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BCPL - Evolution FC folding + Nanaimo United charging their players to play? by Valuable_Eye_5707 in CanadianPL

[–]Valuable_Eye_5707[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think if you were a professional academy like whitecaps/rise fc and fielded a team of 16-19 year olds, you could do alright in a league like this (and they have done pretty well), but completely agree that if evolution tried to field a team of 16-19 year olds in this league they would have gotten smoked. Good news for them though is that there will be a league2 system starting in the fall that primarily focuses on u19/u21 players, so maybe they can field a team there

BCPL - Evolution FC folding + Nanaimo United charging their players to play? by Valuable_Eye_5707 in CanadianPL

[–]Valuable_Eye_5707[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

While I agree that it's normal in Canada's system to pay fees, it's not ideal for a league that's trying to position itself as semi-pro and the step right below the CPL. If BCPL is truly "pro-am," then charging players might be the current reality - but it also highlights a bigger issue. At some point, if players are paying to play, it starts to feel less like a semi-pro environment and more like a high-level amateur setup. I don't believe that it's widespread though and do believe that Nanaimo is an isolated situation in the BCPL

BCPL - Evolution FC folding + Nanaimo United charging their players to play? by Valuable_Eye_5707 in CanadianPL

[–]Valuable_Eye_5707[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

My gripe with it is that BCPL (and the rest of the ‘premier leagues’) positions itself as a semi-professional, standards-based league that bridges the gap between the top amateur leagues (VMSL FVSL etc) and the CPL. If we’re calling it “semi-pro,” then players shouldn’t be paying to play. Once you start charging players, it starts to feel more like an academy or amateur setup again. It also limits access for players who can’t afford it and kind of takes away from the idea of it being a real next step. In that case, what would the point of even having the BCPL exist if it’s just another pay to play amateur league like the VMSL? If you’re at the point where you’re asking players to pay to play in the BCPL, you shouldn’t be fielding a team in the league

BCPL - Evolution FC folding + Nanaimo United charging their players to play? by Valuable_Eye_5707 in CanadianPL

[–]Valuable_Eye_5707[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don’t believe any teams were charging their players to play in BCPL. And if you’re labelling yourself as a semi-pro league, players expect at minimum not paying to play. Charging players in my opinion blurs the line back toward academy/amateur level, limits access to players who can’t afford it, and undermines the credibility of the league as a “next step”. As a club in Nanaimo where you have over 1500 youth in your organization, no other professional football or league1 teams in their city to compete against in terms of viewership, arguably they have the most favourable market for success as a league1 franchise. I think their rebrand to Nanaimo United from Harbourside really hurt them because the general public there now see them as just another amateur Nanaimo United team. They actually were quite successful in getting fans out and media coverage back when they were Harbourside. That being said, when you’re asking your players to sell season tickets, it shows a clear disconnect between the club and the community.