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When Paul Beirne was previously in Edmonton, the idea of a local team in the Canadian Premier League was just a fan movement.

Beirne, the CPL president, came to town a year ago to look into the possibility of FC Edmonton becoming a flagship franchise in the startup professional soccer league.

On Wednesday, Beirne was back to meet with members of the FC Edmonton faithful with a little over 50 days until the season opener.

“There is still an us against-the-world kind of vibe,” Beirne said. “It’s the global game, but we’re in Edmonton, so I think that sense of unity and that sense of desire to prove a point is still there. That’s what drove the supporters. There isn’t another game in Canada that lets you support the way soccer lets you support and so that’s what drove them to do what they did and that’s why when the announcement of the team happened, there was such a celebration and that’s why they’re all chomping at the bit now to be able to go to that first game.”