Ten years in the making, the top adult soccer championships are coming to town.
Canada Soccer announced on Feb. 1 that the Challenge Trophy and Jubilee Trophy national championships will be staged in Langley this October.
From Oct. 4 to 9, the top adult men’s (Challenge Trophy) and women’s (Jubilee Trophy) amateur soccer teams will hit the pitch at Willoughby Community Park.
The championships are being staged by the Fraser Valley Soccer League.
“We want to do a job that makes them sit up and notice,” said Thomas Mills, who is chair of the bid committee.
Mills said he first expressed interest about hosting nationals back in 2007.
It took a decade for the idea to come to fruition as B.C. was not scheduled to host the championships before this year.
“We think it is a perfect location both in hotels, highways, the fields, the amenities … it is a perfect location for an event like this,” Mills said.
Willoughby Community Park will be the central location for the games, with the new fields at Yorkson also hosting some of the contests.
As for how many men’s and women’s teams will be in town, that is typically eight to 12 for each competition, but a final number is expected be determined either in late March or early April.
Anyone interested in helping organize the championships or provide sponsorship is asked to email thomasmills@fraservalleysoccer.com.
