At the request of Fraser Valley FC, all of the new clubs’ players have been reassigned to Langley FC by the British Columbia Soccer Association (BCSA).
An Oct. 17 letter from BCSA executive director Paul Mullen to Langley Township parks and recreation director David Leavers said because of “ …challenges experienced by their [Fraser Valley FC] teams with regard to field assignments …” the BCSA board of directors had reassigned the franchise to Langley FC.
The letter did not give further details.
The decision to transfer the 173 players was endorsed by the BC Soccer Premier League board of governors.
“Therefore we can confirm that all players on teams previously assigned to Fraser Valley FC have been transferred to Langley FC in line with appropriate BC Soccer rules and regulations and that the reassignment and transfer of the Fraser Valley FC franchise to Langley FC has been completed,” the Mullen letter said.
A press release issued by the BCSA the same day said Fraser Valley FC had experienced “significant challenges in accessing field assignments” and had asked the BCSA board for help.
The Fraser Valley FC franchise had its official launch in late fall 2013.
At the time, BC Soccer said the franchise, supported by Chilliwack FC, Langley FC, Aldergrove FC, and Abbotsford Magnuson SC, was intended “to develop an even stronger, more collaborative and representative group and to provide a more sustainable high performance pathway and playing opportunities for boys and girls in the Fraser Valley.”
The Friday press release announcing the transfer of the franchise to Langley FC said the four teams involved in Fraser Valley FC would continue to be partner clubs and support the restructured franchise.
On Monday (Oct. 20), Langley FC Soccer Club president Rob Jandric told Township council the decision means “there is no more Fraser Valley FC.”
Jandric said the decision to transfer the franchise to Langley FC will contribute to the growth of the former all-girls soccer club, which began fielding boys’ teams in 2011, the same year the all-boys Langley United began admitting girls.
Langley FC has grown from 800 players then to more than 1,300 now, Jandric said.
Out of those numbers, Jandric said 360 are boys and 664 are girls. There are also about 300 players in Langley FC’s men’s and women’s programs.
Jandric said that too many of the top-level youth players have left for bigger associations, but with Langley FC now having teams in the B.C. Premier Soccer League, this should no longer be a problem, and perhaps some of those players may return.
The reassignment of the Fraser Valley players to Langley FC will be until the end of the 2015 season, the same period assigned to the new franchise.
— with files from Gary Ahuja