In a major step toward its projected 2018 debut, soccer's Canadian Premier League has hired its first official employee.

And, in the Canadian footy world, he's a biggie.

Paul Beirne, who was also the first employee of Toronto FC, is the project manager for the new professional league which he says will start play with "six to 10 teams across the country." Most will be there for the projected league kickoff in 2018, he says, although some might wait until 2019 to begin play.

"It's totally viable (for 2018)," Beirne told The Spectator Monday morning. "I'm just helping sift through what is real and working hard to make it happen."

Beirne was TFC's vice-president of business operations from 2006 until leaving the club in 2013 to join the Ottawa Senators of the NHL as vice-president of ticketing, then to second-tier British soccer franchise Brighton as its head of commercial development.

Long before finally enjoying on-field success the past couple of years, TFC had been a smash hit off the field and in business circles, and the bulk of the credit was given to Beirne and his department.

"Paul is known as one of the best soccer business executives in Canada," says Scott Mitchell, CEO of the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, who will own a team in the new league and will play out of Tim Hortons Field.

"He's a very passionate guy about the Canadian concept and the opportunities for Canadian professional soccer."

Beirne reiterated what people associated with the proposed league have said since the earliest seeds were planted three or four years ago: it's about Canada and giving the upper tier of men's players a career target at home, instead of trying to hopscotch their way through the hit-and-miss process of playing pro soccer in other countries. He says that most Canadians who've been able to do that, have done it through their own initiatives.

Major League Soccer, the continent's top pro league which has teams in Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal, does not provide many playing opportunities for Canadians. And it is, officially, a U.S. league.

"Canada has always been a big supporter of soccer," said Beirne. "And while professional leagues have come and gone in the past, they haven't failed because of fan support.

"The core principle of the league is developing Canadian talent at the top level. Right now we have a big pyramid of players in Canada and it doesn't have a top to it."

While TFC, the Montreal Impact and Vancouver Whitecaps are all in the MLS -- a cross-border pollination sanctioned by the Canadian Soccer Association -- TFC and the Whitecaps also have second teams in the United Soccer League, and FC Edmonton and Ottawa Fury are part of the North American Soccer League, with the Fury set to move over to the USL for next season. There are also other Canadian sides at lower levels of the USL.

"It's a complicated structure and it is all based in the U.S.," Beirne says, "and this is not that. It's Canadian."

Beirne says when it comes to potential ownership groups "there's not a lot to talk about", although the Tiger-Cats are in and have a played a significant role in getting the concept off the ground. It's expected that ownership in some other Canadian cities will have either full or partial connection to CFL teams.

It's anticipated that there will be teams in Hamilton, Regina, Calgary and Winnipeg and perhaps Victoria and that the Fury and Edmonton FC will move over to the CPL as well.

There has been speculation that at least one British Premier League team is interested in owning a team in the nascent Canadian league.

While MLS teams have come around to expressing some interest in the CPL one recent report out of Toronto suggested that the league would not allow those teams to field clubs in their own city, where they would not be viewed as the top team in town. Beirne would not comment on that.

The new league will have some form of quota system to ensure that Canadian players have significant opportunities, although the roster ratios and how long an implementation period will be required is not yet known.

Beirne did confirm that potential CPL club owners would have to be deep-pocketed and that there would be a salary cap.

"That, combined with making sure expenses are under control," Beirne said. "Sport is a funny business, you want to maintain a viable business but you also want to win. Owners need to be protected from themselves.

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

"Expenses will be controlled not just for players but for everything."

The CSA -- which is riding a tailwind with the women's team winning another Olympic medal, and Vancouver's Victor Montagliani the upset winner of the CONCACAF (The North and Central American and Caribbean soccer federation) presidency – will be involved in the league both structurally and financially although Beirne said, "I'm not able to talk about that right now."

There will be a lot more to talk about in the next few weeks as the league moves toward a spring 2018 kickoff, but bringing Beirne on board is the most significant public indication to date that Canadian will have its own premier league within 18 months.