CALGARY, AB – Calgary Foothills FC head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr. knows a winning formula.

In 2015, Foothills began play in the Northwest Division of the Professional Development League (PDL), and have earned playoff berths in two of the last three seasons.

In 2016, the franchise’s sophomore season, Wheeldon coached the team to an appearance in the PDL Championship Final – a monumental achievement in a league comprised of over 70 clubs across the United States and Canada.

Foothills FC recently returned from a pre-season trip to the UK and I had a chance to catch up with Wheeldon to recap the time overseas and look ahead to the looming 2018 PDL season.

The focus of the trip consisted of five exhibition games against some of the best U23 talent in England: Cheltenham Town FC Reserves, Exeter City U23, Fulham U23, Reading U21, and The Royal Navy.

Posting an even two wins, two losses and one draw against clubs in mid-season form, Foothills’ impressive record while across the Atlantic is not lost on Wheeldon.

He says of the experience, “When we wrap all the games in together, (it was a) great showing and will only bode well for a lot of these lads moving forward.”

In terms of the quality of play from their opponents, Wheeldon lists several differences, “The runs are sharper, the movement off the ball, if you want to break away the tactical fouls are brought in.”

The takeaways for Foothills FC as far as Wheeldon is concerned, are vast.

“What it learned for our lads was, there’s different ways to win a football match,” he affirms. ”You’ve got to deal with the threats that these teams are throwing at you, and adapt to the conditions. And sure enough, they learned to.”

Anyone who has watched Foothills FC over the last three seasons knows that Wheeldon’s preference is to have his charges play a possession-based, fluid game. Ball control is key and rarely do players look to Route 1 soccer.

That said, with such a diverse array of competition in the PDL’s Northwest Division, Wheeldon preaches adaptability.

He says, “We’ve got an idealist way that we want to play the game, but we’ve also got the tactical flexibility of shifting. We’ve got a Plan B and we’ve also got a Plan C…we have to be versatile.”

“We’re footballers,” he adds. “We want to play an attractive style.”

As the PDL season inches ever-closer to kick-off, Calgary Foothills also seek to develop relationships with fans old and new at their recently-unveiled home in Okotoks, just south of Calgary’s city limits.

After playing home games at both Shouldice Park and Glenmore Athletic Park, the club landed at the Calgary Soccer Centre in 2017.

“For us,” explains Wheeldon, “it wasn’t quite the event atmosphere we want to create for fans.”

After consultation with several stakeholders, including supporters, it was decided that the best options for the club was to relocate to Foothills Field and Foothills Composite High School for 2018 and beyond.

The game day experience promises to include live bands, a beer garden and a march to the ground. A kids zone will provide the perfect atmosphere for families in attendance.

Wheeldon declares of the new venue, ”It’s a one stop shop for everybody. We’re really excited to put our own touch on it because we feel that’s where people are going to have their best experience.”

Early feedback from the community in Okotoks, as well as the established fanbase in Calgary, has been positive.

A recent open house gave visitors the chance to speak with Foothills players and Canadian internationals Marco Carducci and Nik Ledgerwood.

Season ticket sales have also exceeded expectations, with a mere 20 left for purchase as of April 10.

“Each day we’re just trying to build that momentum,” pronounces Wheeldon.

Calgary Foothills FC open their 2018 season at home against Victoria Highlanders FC on Friday, May 11.

Schedule and ticket information for Calgary Foothills FC can be found at www.foothillsfc.ca

My full interview with Tommy Wheeldon Jr. can be heard HERE.

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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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