Calgary Foothills FC head coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr. believes his club’s new field house, with it’s FIFA-sized indoor pitch, further strengthens the state of soccer in Calgary.
“We want to improve our winter season,” said Wheeldon, during an interview with Total Soccer Project last month. “We want the real turf. We just want to help change the game and not be forced to just play in school gyms or carpeted arenas.”
Wheeldon Jr. also believes his club, along with the new field house, would be able to provide support if a Calgary team was to join the proposed Canadian Premier League.
“If a Canadian Premier League team does come to Calgary, we’re ready with an infrastructure to support it,” said Wheeldon, who also serves as Calgary Foothills Soccer Club‘s technical director. “I think the guiding principal (of the Canadian Premier League) is to provide more opportunities for Canadian players.”
Currently Canada only has five professional soccer clubs – Toronto FC (MLS), Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS), Montreal Impact (MLS), Ottawa Fury (USL) and FC Edmonton (NASL). Wheeldon believes this can be improved.
“That’s not a lot of room for Canadians,” said Wheeldon. “If we (Canada) are to have a joint bid with US and Mexico for (World Cup) 2026, we actually need to develop a bigger pool of players. How do you do that? You have your own league.”
The Canadian Premier League is tentatively set to kick off in 2018, after the Russia World Cup.
Watch video for full interview.
The new Calgary Foothills field house in Calgary, Alberta. Photo: Stuart Gradon/Total Soccer Project
The new Calgary Foothills field house in Calgary, Alberta. Photo: Stuart Gradon/Total Soccer Project
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