Cavalry gallops into new league
Sixteen years ago, Tommy Wheeldon Jr. arrived in Canada to play professional soccer for the Calgary Storm.
A few years later, the team folded, but he’s said countless times in the years since that the Calgary market could and would support another professional team if the chance came along.
On Thursday, that dream finally became reality when Spruce Meadows Sports & Entertainment announced they’ll be building a 5,000-seat soccer stadium and launching Cavalry FC next year.
The team will be playing in the Canadian Premier League, an ambitious new professional league featuring teams across the country.
It’s unlikely that any team is going to have a more scenic location than Cavalry FC, given that they ’ll be playing on the pristine grounds at Spruce Meadows.
“I think sometimes you’ve got to go through life and it’s got to be hard,” Wheeldon said. “Because when moments like this come and you have an infrastructure and a sports and entertainment group and an ownership group that’s going to back a team, then all you’ve got to do is concentrate on what’s best for the players and that’s develop them and put them in an environment where they’re going to accelerate.”
Wheeldon will serve as the team’s general manager and head coach, while Linda Southern-Heathcott will be the chair and CEO, and Ian Allison will be president and COO.
Here’s a few key things to know about Calgary’s new professional soccer team 1. The name
Cavalry FC isn’t just a cute name that happens to sound a little like Calgary FC.
The name is inspired by the Calgary-area’s military history and aims to honour the armed services and first responders who serve the region and the country.
The team’s logo pays tribute to that idea, as well, as the chevron at the centre of Cavalry FC’s crest is a nod to the Canadian Army’s armoured regiment and Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians).
2. The ownership structure
If you’re looking for an organization with a proven history of hosting world-class sports, it would be hard to find anyone better than the people at Spruce Meadows.
Since it opened in 1976, the equestrian facility has grown into arguably the world’s premier destination for show jumping.
There are food and drink options on the grounds, and Spruce Meadows hosts the world’s best equestrian athletes for competitions hosted around the world.
They know what they’re doing when it comes to growing a sport, in other words.
“The thing about Spruce Meadows, as you say, we have food and beverage, we have event management skills, we have ticketing, whatever it may be,” Allison said.
“I think there are some elements that can really work comfortably in this equation and tell Tommy to get us a team that wins.”
3. The stadium
Nestled next to the famous International Ring at Spruce Meadows, Cavalry FC’s stadium will be located where the Meadows on the Green currently sits.
There will be all-natural grass, which has proven hard to manage in some northern cities, but Southern-Heathcott rightly pointed out that if Spruce Meadows can deal with the divots made by horses they can probably handle soccer cleats.
The stadium will seat 5,000 people, but will be flexible for future growth.
“This might be the most special place to watch soccer in this country,” said David Clanachan, commissioner of the CPL.
4. The league
The Canadian Premier League is set to kick off in 2019 with eight to 10 teams, and will play from April through to October. There’s interest from more than 20 markets across the country, though, so don’t be surprised if the CPL grows quickly.
Clanachan said he hopes that within a couple years there can be a first and second division, with teams getting relegated or promoted at the end of the season.
Unlike Major League Soccer — and this is important — there will be no playoffs. Just like they do in Europe, the team that sits at the top of the table at the end of the season gets to raise the championship trophy.
That team will likely play in the CONCACAF Champions League, too, meaning they’ll get the chance to compete for regional glory against champions from across North and Central America and the Caribbean.
5. The team
Expect Cavalry FC to have a distinctly local flair, as developing Calgarian talent and giving young players a chance to play professionally is a big part of what the group behind the team is aiming to do.
“We’re looking at breeding our own, so we’ve got stables out back,” Wheeldon joked. “We’re about local players, we’re going to look at local first, scour the area, see what talent is about. Then we’ll look national for pieces that we’re missing, then we’ll look international.”