FC Edmonton
Encyclopedia
FC Edmonton is a Canadian professional soccer team based in Edmonton
, Alberta
, Canada
. Founded in 2010, the team plays in the North American Soccer League (NASL), the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid
.
The team plays its home games at Foote Field
, and is coached by former FC Emmen
manager Harry Sinkgraven
. The club's colours are blue and white.
, July 1, 2010.
In December 2010 the club's first head coach, Dwight Lodeweges
, and assistant coach Hans Schrijver left Edmonton for a job in Japan
. Harry Sinkgraven
was appointed as new head coach shortly thereafter.
The team played its first competitive game on April 9, 2011, a 2-1 victory over the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. The first goal in club history was scored by Shaun Saiko
.
FC Edmonton plays its home games at Foote Field
, a 5,000-seater stadium which is the centrepiece of a multi-purpose sports facility on the University of Alberta
campus which was initially built as a legacy facility for the 2001 World Championships in Athletics
. It was named for University of Alberta alumnus, former varsity track athlete, and philanthropist Eldon Foote, who donated $2 million toward the construction costs.
For "marquee games" Edmonton occasionally plays at the much larger Commonwealth Stadium
, which has a capacity of 60,081. The club's inaugural game in the 2011 Canadian Championship
against Toronto FC
was held at Commonwealth on April 27, 2011.
(NASL). Similar in nature to U-Sector
and the Red Patch Boys
in Toronto, the Vancouver Southsiders
, and the Ultras Montréal, the FCESG attempts to bring some of the "European-style" atmosphere by standing, chanting and generally supporting FC Edmonton during home games played at Foote Field
and at Commonwealth Stadium
. FCESG also gather at Sports Central Bar and Grill in Edmonton to watch FC Edmonton away games.
Although not officially affiliated with FC Edmonton, the FCESG enjoys a positive relationship with the team.
, FC Edmonton hosts webcasts of all their home games. These webcasts hosted on Ustream
and are available at the main FC Edmonton website.
In July 2011, FC Edmonton announced that all their home matches would be broadcast on The Team 1260, the local sports radio station. Commentary is done by Gareth Hampshire and Steven Sandor.
- Head Coach Dave Randall - Assistant Coach Hans Schrijver - Assistant Coach James Rosnau - Director of Operations
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. Founded in 2010, the team plays in the North American Soccer League (NASL), the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid
American Soccer Pyramid
The United States soccer pyramid is a term used in soccer to describe the structure of the league system in the United States. The country's governing body for the sport, the United States Soccer Federation , oversees the system but does not operate any of its component leagues—with one temporary...
.
The team plays its home games at Foote Field
Foote Field
Foote Field is a multi-purpose sports facility on the University of Alberta campus in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, built as a legacy facility for the 2001 World Championships in Athletics...
, and is coached by former FC Emmen
FC Emmen
FC Emmen is a Dutch football club based in Emmen, Drenthe, and currently playing in the Eerste Divisie, the second tier of football in the Netherlands.-History:...
manager Harry Sinkgraven
Harry Sinkgraven
Harm "Harry" Sinkgraven is a Dutch association football coach and former professional player.He currently manages Canadian soccer team FC Edmonton.-Playing career:...
. The club's colours are blue and white.
History
FC Edmonton was launched in February 2010 by Tom and Dave Fath. The team spent 2010 preparing for its first competitive season in 2011, signing players, establishing the coaching and administrative setup, and playing in exhibition games. FC Edmonton played its first game in history on June 16 at Foote Field against the Montreal Impact, winning 3-0. In 2010 they scheduled five friendlies against American and Canadian clubs and three other international sides (Portsmouth FC, Victoria Highlanders FC, Colo-Colo). The team also played an honorary match against the Canadian Armed Forces team, on Canada DayCanada Day
Canada Day , formerly Dominion Day , is the national day of Canada, a federal statutory holiday celebrating the anniversary of the July 1, 1867, enactment of the British North America Act , which united three British colonies into a single country, called Canada, within the British Empire...
, July 1, 2010.
In December 2010 the club's first head coach, Dwight Lodeweges
Dwight Lodeweges
Dwight Lodeweges is Dutch football coach and former professional player now coaching for JEF United Ichihara Chiba in J. League Division 2.- Early life :...
, and assistant coach Hans Schrijver left Edmonton for a job in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Harry Sinkgraven
Harry Sinkgraven
Harm "Harry" Sinkgraven is a Dutch association football coach and former professional player.He currently manages Canadian soccer team FC Edmonton.-Playing career:...
was appointed as new head coach shortly thereafter.
The team played its first competitive game on April 9, 2011, a 2-1 victory over the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. The first goal in club history was scored by Shaun Saiko
Shaun Saiko
Shaun Saiko is a Canadian soccer player who currently plays for FC Edmonton in the North American Soccer League.-Club:...
.
Colours and badge
The Fath Sports design team along with their families and FC Edmonton personnel were all instrumental in the logo design. “We used the City of Edmonton blue colour with our own signature therefore, we created the logo with a classical yet traditional look with an underlying strength (blue and black) to attract the North American but more specifically the Canadian fans” declared Tom Fath, founder of FC Edmonton. “We wanted to make certain the logo signifies the colours of our proud city while incorporating the Canadian flag at the same time, the shield represents tradition stated Dave Fath, co-founder of FC Edmonton.Stadium
- Foote FieldFoote FieldFoote Field is a multi-purpose sports facility on the University of Alberta campus in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, built as a legacy facility for the 2001 World Championships in Athletics...
; Edmonton, Alberta (2011–present) - Commonwealth StadiumCommonwealth Stadium (Edmonton)Commonwealth Stadium is a sports stadium located in the Norwood Area of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, primarily used by the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. The stadium is owned and operated by the City of Edmonton.- History :...
, Edmonton, Alberta (2011) 1 game in Canadian ChampionshipCanadian ChampionshipThe Canadian Championship—known as the Nutrilite Canadian Championship for sponsorship reasons—is an annual soccer tournament contested by premier Canadian professional teams...
FC Edmonton plays its home games at Foote Field
Foote Field
Foote Field is a multi-purpose sports facility on the University of Alberta campus in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, built as a legacy facility for the 2001 World Championships in Athletics...
, a 5,000-seater stadium which is the centrepiece of a multi-purpose sports facility on the University of Alberta
University of Alberta
The University of Alberta is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta and Henry Marshall Tory, its first president, it is widely recognized as one of the best universities in Canada...
campus which was initially built as a legacy facility for the 2001 World Championships in Athletics
2001 World Championships in Athletics
The 8th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held at the Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada between 3 August and 12 August and was the first time the event had visited North America...
. It was named for University of Alberta alumnus, former varsity track athlete, and philanthropist Eldon Foote, who donated $2 million toward the construction costs.
For "marquee games" Edmonton occasionally plays at the much larger Commonwealth Stadium
Commonwealth Stadium (Edmonton)
Commonwealth Stadium is a sports stadium located in the Norwood Area of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, primarily used by the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. The stadium is owned and operated by the City of Edmonton.- History :...
, which has a capacity of 60,081. The club's inaugural game in the 2011 Canadian Championship
2011 Canadian Championship
The 2011 Canadian Championship was a soccer tournament hosted and organized by the Canadian Soccer Association that took place in the cities of Edmonton, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver in 2011. As in previous tournaments, participating teams included the Montreal Impact, Toronto FC and Vancouver...
against Toronto FC
Toronto FC
Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
was held at Commonwealth on April 27, 2011.
Supporters' Groups
The FC Edmonton Supporters Group (FCESG) was formed in early 2010 by four members of the Canadian national soccer supporters group, the Voyageurs in response to the announcement that Edmonton had been granted a professional soccer club playing in the North American Soccer LeagueNorth American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
(NASL). Similar in nature to U-Sector
U-Sector
U-Sector is an independent supporters' group for Major League Soccer's Toronto FC.-History and Name:The U-Sector was founded in 2000 by football fans in the Toronto, Canada area, as a supporters group for the Toronto Lynx. Originally...
and the Red Patch Boys
Red Patch Boys
The Red Patch Boys is an officially recognized supporters group for Major League Soccer'sToronto FC. The group was founded in late 2006 by football fans in...
in Toronto, the Vancouver Southsiders
Vancouver Southsiders
The Vancouver Southsiders is an independent supporters group for Vancouver Whitecaps FC that play in Major League Soccer. The group was created in 1999 by soccer fans from Vancouver and its greater metropolitan area to support the former Vancouver Whitecaps FC of the D2 Pro League...
, and the Ultras Montréal, the FCESG attempts to bring some of the "European-style" atmosphere by standing, chanting and generally supporting FC Edmonton during home games played at Foote Field
Foote Field
Foote Field is a multi-purpose sports facility on the University of Alberta campus in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, built as a legacy facility for the 2001 World Championships in Athletics...
and at Commonwealth Stadium
Commonwealth Stadium
Commonwealth Stadium may refer to:* Commonwealth Stadium , in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada* Commonwealth Stadium , on the campus of the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky, USA...
. FCESG also gather at Sports Central Bar and Grill in Edmonton to watch FC Edmonton away games.
Although not officially affiliated with FC Edmonton, the FCESG enjoys a positive relationship with the team.
Broadcasting
As with all teams in the NASLNASL
- Soccer :* North American Soccer League, a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.* North American Soccer League , a professional men's soccer league in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico which began play in 2011.- Starcraft II...
, FC Edmonton hosts webcasts of all their home games. These webcasts hosted on Ustream
Ustream
Ustream is a website which consists of a network of diverse channels providing a platform for lifecasting and live video streaming of events online. Established in March 2007, the site has over 2,000,000 registered users who generate 1,500,000+ hours of live streamed content per month with over ten...
and are available at the main FC Edmonton website.
In July 2011, FC Edmonton announced that all their home matches would be broadcast on The Team 1260, the local sports radio station. Commentary is done by Gareth Hampshire and Steven Sandor.
Current roster
As of November 18, 2011Staff
Tom Liep - General Manager Harry SinkgravenHarry Sinkgraven
Harm "Harry" Sinkgraven is a Dutch association football coach and former professional player.He currently manages Canadian soccer team FC Edmonton.-Playing career:...
- Head Coach Dave Randall - Assistant Coach Hans Schrijver - Assistant Coach James Rosnau - Director of Operations
Year-by-year
| Year | League | Reg. Season | Playoffs | Canadian Championship | Avg. Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Exhibition Season | 4-2 | n/a | n/a | 3506 |
| 2011 2011 FC Edmonton season The 2011 NASL season was the first official season in FC Edmonton's existence. The club had played an exhibition season consisting of friendlies against various domestic and international opponents in 2010.-Coaching staff:-Squad:... |
NASL | 10-12-6 | Quarter-finals | Semifinals | 2065 |