Ronan Cordelle and Jacob Sanderson want their new Crew in the Barrie area.

The local residents have begun the process of trying to attract a professional Canadian Premier League soccer team to the city. While the project is in the preliminary stages, the first goal is to gauge interest through an online petition, the team has already been nicknamed the Kempenfelt Crew.

There is also backing from some high-profile footballers, such as former Toronto FC forward Danny Dichio, Gambian national team coach Tom Saintfiet and Sunderland AFC chair Niall Quinn.

“At the moment, it’s started off as a supporters group (fan club); once we get that together, we can try and move on toward the league,” Cordelle said in an interview with Simcoe.com. “There’s a growing passion for soccer in this community. The demographics are definitely changing. This city is 150,000 people; there are enough (residents) to support it. It’s all very attainable when you add in the satellite towns around Barrie. We just need the community behind us.”

Cordelle grew up in Ireland, where football matches are community gatherings. One didn’t have to call friends to see what they were doing on a Friday night —— just head to the pitch and be ready to party.

A Barrie team could play out of a number of existing or planned venues within the city. With some modifications that would include the addition of 500 seats, a secondary access route, washrooms and player shower facilities, the Crew could play at the Barrie Community Sports Complex in Midhurst. Or, new fields planned for the south end could be altered to suit a pro team.

Cordelle said the Crew would also require backing from the business community.

“There’s a lot of work to be done,” he said. “Once you show there’s a marketplace for something, it’s easier to get investors.”

While the city has heard rumblings about a professional team, organizers have yet to approach staff or council members with a formal proposal. But a team could succeed in Barrie, Mayor Jeff Lehman said.

“It sounds like early days, but it could be really exciting,” he said. “Soccer is one of the fastest-growing sports. The Barrie Soccer Club has been growing leaps and bounds recently, doing some good work and partnering with the city.”