Full name | Forge Football Club | ||
---|---|---|---|
Nickname(s) | The Hammers | ||
Founded | May 6, 2017 | ||
Stadium | Tim Hortons Field, Hamilton, Ontario | ||
Capacity | 23,218 | ||
Owner | Hamilton Sports Group | ||
Chairman | Bob Young | ||
Coach | Bobby Smyrniotis | ||
League | Canadian Premier League | ||
2024 | Regular season: 1st Playoffs: Runners-up | ||
Website | https://forgefc.canpl.ca/ | ||
Forge FC, also known as Forge Football Club, Forge FC Hamilton, or Hamilton Forge FC, is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Hamilton, Ontario, that competes in the Canadian Premier League, the top tier of Canadian soccer. The club plays its home matches at Tim Hortons Field. Forge FC joined the CPL in 2019 as one of the league's seven inaugural teams.
The club is four-time CPL champions, winning back-to-back league titles in 2019 and 2020, before doing the same in 2022 and 2023. Forge was the first CPL side to compete in a continental competition when it played in the 2019 CONCACAF League, and the first to compete in the highest tier of continental competition in the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League. Forge became the first Canadian Premier League club to reach the final of the Canadian Championship, which they did in 2020.
Hamilton was linked to a professional soccer team as early as June 2013, when reports first emerged of a professional soccer league launching in Canada. [1] Hamilton Tiger-Cats owner Bob Young was part of a group of investors, predominantly from the Canadian Football League, working with the Canadian Soccer Association and president Victor Montagliani. [1]
In February 2016, the ownership group sought permission from Hamilton City Council to erect a dome over the Tim Hortons Field playing surface to allow for year-long activity, including soccer. When the Canadian Premier League was officially announced, it was revealed that Hamilton's club would be the flagship franchise. [2]
On May 6, 2017, Hamilton was one of two cities accepted by the Canadian Soccer Association for professional club membership when the Canadian Premier League was unanimously approved. [3]
Forge FC was officially unveiled as the league's sixth team on July 12, 2018. The club revealed its crest, colours and branding, as well as its place in the league for the 2019 launch season. [4] The name was chosen to represent city's industrial heritage and forging ahead building its future. [5]
On October 1, 2018, Forge FC announced that Bobby Smyrniotis would be its first head coach and technical director. [6] On November 29, 2018, Kyle Bekker and Chris Nanco were announced by the club as its first signings, coinciding with event that consisted where each team unveiled its initial player signings. [7]
The club played its first ever game on April 27, 2019, in the CPL's inaugural match against York9 FC. [8] As one of the league's 'inaugural teams', the club competed against FC Edmonton and Valour FC for a spot in the 2019 CONCACAF League, qualifying after defeating Valour 2–0 on June 16, 2019. [9] [10] In their debut international match, Forge defeated Antigua GFC 2–1 on aggregate in the two-leg preliminary round series to advance to the round of 16. [11] There, Forge FC was eliminated 4–2 on aggregate by Honduran club Olimpia. [12]
Forge FC won the league championship in their inaugural season after defeating Cavalry FC 2–0 on aggregate in the 2019 CPL Finals. [13] Golden Boot winner Tristan Borges scored the opening goal during the first leg on October 26 in Hamilton. David Choinière scored the final goal late in stoppage time during the second leg, held on November 2 in Calgary.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the CPL delayed the 2020 Canadian Premier League season and played it as a shortened bubble tournament at the University of Prince Edward Island. [14] There, Forge defended their title, defeating HFX Wanderers FC 2–0 in the CPL Final with goals from Alexander Achinioti-Jönsson and Maxim Tissot. [15]
In the CONCACAF League, Forge defeated Municipal Limeño and Tauro in single-leg away matches before falling to Haitian club Arcahaie on penalties in the quarter-finals. [16] The club had one final chance to qualify for the CONCACAF Champions League in a play-in match, but were defeated by Honduran club Marathón. [17]
In the club's 2021 season, Forge competed in the CONCACAF League for a third consecutive season. This year, the club advanced to the semi-finals for the first time, coming from behind in the quarter-finals to defeat Santos de Guápiles 4–3 on aggregate to qualify for the 2022 CONCACAF Champions League. [18] Domestically, Forge finished first in the CPL and qualified for the CPL Final, but were defeated 1–0 by Pacific FC, ending the club's quest for a third consecutive title. [19]
On January 2, 2022, the club reorganized its ownership under the newly announced Hamilton Sports Group, an entity that also owns the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the master licence for Tim Hortons Field. Bob Young continues to serve as chairman and the largest shareholder while also welcoming new investment from Hamilton-based steel company Stelco, club CEO Scott Mitchell, and Jim Lawson. [20] On February 16, 2022, Forge FC became the first Canadian Premier League team to participate in the CONCACAF Champions League, hosting Cruz Azul in a 1–0 loss, [21] [22] and eliminated by them in the first round, 4–1 on aggregate. [23]
During the CPL season, captain Kyle Bekker and four other players recorded their 100th match with the club. [24] Each of these players was presented with a commemorative Forge jersey with the kit number 100 at a home match. [25] On October 30, Forge FC defeated Atlético Ottawa 2–0 in the 2022 Canadian Premier League Final to claim their third CPL title. [26]
In the spring of 2023, the club announced affiliations with ten local youth clubs, including League1 Ontario clubs: Sigma FC, Hamilton United, and St. Catharines Roma Wolves. [27] [28] In May, Forge signed head coach Bobby Smyrniotis to a four-year contract extension which also made him the club's sporting director. [29]
Forge finished second at the end of the 2023 CPL regular season, qualifying for the play-offs once again; [30] [31] they eventually reached the final, [32] which saw them lift their fourth league title through a 2–1 win over Cavalry FC at Tim Hortons Field. [33] [34]
In the Canadian Premier League, Forge were regular season winners for the second time, and the first time since the introduction of the CPL Shield. [35] Forge reached the CPL Final for a sixth consecutive season but lost 2–1 to Cavalry FC.
The club plays its home games at Tim Hortons Field, a 23,218-seat multi-purpose stadium which had primarily been used for Canadian football. In the inaugural season, capacity was reduced to only allow spectators in the lower decks and club and suite facilities to provide an intimate setting for supporters. [36] More recently, capacity has been reduced further with tickets now available only in the east side lower deck and the club and suite levels except for matches with a high demand. [37] [38] [39]
The stadium opened in 2014 as the home venue for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League, [40] and was used as a soccer venue during the 2015 Pan American Games. [41]
In response to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, Forge played several home games during the 2020 and 2021 seasons behind closed doors in other venues.
Season | Stadium | Location | Competition | Games |
---|---|---|---|---|
2020 | Alumni Field | Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island | 2020 CPL season | 6 |
2021 | IG Field | Winnipeg, Manitoba | 2021 CPL season | 4 |
Estadio Cuscatlán | San Salvador, El Salvador | 2021 CONCACAF League | 1 |
The crest is designed to represent both an "H" for Hamilton and "F" for Forge. The open space in the lettering represents a waterfall, and the three orange sparks represent Forge FC's city, community and club. [42]
The club's secondary crest is a hammer with the 'H' of the primary crest at the head, with six stripes on the handle to represent the six municipalities amalgamated in 2001 to form the new City of Hamilton: Dundas, Ancaster, Stoney Creek, Flamborough, Glanbrook, and of course, Hamilton. [43]
The official club colours "spark orange", "platinum steel" grey, and "waterfall white", symbolizing the sparks that come from the strike of a hammer, the local manufacturing industry, and the area's many waterfalls. [42] To celebrate Hamilton's founding date of June 9, 1846, Forge FC honoured the sporting colours worn by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, the Hamilton Bulldogs, and the Hamilton Tigers by wearning a black and gold kit for its first ever June home game. [42] [44]
Period | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor (chest) | Shirt sponsor (sleeve) |
---|---|---|---|
2019–2022 | Macron | Tim Hortons | None |
2023–present | CIBC |
The Barton St. Battalion is Forge FC's only recognized supporters' group. [46] Located in section 112 of Tim Hortons Field, the group was founded in February 2016 after details of the Canadian Premier League and a Hamilton club emerged. [47] At the club's official launch, supporters of the group sat behind the stage and were revealed as the club's first 75 founding members. [48]
The club mascot is Sparx, a large orange hammer-wielding dragon. He was unveiled to the public on April 18, 2019, before his debut at Forge FC's inaugural match on April 27, 2019. [49]
Starting in the 2022 season, the club began celebrating home victories by having a prominent player from the match strike an anvil before the Barton St. Battalion. [50]
Forge has a rivalry with Toronto-based York United FC, with matches between the two club referred to as 905 derbies. As two of the founding members of the Canadian Premier League, the clubs contested the league's inaugural league match on April 27, 2019 at Tim Hortons Field which ended in a 1–1 draw. [8]
A competitive rivalry with Calgary-based Cavalry FC developed during the 2019 season, as the clubs broke out as the league's top teams and faced off nine times, including meetings in the Canadian Championship and the CPL Finals. [51] The natural rivalry has been described as the best in the league. [52]
Team of the Tournament
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
|
Executive | |
---|---|
Caretaker | Bob Young |
Chief executive officer | Scott Mitchell |
Executive vice president | Doug Rye |
President | Matt Afinec |
Vice chairman | Glenn Gibson |
Coaching staff | |
Head coach and sporting director | Bobby Smyrniotis |
Director of youth football and assistant coach | Kyt Selaidopoulos |
Assistant and goalkeeper coach | Johan Albert |
Assistant coach | David Edgar |
Assistant coach | Nikos Nentidis |
Director of soccer operations | Jelani Smith |
Equipment manager | Joe Hanley |
Head athletic therapist | Liam MacPherson |
Strength and conditioning coach | Brian Navidad |
Sport scientist | Jacob Miller |
Coach | Nation | Tenure | Record | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
G | W | D | L | Win % | ||||
Bobby Smyrniotis | Canada | October 1, 2018 – present | 198 | 100 | 42 | 56 | 50.51 |
Years | Name | Nation |
---|---|---|
2019–present | Kyle Bekker | Canada |
Key to competitions:
Key to colours and symbols:
| Key to league record:
| Key to cup record:
|
Season | League | Playoffs | CC | Continental | Average attendance [a] | Top goalscorer(s) [b] | ||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
League | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | PPG | Pos. | Name(s) | Goals | ||||||
2019 | CPL | 28 | 17 | 5 | 6 | 45 | 26 | +19 | 56 | 2.00 | 2nd | W | R2 | CONCACAF League | R16 | 6,872 † | Tristan Borges | 13 ♦ |
2020 | CPL | 10 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 17 | 10 | +7 | 19 | 1.90 | – | W | RU [c] | CONCACAF League | QF | N/A | Daniel Krutzen | 4 |
2021 | CPL | 28 | 16 | 2 | 10 | 39 | 24 | +15 | 50 | 1.79 | 1st | RU | SF | CONCACAF League | SF | 4,335 | Molham Babouli | 10 |
2022 | CPL | 28 | 14 | 5 | 9 | 47 | 25 | +22 | 47 | 1.68 | 2nd | W | QF | Champions League | R16 | 3,456 | Woobens Pacius | 13 |
2023 | CPL | 28 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 39 | 32 | +7 | 42 | 1.50 | 2nd | W | SF | DNQ | 5,318 | Woobens Pacius | 11 | |
2024 | CPL | 28 | 15 | 5 | 8 | 45 | 31 | +14 | 50 | 1.79 | 1st | RU | SF | Champions Cup | R1 | 5,279 | Kwasi Poku | 10 |
Year | Competition | Round | Club | Home | Away | Aggregate |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | CONCACAF League | Preliminary round | Antigua GFC | 2–1 [66] | 0–0 [11] | 2–1 |
Round of 16 | Olimpia | 1–0 [67] | 1–4 [12] | 2–4 | ||
2020 | Preliminary round | Municipal Limeño | — | 2–1 [68] | — | |
Round of 16 | Tauro | — | 2–1 [69] | — | ||
Quarter-finals | Arcahaie | — | 1–1 (2–4 p) [16] | — | ||
Play-in round | Marathón | — | 0–1 [17] | — | ||
2021 | Preliminary round | FAS | 3–1 [70] | 2–2 [71] | 5–3 | |
Round of 16 | Independiente | 0–0 [72] | 2–0 [73] | 2–0 | ||
Quarter-finals | Santos de Guápiles | 3–0 [18] | 1–3 [74] | 4–3 | ||
Semi-finals | Motagua | 2–2 [75] | 0–0 [76] | 2–2 (a) | ||
2022 | Champions League | Round of 16 | Cruz Azul | 0–1 [77] | 1–3 [78] | 1–4 |
2024 | Champions Cup | Round one | Guadalajara | 1–3 [79] | 1–2 [80] | 2–5 |
2025 | Round one | Monterrey |
The Canadian Premier League is a professional men's soccer league in Canada. At the top of the Canadian soccer league system, it is the country's primary national soccer league competition. The league consists of eight teams, from five of Canada's ten provinces. Each team plays 28 games in the regular season which is followed by playoffs culminating in the CPL Finals.
Cavalry Football Club, is a Canadian professional soccer club based in the Calgary metropolitan region of Alberta. The club competes at the top of the Canadian soccer league system in the Canadian Premier League, and plays their home matches at ATCO Field on the grounds of Spruce Meadows in Foothills County.
Pacific Football Club is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Greater Victoria, British Columbia. The club competes in the Canadian Premier League, playing home matches at Starlight Stadium located in Langford.
Haralambos "Bobby" Smyrniotis is a Canadian soccer coach and former player who works as head coach of Forge FC of the Canadian Premier League. Smyrniotis is the co-founder of the Sigma FC soccer academy based in Mississauga.
The 2019 Forge FC season was the first season in the club's history, as well as first season in Canadian Premier League history. On April 27, 2019, Forge FC hosted York9 FC in the inaugural CPL match at Tim Hortons Field. During the season, Forge also participated in the Canadian Championship, CONCACAF League, and the Canadian Premier League Finals.
The 2019 Canadian Premier League finals determined the winner of the Canadian Premier League's inaugural 2019 season. It featured Cavalry FC of Calgary, Alberta, and Forge FC of Hamilton, Ontario, and was the culmination of a rivalry that had developed between those teams.
Tristan Daniel Borges is a Canadian professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Canadian Premier League club Forge FC.
Alessandro Feridun Hojabrpour is a Canadian professional soccer player who plays as a central midfielder for Canadian Premier League side Forge FC.
The 2020 Forge FC season was the second season in the history of Forge FC. Forge were the defending league champions, having defeated Cavalry FC in the 2019 Canadian Premier League Finals. In addition to the domestic league, the club competed in the CONCACAF League, advancing to the quarter-finals for the first time.
The Canadian Premier League final is the annual championship game of the Canadian Premier League (CPL), the top level of Canadian soccer. It is played as a single match hosted by the winner of the first semifinal against the winner of the second semifinal at the conclusion of the league's annual playoff. The finals winner is awarded the North Star Cup trophy and earns a berth in round one of the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
The 2021 Pacific FC season was the third season in the history of Pacific FC, as well as third in the Canadian Premier League. In addition to the domestic league, the club competed in the Canadian Championship.
The 2021 Forge FC season was the third season in the history of Forge FC. Forge were the defending league champions, having defeated HFX Wanderers FC in the 2020 Canadian Premier League Final. In addition to the domestic league, the club competed in the Canadian Championship and the CONCACAF League.
The 2021 Canadian Premier League Final was a soccer match which determined the winner of the 2021 Canadian Premier League season. It was played on December 5, 2021, in Hamilton, Ontario, between Forge FC and Pacific FC. Those teams qualified as the winners of their first round playoff matches. Forge FC were the defending champions.
The 2022 Forge FC season was the fourth season in the history of Forge FC. In addition to the Canadian Premier League, the club competed in the 2022 Canadian Championship and the previously delayed final of the 2020 Canadian Championship.
The 2023 Canadian Premier League season was the fifth season of the Canadian Premier League, the top level of Canadian soccer. The CPL Shield was won by Cavalry FC who finished first in the regular season by a 13 point margin. In the CPL final, Forge FC defeated Cavalry FC 2–1 in Hamilton to capture the North Star Cup. In doing so, Forge became league champions for the fourth time in five seasons. Both title winning clubs qualified for the newly expanded 2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup.
The 2023 Forge FC season was the fifth season in the history of Forge FC and the club's fifth season in the Canadian Premier League (CPL), the top flight in Canadian soccer. Forge were the defending CPL champions, having defeated Atlético Ottawa in the 2022 Canadian Premier League final. The club was managed by Bobby Smyrniotis in his fifth season as head coach and first season as sporting director. This was Forge FC's first season without any matches in international competitions after having failed to qualify for the 2023 CONCACAF Champions League.
The 2023 Canadian Premier League final was the soccer match to determine the winner of the 2023 Canadian Premier League season. It was played October 28, 2023, in Hamilton, Ontario, between Forge FC and Cavalry FC. The match was the fifth edition of the CPL Finals, the post-season championship of the Canadian Premier League, the top level of Canadian soccer. Forge were the defending champions, having won the 2022 Canadian Premier League final.
The 2024 Forge FC season was the sixth season in the history of Forge FC and the club's sixth season in the Canadian Premier League (CPL), the top flight in Canadian soccer. Forge was the defending CPL champions, having defeated Cavalry FC in the 2023 final for their fourth championship. The club was managed by Bobby Smyrniotis in his sixth season as head coach.
The 2025 Forge FC season will be the seventh season in the history of Forge FC and the club's seventh season in the Canadian Premier League (CPL), the top flight in Canadian soccer. Forge are the defending CPL Shield winners, having finished first in the 2024 Canadian Premier League season.