BC To Play Soccer Giants Sunderland AFC
Roughly translated I think it means that the British Columbia All Stars are to play a game of footy against the lads.
The British Columbia Soccer Association, the Vancouver Metro Soccer League and Pacific Coast Soccer League have announced their team to line up against the lads in the early hours of Friday morning (uk time).
They are as follows:
1 Cory Breure Goalkeeper
31 Serge Djekanovic Goalkeeper
2 Paul Vandenboomen Defence
3 David Gustar Defence
4 Kevin Mennie Midfield
5 Rob Venhoff Defence
6 Will Moore Midfield
7 Darko Jelic Defence
8 Steve Millar Defence
9 Joe Scigliano Forward
10 Tyler Rosenlund Midfield
11 Tiarnan King Midfield
12 Steve Dickinson Forward
13 Kevin Hearn Forward
14 Joseph Morello Midfield
15 Andrew Veer Midfield
17 Jordie Hughes Forward
Coach: Dante Zanatta
Coach: Martin Foden
Trainer: Sylvie Cote
Match: BC All Stars v Sunderland AFC
Venue: Royal Athletic Park, Victoria
Kick Off: 7:30pm (local time)
Date: Thursday 14th, July 2005 (local time)
International Pacific Soccer Series
In July 2004, the British Columbia Soccer Series launched the International Pacific Soccer Series to provide soccer fans the opportunity to watch top flight professional soccer live and to help increase the fan interest in soccer. The 2005 edition of this event see Sunderland AFC of the English Premiership come to Victoria to play a team of BC All Stars from two of the provinces largest and longest running amateur leagues.
British Columbia Soccer Association
The BCSA is the governing body of all soccer in the province of BC, as recognized by the Canadian Soccer Association and the BC Provincial Government. The Association is a non-profit organization, with over 120,000 players province-wide. Soccer is the most played sport in British Columbia and Canada.
History
BC has a long history of forming all star teams to face some of the world’s largest and most successful football clubs. This year’s team represents the finest amateur players playing in BC’s top flight Senior Leagues – the Vancouver Metro Soccer League and the Pacific Coast Soccer League.
The PCSL is an inter-city league with a season that runs typically from May through August. Member clubs are located across the Pacific Northwest in cities from the British Columbia interior, Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island, through Washington State and Oregon.
The earliest record of the PCSL appears in The Vancouver Daily Province of Monday July 27, 1908 which reports on the organization of the Pacific Coast Soccer League:
"The Pacific Coast Association Football League was organized at a meeting in Victoria on Saturday. Con Jones of this city is the first president of the new league and Will Ellis, secretary-treasurer. R. Heindmarch of Ladysmith is vice-president."
The "modern" Pacific Coast Soccer League story started in the 40’s with the advent of a need for players to find the best level of soccer in the Pacific Northwest. Teams came from the Seattle area, Vancouver Island and the Vancouver Mainland to play in the PCSL with Bill Findler at the helm.
The PCSL had gone into decline after it's heydays in the sixties and the demolition of Callister Park. It was reconstituted as a separate entity shortly thereafter. The PCSL has continued to thrive ever since, and now includes a highly competitive women's division. In the late 1980s the Mainland Senior Soccer League, the Pacific Coast Soccer League of the day and the Intercity Junior League merged to form the BC Senior Soccer League, which in due course became the Vancouver Metro Soccer League (VMSL).
With 105 teams in six divisions, the VMSL is the largest men’s league in British Columbia. The league frequently provides BC’s entry into the National Championships held annually by the Canadian Soccer Association. The VMSL’s Surrey Pegasus won last year’s National Men’s Championship held in Prince Edward Island.
More details at www.bcsoccer.net
