HALIFAX, NS – In early May, the soccer-loving community in Halifax came closer the dream of cheering on a professional club when the Canadian Premier League (CPL) kicks off in 2019.

At Canada Soccer’s Annual General Meeting in Yellowknife and Halifax was accepted for professional membership. Three other municipalities joined them: York Region (now unveiled as York 9 FC), Calgary (Cavalry FC), and ‘Port City’, BC.

Sports & Entertainment Atlantic (SEA) is the organization behind bringing The Beautiful Game to Nova Scotia’s capital. It’s President, Derek Martin, sees this most recent development as just the latest in a long string of positives.

Speaking about the AGM, he says, “That was another great stepping stone for us on this journey.”

“There a great market here,” he adds, “and there’s a thirst for more sports and entertainment opportunities.”

The journey to a CPL club began in earnest when Halifax city council unanimously approved a pop-up stadium on the Wanderer’s Grounds, a public space in the city, in June of 2017.

“We identified that this wonderful piece of property in the heart of our downtown…was sitting idle, and had been sitting idle for decades,” Martin observes. “It’s a few short blocks from our entertainment district on Argyle Street, and our secondary entertainment district on Spring Garden Road. We just saw so much potential in the site.”

Support for the fledgling club has been strong on two important fronts in the province.

“Our supporters group (Wanderers Supporters Group), I would say, is one of the strongest in the country in terms of their activity levels and their numbers and their interest in what we’re trying to do,” says Martin. “We’ve also got a great relationship with Soccer Nova Scotia”

“We really think we’ve got all the pieces, not for a second that we think it’s going to be easy.”

Speaking further about the Wanderers SG, who on their Twitter account purport to be the Canadian Premier League’s “first East Coast supporters group”, Martin holds nothing but praise.

“It’s always amazing to me how powerful a small group of people can be,” he declares.

“They are truly authentic in that they want this to happen only because they think it’s good for this community. And they want to be able to enjoy the experience of being in a stadium with 6,000 other people, 15 to 20 times a year, and everything that comes with that.”

“That’s what we really grabbed ahold of because that’s where I saw the potential in what this team is going to mean for our community at large. It’s a collection of smaller communities all coming together as part of a larger community. The Wanderers Supporters Group is a perfect example of that.”

Indeed, Martin highlights the potential for the myriad youth clubs in and around the Halifax Regional Municipality (and beyond) to unite in their support for the professional CPL club.

“The ability of a professional team to bring all of those competing clubs together, to bring people together, that’s where the magic is.”

Indeed, the word ‘community’ appears repeatedly in the narrative to-date, not just in speaking with Martin, but in his messaging on social media, as well as in SEA’s mission statement.

It’s a fascinating perspective on how sports can bring multitudes together in a shared experience.

“There’s so few opportunities now for people to truly get together,” Martin states. “That’s what sports allows you to do. It puts you in a place where you’re surrounded by other human beings and you get to interact with them.”

Martin also sees the opportunity to congregate as having appeal to those Haligonians who may not consider themselves fans of The Beautiful Game.

“I know that the minute they come to a game, they’re going to change their opinion,” he declares. “And even if they say they don’t like soccer…the minute they get out on a sunny day and are part of a fun experience, they’re going to want to come back.”

Halifax itself possesses such a rich history. Whether it be maritime culture, a gateway for new Canadians arriving at Pier 21, or the Halifax Explosion, Martin is careful to ensure the club’s identity develops organically.

“There a real delicate balance there, where you can’t force some of these things,” he says. “Our responsibility is to create the right environment to allow organic growth to happen.”

Of course, history and culture can’t be entirely ignored.

“We’ve tried to, obviously, tap into some of the historical elements of what makes Halifax special, and I think we’ll put those things out there,” he notes. “We’ll set up environments within our venue that are unique and different.”

“It’s not our job to try to manufacture traditions, or try to force fans to do certain things,” he adds. “I think we have to be nimble enough to react and if we see something that works, then give whatever that thing is the opportunity to be repeated.”

SEA recently procured approval from the city to host eight full-stadium ticketed events from June through October of this year at the Wanderer’s Grounds.

The first event is an international rugby test match between Canada and the United States. Ticket sales have already been strong, with the stadium’s approximately 6,000 seats set to be full.

Construction of the stadium is slated to begin shortly, with a targeted completion date on or near June 10.

Canadian soccer fans will be watching closely as what is likely to be the easternmost Canadian Premier League club continues to take shape over the next several months.

“There’s a great responsibility…to do this well and make sure it’s here for a long, long time,” says Martin.

The full interview with Derek Martin will be available to stream on The Young Gaffers as of May 24.

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Adam Kostanuick Website Born and raised in Montréal and now residing in Victoria, Adam is a lifelong fan of all things pertaining to The Beautiful Game. He counts Canada’s 2000 win in the CONCACAF Gold Cup and Montréal Impact’s journey to the CONCACAF Champions League Final in 2014-15 among his favourite memories. After years of playing recreation league soccer, Adam finally decided to hang up his boots in 2015 to enjoy the game as a spectator. Adam can be heard weekly, dispensing a uniquely Canadian perspective on The Beautiful Game, as co-host of The Young Gaffers podcast.

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