Valour FC

Last updated

Valour FC
Valour FC logo.svg
Full nameValour Football Club [1]
FoundedMay 6, 2017;7 years ago (2017-05-06)
Stadium Princess Auto Stadium, Winnipeg
Capacity33,000
Owner Winnipeg Football Club
(community ownership)
President Wade Miller
Coach Phillip Dos Santos
League Canadian Premier League
2024 Regular season, 8th
Playoffs, did not qualify
Website valourfc.canpl.ca
Soccerball current event.svg Current season

Valour FC is a Canadian professional soccer club in Winnipeg, Manitoba, which competes in the Canadian Premier League and plays their home matches at Princess Auto Stadium.

Contents

The team is coached by Phillip Dos Santos and community owned through the Winnipeg Football Club.

History

On May 6, 2017, Winnipeg was one of two cities accepted by the Canadian Soccer Association for professional club membership when the Canadian Premier League was unanimously approved. [2] It was confirmed that Canadian Football League clubs the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the Hamilton Tiger-Cats were behind the ownership groups. [3] Wade Miller, CEO of the Winnipeg Football Club, was named as the club's president. [4]

In May 2018, it was reported that the club would be called Valour FC. [5] On June 6, 2018 the club was officially unveiled as the fourth team to join the Canadian Premier League. [6] As well as confirming its place in the league for the 2019 launch season, the club also revealed its crest, colours and branding. [7] On June 26, the club named Rob Gale as the first head coach and general manager. [8]

In the overall standings, Valour ranked 7th of 7 teams in 2019, 6th of 8 teams in 2020, and 5th of 8 teams in 2021. On September 23, 2021, while in 5th place, Valour FC sacked head coach Rob Gale and named Phillip Dos Santos as his replacement. [9]

Stadium

Facade of Princess Auto Stadium, home field for Valour FC. Investors Group Field 2014.png
Façade of Princess Auto Stadium, home field for Valour FC.

The club plays its home games at Princess Auto Stadium, a 33,234-seat Canadian football stadium. [10] The stadium opened in 2013 on the University of Manitoba campus next to University Stadium. [11] The stadium is also used by the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and the University of Manitoba Bisons football team. [12]

Crest and colours

The club's identity is heavily linked to the story of Winnipeg's Valour Road, and named to recognize Corporal Leo Clarke, Sergeant-Major Frederick William Hall, and Lieutenant Robert Shankland, who all lived on the same street and received the Victoria Cross for acts of bravery during the First World War. [13]

The letter "V" in the centre of the crest emulates a folded medal ribbon and also represents the meeting of the Red River and Assiniboine River in Winnipeg. [14] The right side of the "V" creates a "W" for Winnipeg, and the circle under the "V" is in the shape of the Victoria Cross medal. The wheat at the top of the crest represents Manitoba's agricultural industry. [15]

The official club colours are maroon, gold and black (branded by the club as "Valour maroon," "wheat gold," and "earth black"). These colours symbolize the ribbon of the Victoria Cross and the wheat fields and soil of the Canadian Prairies. [14]

Youth

On August 8, 2018, Valour FC Elite Girls (formerly the Manitoba Blizzard) was founded to give girls in Winnipeg an opportunity to travel to college showcases in the U.S and Canada, while getting educated on the recruiting process. The team will be led by Head Coach Jim Zinko and Manager Trevor Kidd. Training begins in the fall, while the Valour FC Elite Girls competition season runs from late November into April. [16]

Club culture

The club's mascot leans heavily on imagery of the Victoria Cross, being a lion named 'Vic'. He wears the club's colours on a t-shirt, shorts, and wristbands. [17] [ non-primary source needed ]

Red River Rising Supporters group first met at Nicolino's Restaurant in January 2017, before a Winnipeg team was announced. The group met regularly in anticipation of an eventual Winnipeg team and now occupy section 144 at Princess Auto Stadium. [18] The section is known as The Trench. [19]

Players and staff

Roster

As of January 16, 2025 [20] [21] [22]

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

No.Pos.NationPlayer
2 DF Flag of Spain.svg  ESP Roberto Alarcón
6 MF Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  CAN Dante Campbell
7 MF Flag of England.svg  ENG Kian Williams
10 FW Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  CAN Shaan Hundal
17 MF Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  CAN Jordan Faria
20 MF Flag of Portugal.svg  POR Diogo Ressurreição
23 DF Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  CAN Gianfranco Facchineri
No.Pos.NationPlayer
27 MF Flag of Ghana.svg  GHA Raphael Ohin (captain)
30 DF Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  CAN Themi Antonoglou
50 GK Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  CAN Jonathan Viscosi
64 MF Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  CAN Safwane Mlah
— GK Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  CAN Eleias Himaras
— DF Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  CAN Rocco Romeo
— FW Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  CAN Kris Twardek

Current staff

As of March 4, 2023 [23] [24]
Executive
President & CEO Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Wade Miller
General manager Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Phillip Dos Santos
Coaching staff
Head coach Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Phillip Dos Santos
Assistant coach Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Jay Bhindi
Assistant coach Ulster Banner.svg Daryl Fordyce
Goalkeeping coach Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Patrick Di Stefani

Head coaches

As of May 14, 2024 [25]
CoachNationTenureRecord
GWDLWin %
Rob Gale Flag of England.svg  England June 26, 2018 – September 23, 20215718831031.58
Phillip Dos Santos Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada September 23, 2021 – present97262546026.80

Club captains

YearsNameNation
2019 Jordan Murrell [26] [27] Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
2019 Skylar Thomas [26] Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
2020 Dylan Carreiro [28] Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada
2020–2022 Daryl Fordyce [29] Ulster Banner.svg  Northern Ireland
2021–2023 Andrew Jean-Baptiste [29] Flag of Haiti.svg  Haiti
2024– Raphael Ohin [30] Flag of Ghana.svg  Ghana

Records

Year-by-year

SeasonLeaguePlayoffs CC Continental Average
attendance		Top goalscorer(s)
DivLeaguePldWDLGFGAGDPtsPPGPos.NameGoals
2019 [31] 1 CPL 2884163052–22281.006thDNQ R2 DNQ5,335 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Marco Bustos 7
2020 CPL 722389–181.146th DNQ N/AEight players1
2021 CPL 28105133836+2351.255th QF Flag of New Zealand.svg Moses Dyer 9
2022 CPL 28107113634+2371.325th PR 3,111 Flag of New Zealand.svg Moses Dyer 9
2023 CPL 2868142538–13260.938th PR 3,220 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Diego Gutiérrez
Flag of Chile.svg Walter Ponce
Flag of England.svg Kian Williams 		4
2024 CPL 2877143142–11281.008th PR 3,106 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Shaan Hundal
Flag of Australia (converted).svg Jordan Swibel 		7

1. Average attendance include statistics from league matches only.
2. Top goalscorer(s) includes all goals scored in league season, league playoffs, Canadian Championship, CONCACAF League, and other competitive continental matches.

All-time most appearances

As of November 21, 2024 [32]
#NameNationCareerAppearances
CPLCupInt'lTotal
1 Diego Gutiérrez Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada 2019–2020, 2022–2023793082
2 Raphael Ohin Flag of Ghana.svg  Ghana 2019–present755080
3 Andy Baquero Flag of Cuba.svg  Cuba 2021–2023742076
4 Federico Peña Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg  Trinidad and Tobago 2019–2022593062
5 Daryl Fordyce Ulster Banner.svg  Northern Ireland 2020–2022563059
6 Moses Dyer Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 2020–2022543057
7 Dante Campbell Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada 2020, 2023–present542056
Stefan Cebara Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada 2020–2022542056
9 Sean Rea Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada 2021–2022503053
10 Brett Levis Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada 2020–2022432045

Note: Bold indicates active player

All-time top scorers

As of November 21, 2024 [32]
#NameNationCareerGoals
CPLCupInt'lTotal
1 Moses Dyer Flag of New Zealand.svg  New Zealand 2020–2022190019
2 William Akio Flag of South Sudan.svg  South Sudan 2021–2022100010
3 Marco Bustos Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada 20197108
Austin Ricci Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada 2020–20215308
5 Shaan Hundal Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada 2020, 2024–present7007
Sean Rea Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada 2021–20226107
Jordan Swibel Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia 2024–present7007
8 Tyler Attardo Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada 20196006
Matteo de Brienne Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada 2022–20236006
Michael Petrasso Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Canada 20196006
Walter Ponce Flag of Chile.svg  Chile 2022–20236006

Note: Bold indicates active player

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References

  1. ↑ "Valour Football Club". Valour FC. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  2. ↑ O'Connor-Clarke, Charlie (May 6, 2017). "Canadian Premier League unanimously ratified by CSA". Waking the Red. Archived from the original on January 20, 2018. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  3. ↑ Friesen, Paul (May 12, 2017). "New soccer league could work here". Winnipeg Sun. Archived from the original on April 27, 2019. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  4. ↑ Golby, Travis (May 7, 2017). "Winnipeg scores spot in Canadian pro soccer league". CBC News. Archived from the original on May 6, 2019. Retrieved June 11, 2017.
  5. ↑ "The CanPL Hub on Twitter". Twitter. May 18, 2018. Archived from the original on May 9, 2019. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  6. ↑ McIsaac, Greg (June 6, 2018). "Valour FC Joins Canadian Premier League". Canadian Premier League. Archived from the original on April 27, 2019. Retrieved June 10, 2018.
  7. ↑ "Winnipeg entry in the Canadian Premier League to be called Valour FC". National Post. June 6, 2018. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  8. ↑ "Rob Gale named inaugural Head Coach & GM". Valour FC. June 26, 2018. Archived from the original on April 27, 2019. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  9. ↑ Jaques, John (September 23, 2021). "Valour FC Fires Rob Gale, Names Phillip Dos Santos As New Head Coach". Northern Tribune. Archived from the original on September 3, 2022. Retrieved October 4, 2021.
  10. ↑ "Stadium Profile". valourfc.canpl.ca. Valour FC. June 6, 2018. Archived from the original on April 3, 2019. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  11. ↑ "Investors Group Field costs balloon to $203.5M". CBC News. September 23, 2013. Archived from the original on September 3, 2022. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  12. ↑ "Stadium History". Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Archived from the original on September 3, 2022. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  13. ↑ "Winnipeg entry in the Canadian Premier League to be called Valour FC". Vancouver Courier. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
  14. 1 2 "Emblem Inspiration". valourfc.canpl.ca. Valour FC. June 6, 2018. Archived from the original on June 10, 2018. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  15. ↑ "Valour FC announced as fourth CanPL team". The CanPL Hub. June 6, 2018. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 11, 2018.
  16. ↑ "Valour FC Elite Girls". valourfc.canpl.ca. Archived from the original on September 3, 2022. Retrieved July 17, 2022.
  17. ↑ "Meet Valour FC's mascot". Valour FC. canpl.ca. Archived from the original on April 17, 2019. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  18. ↑ Sawatzky, Mike (April 30, 2019). "Eager soccer fans will ensure Red River Rising all season long". Winnipeg Free Press. Archived from the original on May 8, 2019. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
  19. ↑ Sawatzky, Mike (May 4, 2019). "Soccer fans revved about Valour FC debut". Winnipeg Free Press. Archived from the original on July 15, 2019. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
  20. ↑ "Roster". Valour FC. Archived from the original on October 23, 2021. Retrieved March 4, 2022.
  21. ↑ "Valour FC Acquires Attacker Kris Twardek from Atlético Ottawa". Valour FC. January 10, 2025. Retrieved January 12, 2025.
  22. ↑ "Valour FC Exercise Option On Defender Themi Antonoglou's Contract". January 16, 2025. Retrieved January 16, 2025.
  23. ↑ "Stewardship". valourfc.canpl.ca. Archived from the original on January 13, 2022. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  24. ↑ "Valour FC announce update to coaching staff". February 15, 2023. Retrieved March 5, 2023.
  25. ↑ "CanPL Schedule".
  26. 1 2 "Valour FC names Jordan Murrell, Skylar Thomas as inaugural captains". canpl.com. Canadian Premier League. April 24, 2019. Archived from the original on September 3, 2022. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
  27. ↑ "Valour's Murrell apologizes for red card incident, steps down as captain". canpl.com. Canadian Premier League. August 7, 2019. Archived from the original on August 11, 2019. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
  28. ↑ "Valour FC parts ways with Canadian midfielder Dylan Carreiro". canpl.ca. Canadian Premier League. October 17, 2020. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
  29. 1 2 "'My heart was pounding': Valour FC reveal Jean-Baptiste & Fordyce as 2021 captains". canpl.ca. Canadian Premier League. June 4, 2021. Archived from the original on June 11, 2021. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
  30. ↑ "Raphael Ohin named Captain for 2024 Season". Valour FC. April 9, 2024. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  31. ↑ "Canadian Premier League". Canadian Premier League 2019 Standings. Archived from the original on June 30, 2019. Retrieved November 3, 2019.
  32. 1 2 "Canada - Valour FC - Results, fixtures, squad, statistics, photos, videos and news". Soccerway. Retrieved November 21, 2024.
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