The Canadian Premier League continued rolling out its inaugural clubs with the official announcement of Cavalry FC on Thursday.
Based in the Calgary area, Cavalry FC will play at a purpose-built stadium at Spruce Meadows. The famous show jumping ground will add a soccer team to its stable when the CPL kicks off its maiden season in 2019.
“It is our sincere pleasure to welcome Cavalry Football Club to the Canadian Premier League as one of our founding clubs and help bring soccer to a whole new level in Canada," CPL commissioner David Clanachan said in a statement. "The entire team at Spruce Meadows Sports and Entertainment has worked tirelessly to make the dream of professional men’s soccer in Calgary a reality and they are poised to add yet another chapter to the city’s impressive sports history.”
This is Cavalry Football Club. Ride with Us. #CavsFC #CanPLhttps://t.co/qpDrxMiIj9
— Cavalry FC (@CPLCavalryFC) May 17, 2018
Known much more for housing horses than soccer players, the Spruce Meadows complex will include a 5,000-seat soccer-specific stadium that will take advantage of the existing facilities on the site. The club's ownership group feels that the unique marriage between the two sports is a good fit for the facility.
“Spruce Meadows truly is a story of “by Canadians for Canadians” that has risen from virtually nothing to some degree of prominence and repute on the world stage over the last four decades," Linda Southern-Heathcott, chair & CEO of Spruce Meadows Sports & Entertainment, said. "However, it is about so much more. It is about community, family, youth, and about providing pathways for Canadian athletes. Our vision for the sport of soccer and the CPL ticks all of those boxes. We believe that it is an exquisite fit at the perfect time.”
Cavalry FC's official unveiling comes a week after Southern Ontario-based York 9 was introduced as the first CPL club to be announced to the public. A team representing Halifax is expected to be the next CPL side to be unveiled in a ceremony next week, followed by Winnipeg in early June. In all, the league expects to kick off with 6-10 teams next spring.