PFC will face Vancouver FC on Sept. 13
Pacific FC will be kicking it old school.
Before Starlight Stadium in Langford, it was Royal Athletic Park that was the epicentre of soccer in Greater Victoria, hosting everything from the Vancouver Island Soccer League, touring U.K. teams Fulham, Sunderland, Chelsea, Wolves, Tottenham, Newcastle United, Sheffield Wednesday, Dundee United and Hearts, the Victoria Vistas of the old pro CSL and several of Canada’s World Cup and Olympic qualifying games.
PFC announced Wednesday that its pro Canadian Premier League derby game Sept. 13 against Vancouver FC has been shifted from Starlight Stadium to Royal Athletic Park.
It will be the Tridents’ first league home game away from Starlight Stadium.
Pacific FC managing-director Ross Marshall said it was a chance to “connect with fans in a different corner of our community.”
As scheduling fate would have it, the first CPL meeting on the Island between the CPL’s two B.C. clubs is Friday night at Starlight Stadium.
Both teams are struggling at the foot of the table with PFC on two wins, two draws and eight losses this season.
Marshall, rather refreshingly in this age when teams don’t always show accountability to their fans, addressed PFC’s slow start in a statement to Trident supporters: “I would like to take a moment to thank you for your continued support during what has been a challenging stretch for the club. We know recent performances haven’t met the standards we’ve set for ourselves — or the expectations you rightfully have. Everyone at Pacific FC, from the players to the coaching staff, is working tirelessly to turn things around and represent the Island with the pride and passion it deserves.”
Marshall, senior vice-president of CBRE Limited in Victoria and a former Lower Island Metro player, took over as managing-director last month but has been with Pacific FC in several capacities since its inception as a charter member of the CPL, which was founded in 2019 as a condition of Canada co-hosting the 2026 World Cup.
“Thank-you for standing by us,” he added, in his message to the PFC fans.“We are committed to earning back your trust — one game at a time.”
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