19] Also in 2016, the Highlanders forged a partnership with English club Sheffield Wednesday.[20]

In 2018, the Highlanders ownership group expanded to include Brett Large, Moreno Stefani, Grant Olson, Mark deFrias, and Ryan Wilson, in addition to Diercks and Dew.[21] The club also revamped their logo at the time.[22]

In December 2019, the Highlanders announced they would return to the PCSL, as they awaited the formation of League1 British Columbia for 2021.[23][24] They joined the Vancouver Island Soccer League for the 2020-21 winter season, after the 2020 PCSL season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[25]

In 2021, it was announced that the Highlanders would be joining the new League1 British Columbia in both the men's and women's division, with the men's Highlanders organization merging with the women's club Vancouver Island FC, which played in the Women's Premier Soccer League.[26][27] Their debut match in the league occurred on May 23 with the women's match against the Whitecaps FC Academy, serving as the first ever match for the league.[28][29]

Club culture

With the purchase of season tickets, one also gets a membership in the Victoria Highlanders Supporters Board that administers the fan's 30% ownership in the club. The Supporters Board is a democratic registered non-profit society with limited liability, and all money or other assets belonging to the Supporters Board belong to all members equally. The structure is to facilitate a formalized way to provide feedback, voice opinions, help guide the club's direction, and expand the club's membership base.[30] Day-to-day club operations are handled by senior club management.[31][32]

The Highlanders are cheered on by members of the supporters group Lake Side Buoys (LSB).[33] The Highlanders' mascot is a Scottish sheep dog or highland terrier named Striker, who wears the highland dress.[34]

Stadiums

The Highlanders when first announced were to begin playing in a 4500-seat stadium at the Juan de Fuca Recreation Centre, however, after this project did not proceed the city of Langford, British Columbia built its own stadium, Bear Mountain Stadium, which the Highlanders committed to using.[35] Capacity concerns regarding dressing rooms, field space, mid-field seating capacity, and training time conflicts for the four Highlander teams with the Victoria Rebels Football Club of the Canadian Junior Football League and other tenants resulted in the move to Royal Athletic Park in Victoria in the middle of the 2011 season.[36][37] At the Royal Athletic Park, the team was a secondary tenant to the Victoria HarbourCats baseball team, consequently having their home matches scheduled around those.[38] In 2016, they moved to Centennial Stadium in Victoria.[38]

Seasons

Year Level League Record Regular season Playoffs Juan de Fuca Plate[39] Canadian Championship Ref
2009 4 PDL 6–4–6 5th, Northwest did not qualify no competition ineligible [40]
2010 7–3–6 4th, Northwest did not qualify
2011 9–3–4 2nd, Northwest Round of 16
2012 6–4–6 6th, Northwest did not qualify Runner-Up
2013 8–4–2 1st, Northwest Semi-finals Runner-Up
2014 8–3–3 2nd, Northwest Play-in Round Winner
2015 – PCSL 8–7–1 3rd Runner-Up no competition
2016 4 PDL 3–6–5 5th, Northwest did not qualify
2017 5–1–8 4th, Northwest did not qualify Winner
2018 5–0–9 5th, Northwest did not qualify Runner-Up
2019 USL League Two 6–1–7 4th, Northwest did not qualify Runner-Up
2020–21 – Vancouver Island Soccer League 6–0–1 2nd[note 1] Season cancelled no competition [41]
2021–22 11–4–5 4th TBD
2022 3 League1 British Columbia 3–2–7 7th did not qualify 5th[note 2] [42]
2023 10–2–2 1st Runner-Up 4th[note 2] did not qualify [42]
  1. ↑ The 2020–21 season was cancelled before its conclusion due to the COVID-19 pandemic
  2. 1 2 The Juan de Fuca Plate became a combined men's and women's competition in 2022

Players

As of 5 May 2023[43]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
— GK Canada CAN Harjot Nijjar
— GK Canada CAN Daniel Zadravec
— DF Canada CAN Keisean Brooks
— DF Canada CAN Cody Gysbers
— DF Canada CAN Gordon Hall
— DF South Korea KOR Hagon Kim
— DF Canada CAN William Libbey
— DF Canada CAN Kayden Miner
— DF Canada CAN Armaan Nijjar
— DF Canada CAN Caden Rogozinski
— DF Canada CAN Gregor Smith
— MF Japan JPN Kensho Ando
No. Pos. Nation Player
— MF Canada CAN Francesco Bartolillo
— MF Canada CAN Koby Greaves
— MF Canada CAN Hamish Ogden
— MF Canada CAN Anthony Preston
— MF Canada CAN Javier Sagaste
— MF Canada CAN Jonathan Walter
— FW Canada CAN Dawid Dudek
— FW Canada CAN Michael Henman
— FW Germany GER David Schaefer
— FW Canada CAN Nick Park

Notable former players

This list of notable former and current 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.

Coaching history

  • Canada Colin Miller (2009)
  • Canada Ian Bridge (2010–2012)
  • Canada Steve Simonson (2012–2015)
  • Canada Dave Dew (2016–2017)
  • Germany Thomas Niendorf (2018–?)
  • Canada Steve Simonson (?–present)

Reserves

The Highlanders also established reserve teams. In 2009, their U20 reserves only played exhibition matches,[44] before joining the Men's Premier Division of the Pacific Coast Soccer League in 2010.[45] In March 2011, the Highlanders announced an affiliation with a Nanaimo-Ladysmith based group to be named the Mid-Isle Highlanders. The Mid-Isle Highlanders play in the Pacific Coast Soccer League (PCSL) Reserves Division (a U-21 division) as a development squad. The Mid Isle side was older than the Highlanders U20 Reserves (who were U-17 and U-18) playing in the PCSL Premier Division, but younger than the U-23 PDL roster.[46] They also have younger youth teams as part of their Victoria Highlanders Futures program.

Women

In 2010, the Highlanders added a women's team, when they adopted the Victoria Stars FC of the PCSL, who ran into financial difficulties and renamed them as the Victoria Highlanders Women.[47] In 2011, the team joined the USL W-League.[48][49] After two seasons, the team returned to the PCSL for 2013, with the team rebranding as the Peninsula Co-op Women’s Soccer after their major sponsor, although the Highlanders continued to be the operators of the team despite the name rebrand.[50] The women's team folded after the 2014 season and was not part of the 2015 revival with the new ownership group.[16]

In 2021, it was announced that the Highlanders would be joining the new League1 British Columbia in both the men's and women's division, with the men's Highlanders organization merging with the women's club Vancouver Island FC, which played in the Women's Premier Soccer League.[26][27]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 McLean, Geoff (September 25, 2010). "Victoria Highlanders". All About Victoria.
  2. ↑ Dheensaw, Cleve (March 19, 2009). "Highlanders could replace Whitecaps". Times Colonist. Archived from the original on June 27, 2009.
  3. ↑ Dheensaw, Cleve (April 9, 2009). "Highlanders Continue To Impress". Times Colonist. Archived from the original on December 17, 2013.
  4. ↑ "Highlanders victorious in Spokane". Victoria Highlanders. May 1, 2009. Archived from the original on June 28, 2009.
  5. ↑ "Miller Announces Resignation". Victoria Highlanders. July 26, 2009. Archived from the original on December 17, 2013.
  6. ↑ Hill, Ted (July 24, 2009). "Highlanders FC ink Affiliation". Goldstream Gazette. Archived from the original on April 4, 2010.
  7. 1 2 Massey, Benjamin (June 14, 2012). "Highlanders FC Sack Head Coach Bridge; Replaced by Reserve Coach Simonson". Eighty-Six Forever.
  8. ↑ Paterson, Travis (July 25, 2011). "Highlanders headed to playoffs". Victoria News.
  9. 1 2 3 "Juan de Fuca Plate: History". Juan de Fuca Plate. Archived from the original on July 13, 2015.
  10. 1 2 McColl, Michael (August 9, 2013). "There can be only one: A 2013 Victoria Highlanders year in review". Away From the Numbers.
  11. ↑ Annicchiarico, Mario (July 21, 2014). "Glasgow Rangers' fans thrilled by game against Victoria Highlanders". Times Colonist.
  12. ↑ Kurial, Alex (July 10, 2013). "Storied soccer club Rangers FC to play Victoria Highlanders". Martlet.
  13. ↑ "Highlanders host NASL's FC Edmonton in first of two July exhibition matches". Independent Sports News. June 29, 2014.
  14. ↑ Martin, Aaron (July 16, 2014). "Whitecaps FC U-23 advance in PDL playoffs after 7-2 win over Victoria Highlanders FC". Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
  15. ↑ Annicchiarico, Mario (February 1, 2015). "Victoria Highlanders cease operations". Times Colonist.
  16. 1 2 Dheensaw, Cleve (April 1, 2015). "Highlanders are back, but in Pacific Coast Soccer League". Times Colonist.
  17. ↑ "Victoria Highlanders FC Begin Their Second Life in PCSL". Eighty-Six Forever. April 30, 2015.
  18. 1 2 Annicchiarico, Mario (July 27, 2015). "Khalsa edges Highlanders in soccer final". Times Colonist.
  19. ↑ Rael, Chris (March 2, 2016). "Victoria Highlanders Return to the PDL". Soccer Today.
  20. ↑ Annicchiarico, Mario (April 26, 2016). "Victoria Highlanders partner up with England's Sheffield soccer club today". Times Colonist.
  21. ↑ "Highlanders FC Announce New Ownership Group". Victoria Highlanders. January 31, 2018.
  22. ↑ Dheenshaw, Cleve (March 2, 2018). "Victoria Highlanders go with 'bold but simplistic' logo". Times Colonist.
  23. ↑ deFrias, Mark (December 13, 2019). "Highlanders League Update 2020, 2021 and Beyond". Victoria Highlanders.
  24. ↑ Jacques, John (March 21, 2021). "Report: Rovers, Highlanders, Whitecaps Academy Opt Out Of Rumoured Second Division". Northern Tribune.
  25. ↑ Greco, Vince (October 9, 2020). "New Vancouver Island Soccer League season gets underway with goals galore". Away From the Numbers.
  26. 1 2 "League1BC welcomes Victoria Highlanders as founding License Holder". British Columbia Soccer Association. November 26, 2021.
  27. 1 2 Jacques, John (November 26, 2021). "Victoria Highlanders Begin New Chapter In League1 BC". Northern Tribune.
  28. ↑ McColl, Michael (May 24, 2022). "Whitecaps, Unity, and Rivers lead the way in women's division after historic League1 BC opening weekend". Away from the Numbers.
  29. ↑ Dheensaw, Cleve (May 21, 2022). "Highlanders begin new soccer era Sunday in League1 B.C." Times Colonist.
  30. ↑ Rowcliffe, Devon (December 7, 2011). "Victoria Sees Creation of Independent Supporters' Trust". Prost Amerika. Archived from the original on March 6, 2016.
  31. ↑ Rowcliffe, Devon (February 13, 2013). "Victoria Highlanders Supporters' Board – the first fans' trust in Canada". Away From the Numbers.
  32. ↑ "Victoria Highlanders Society". Victoria Highlanders. Archived from the original on November 26, 2013.
  33. ↑ "About Us". Lake Side Buoys.
  34. ↑ "Striker (Mascot)". Victoria Highlanders.
  35. ↑ Dheensaw, Cleve (November 19, 2008). "Langford to build its own stadium". Victoria Times Colonist. Archived from the original on November 10, 2012.
  36. ↑ Hill, Edward (April 1, 2011). "Highlanders shifting matches to Royal Athletic Park". Goldstream News Gazette.
  37. ↑ "Highlanders Host Five at RAP". Victoria Highlanders. April 1, 2011.
  38. 1 2 Dheensaw, Cleve (February 2, 2016). "Victoria Highlanders to play at Centennial Stadium". Times Colonist.
  39. ↑ "Official Homepage of the Juan de Fuca Plate". Juandefucaplate.ca. Retrieved March 18, 2013.
  40. ↑ "Victoria Highlanders Statistics". Canadian Soccer History Archive.
  41. ↑ "Standings". Vanocuver Island Soccer League.
  42. 1 2 "League1 British Columbia Standings". Canadian Soccer History Archive.
  43. ↑ "Victoria Highlanders FC 2023 Men's Roster". Victoria Highlanders FC.
  44. ↑ Epp, Sharie (July 10, 2009). "Nurturing Home-Grown Talent". Times Colonist. Archived from the original on December 17, 2013.
  45. ↑ "Highlanders FC Reserves join the PCSL". Victoria Highlanders. February 1, 2010. Archived from the original on April 4, 2010.
  46. ↑ "Highlanders Announce Mid Isle Affiliation". Victoria Highlanders. March 29, 2011.
  47. ↑ "Highlanders launch Women's FC Team". Victoria Highlanders. February 4, 2010. Archived from the original on April 4, 2010.
  48. ↑ "Movin On Up". Victoria Highlanders. December 1, 2010. Archived from the original on December 17, 2013.
  49. ↑ Paterson, Travis (February 3, 2015). "Highlanders FC soccer club folds after six years". Saanich News.
  50. ↑ "Peninsula Co-op on Board as Highlander Women's Sponsor". Independent Sports News. February 23, 2012.
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