Calgary Foothills’ bid to join PDL to go in front of CSA in March

The Calgary Foothills Soccer Club’s bid for a PDL franchise will go to the Canadian Soccer Association to be voted on in March.

The club has financial backers and has informed the USL that it wants to begin play in the PDL in 2015. But, before USL can green-light a new franchise, it needs to see that the bid has been endorsed by both Alberta Soccer and the CSA. The Foothills executive expects the CSA to endorse its bid in March.

Foothills Technical Director Tommy Wheeldon Jr. says that he expects the bid to pass, as the club will offer more spots for U-23 Canadians to get minutes. He’s also aware that former FC Edmonton director of soccer has been trying to court investors, looking to get an NASL expansion franchise into Calgary. But, Wheeldon believes that the USL offers a better path.

“Right now, I believe that USL-PRO is the better path, it opens up a lot of avenues because of their affiliation with MLS.”

And, while PDL is a level below that of USL-PRO, it would be a coup for USL to get a foothold in Calgary ahead of NASL.

Foothills will already be holding open tryouts for the PDL side before the CSA votes on their motion. On February 21 and 22, the club will host the trials, and then will hold an invite-only tryout in the first week of April. Wheeldon says the plan is to have the club play a series of friendlies in 2014, as it prepares for its inaugural PDL campaign. Foothills is hoping to line up friendlies against the Sounders and Whitecaps’ PDL sides, as well as games against FC Edmonton’s reserves.

It’s a similar strategy as was employed by FC Edmonton when it came into NASL. It spent a season playing friendlies ahead of making its debut in North America’s second division.