Image Source: Scott Girard (February 1, 2019) Twitter: @scottgrod

On February 1, 2019, Pacific FC announced the hiring of Brad Norris as Vice President of Operations. Brad Norris joins Pacific FC after his tenure as the GM of the Victoria HarbourCats. During the same press conference, Pacific FC president Josh Simpson announced that the club’s first match will likely be played Sunday, April 28, 2019. Whether that match is played at Westhills Stadium in Langford, BC, is still unknown. With spring training a month away, the club is working hard to have Westhills Stadium ready for Canadian Premier League action.

The pitch as Westhills Stadium with the famous hydro pole in the background. Source: Scott Girard (@scottgrod)

The CPL is home to 7 clubs, all with unique and noticeably smaller capacity stadiums when compared to other tier-1 leagues. Four CPL stadiums so far have a capacity of around 5000-7000. These small stadiums will provide an intimate experience for football fans new and old. Westhills Stadium will be no different.

Artists rendering of the renovated Westhills Stadium. Source: https://canpl.ca/article/pacific-fc-to-incorporate-vancouver-island-beauty-into-westhills-stadium-renovations

Westhills Stadium was originally built in 2009. However, an expansion was announced shortly after the founding of Pacific FC. The club is aiming to increase capacity from 1500 to 7500. They have made it clear that this expansion will make Westhills Stadium a permanent seating solution and less like a temporary home. During the renovation process, a large hydro pole has provided a challenge for the developers. It was estimated that it would take around $5 million dollars to relocate the hydro pole that has become a landmark associated with the stadium. It is still unclear when or if the pole will be removed; until then, the club plans to make the hydro pole side of the stadium into a VIP fieldside seating area.

Westhills Stadium seating chart. Source: https://pacificfc.canpl.ca/pacific-football-club-ticketing

Despite being small, Westhills Stadium has the potential to be a feared away trip for CPL clubs. In preparation for this article, I ran a Twitter poll asking whether people would want to attend a small, full-capacity stadium or a large, half-capacity stadium. 90% chose the small, full-capacity experience. As a comparison, I am drawn to the home of AFC Bournemouth. The EPL club calls Dean Court (Vitality Stadium) their home. Despite having the smallest capacity stadium of any Premier League club ever, Vitality Stadium consistently draws 10,000+ attendance. It just goes to show that a dedicated fanbase can fill your small stadium and create the same atmosphere as larger stadiums in Europe. With over 2600 people following Pacific FC on Twitter, 1300 Facebook followers, and a local population of around 360,000, Pacific FC games will likely become a known attraction on the island. The full season schedule and single-game tickets are due to be released in the coming weeks and soon Victoria football fans can start to fill Westhills.

Pacific FC has truly embraced the culture of Vancouver Island in every detail of their club: The Fir tree influenced logo, the club colours (Starfish Purple, Lagoon Blue, and Lighthouse White) and of course, the club’s name paying homage to the ocean that resides west of Langford. The club intends on making Westhills Stadium another tribute to the culture of the Island. I would expect to see the Douglas Fir tree be a major influence throughout the stadium. The tree has been a token symbol of the club and I would not be surprised to see a unique and natural looking stadium when complete.

Westhills Stadium is equipped with overhead outdoor lighting and a FIFA 2 STAR pitch. If you, much like me very recently, were unaware of the STAR system for artificial turf, allow me to help you: According to a FIFA Quality Concept for Turf document; “1 STAR pitches are tailored to the requirements in the amateur sector (municipal centres, sports

grounds for national football matches), whereas 2 STAR pitches

cater for the most stringent demands in top-class international sport”. This means that Pacific FC is home to the highest quality turf by FIFA standards.

Westhills Stadium under the lights Source: Scott Girard (@scottgrod)

Though it may take some time for me to experience a game at Westhills Stadium, as I am 4300 KM away, Vancouver Island locals must embrace the opportunity to see tier-1 Canadian football. Experienced/New, Young/Old football fans will be treated to a new and exciting league featuring local talent. As I write this article, Pacific FC has yet to sign a player born outside of British Columbia. Children will be provided with a dream. If these children see local players born in the same neighbourhood as themselves playing top-tier football, then they can dream of doing the same.

Thanks for reading and as always #ForTheIsle

Like what you read? Become a Patron.

Maxwell Mowbray Maxwell is a University of Guelph alumni who started watching football in his first year of university. Though his undergrad was in music, sports journalism has always been one of his interests. Max decided to support Pacific FC due to family past on the west coast, leading him to create his Twitter page, @PFCOntario. Though he is 3300 km away from Westhills Stadium, Maxwell is a dedicated PFC fan and member of the Lake Side Buoys. You can often find Maxwell scouring through the lower leagues of Football Manager games.

Share with a Friend Facebook

Twitter

Reddit

LinkedIn

WhatsApp

Telegram

Email



Like this: Like Loading...