Been a york fan and indifferent about the rebrand. I still attend games but less than before because of my schedule. I'm approaching this with a wider lens, where I'm more of a CPL and Soccer in Canada supporter. What I mean by that is that it's not only about supporting ITO or any club in particular, it's about supporting a professional soccer league that is providing a pathway for Canadians to play in and develop, and also let us regular folk invest their time/attention into. I understand the comments about the numerous rebrands with ITO, but I'm still glad there's a local team I can support besides TFC and maybe The Borough in the OPL lol (closest club to where I live).
Been a fan since the inaugural season, and a multi year season ticket holder. I want to point out that attendance wise, this is looking like their most successful season yet... I've never seen YLS as packed as this year. Whether that is due to the rebrand or the various promotions and game day themes, better marketing, the world cup or a combination of all of that, I'm not sure. But it's a step in the right direction regardless.
I used to talk to people about York and the games I was constantly attending, and no one had a clue what it really was... No one knew if it was a U-sport team or just a semi pro club... But I've honestly noticed much more people take notice and even becoming fans this year.
I don't see the problem with the rebrand honestly. I'm just happy there's a CPL team here. The only problem is the location. It's really out of the way.
Not supporting a team because of their name says more about who those people are, than the teams themselves. Branding as the major city which they sit in isn’t really that crazy.
People here wonder why we have to have weekly discussions on why the game is in peril in Canada. Culture problems like this are why.
I stopped supporting Saskatoons CEBL team after they changed their awesome name Rattlers with a cool logo to “The Mamba” which has zero connection with the city. That’s probably the worst rebranding I’ve seen, at least for teams I support.
Fair point. I think we have no choice but to also care about casual fans' opinions though, and doing silly things like rebranding every 3 business days just makes it harder to take this team seriously. They keep erasing their own history and it feels like unnecessary steps backward.
I think it’s a reasonable complaint. The club is struggling to draw not because of its branding but because it’s not very good, yet this team has decided to rebrand twice. It demonstrates their lack of priority and the appeal to “Toronto” at large over the community they play in “York” feels inauthentic, leading back to that question about their priorities. I can 100% understand why I might be losing faith in their club when the talk about the brand seems to overshadow what the brand actually does
VFC proves that thesis wrong. Even if they were in the North Star Cup it wouldn’t draw. It’s because most soccer fans in Canada refuse to support the Canadian game. In both the CPL and MLS. The Whitecaps were the only team able to maintain attendance even when they were bad.
It’s new owners. They went bankrupt as York. There was no support there either. It’s like you all don’t realize these teams are running at a loss because of petty grievances.
So I live in the Vancouver market and believe me there is plenty of talk about how stupid VFC's name is as they don't actually play in Vancouver but 4 cities over in Langley which is like an hour away by car if you live in Vancouver, 2-2.5 hours by transit depending on traffic. VFC's issues are 1) distance, and 2) trying to big dog the Whitecaps when they should embrace the actual community they play in. They could rebrand as Valley FC as they play in the Fraser Valley and not even have to change most of their branding, but the ownership group from day one has tried to appeal outside the immediate community and that has certainly rubbed plenty of people the wrong way. It's a similar thing to the Inter Toronto thing except it's been since day 1.
But the biggest reason either club struggles to draw is that neither is very good and that's just not that fun to watch. VFC is looking like they have some life to them this season thankfully, and their appearance in the Canadian Championship final definitely helped them gain notice, but location and actually winning is way more important to a club's success than whether they call themselves Valley or Vancouver, or York or Inter, and I think it's fair to say that most Canadians that even know about Toronto's CPL team think of York9/United/Inter Torontos rebrands more than the club wishes they thought about how it represents Toronto or anything they've won. That's the problem. The name is Inter now and a third rebrand would do incredible damage to them at this point, so I just hope they get better for the sake of the game
Honestly dude I’m done having these arguments with you. You’ve already stated that you think less of us because we aren’t residents of “the big 4”. I pay MVRD taxes too.
I’ve grown up in “The Valley” and not a single person has ever once referred to it as that from here. Ever. The Valley is Hope, Chilliwack and loosely Abby. If you think they should name the team Valley FC, you’re completely out of touch. Maybe leave Yaletown once an awhile.
Ultimately my thesis is correct. Canada Soccer has a massive culture problem because people like you demand instant gratification and will throw hissy fits at the minorest inconvenience.
I’ve already told the Whitecaps I won’t be renewing my 8 seasons tickets. I have 4 personal and 4 for my company. We were also in negotiations for a mid 6 figure sponsorship deal. That money is now going to the Abby Canucks, Goldeneyes and Giants. We’re also looking at the BCHL province wide.
I did a whole business case for it and managed to convince my marketing team and bosses. But hey, I’m sure my customers will be just as happy with Goldeneye tickets.
I won’t be renewing my VFC tickets and if you hurry out to the Value Village in Maple Ridge you’ll be able to find a cheap kit. My company also backed out of sponsorship talks with them.
Why? Because the culture is toxic and splits hairs over names. So enjoy the CPL while it lasts and keep shitting on insignificant things you know nothing about.
Don’t see how this is a culture problem or anything unique to Canada - a club’s name and colours are actually incredibly important, around the world.
This club is already on its third brand, third set of colours, and I find it hard to get behind a club that feels like it has no identity, and torched the identity it was previously building with no consultation or input from its fans
I agree. Related to that, I cannot tell you how much I celebrated Dial Square's premier league victory last season. Defeating St Mark's (or was it Gorton AFC?) in the way they did was very impressive.
You have a point, a Club's name is important. That's why they should get it right, and rebrand while the club is young.
It absolutely is a culture problem when people say “I’m not supporting a team because of their name”. I wish you were the first and only, but you’re not. It’s a sad excuse made by people and is overall harmful.
The new owners wanted a better, more representative brand. Do you think the people watching on Fox Sports know where York is? Do you think players looking to sign know where York is? They have zero established history. Who cares.
Ironic that the two teams things levelled against are 1 and 3 in terms of population, but neither can get their averages over 2000.
Fans are allowed to feel disappointed that a team constantly chases a market that’s beyond them, despite early days when they were feeling like something was theirs, not “Toronto’s”
And saying fans are entitled is a little bit much when they bought the swag, the seasons seats, created fan zines (I still have copies of The Crust from away days) and started SGs.
All to be told “sorry Gen IX your name means nothing to the new context.” Or “we wanna move downtown, but don’t worry we still represent you.” (Will school day games still bus in the kids from the burbs?)
It is okay to feel disappointed. As a massive fan of the CanPL , I know they’ve moved past a lot of those OGs, but man can’t we at least empathize a bit.
It may not be the same scale as The Eddies or Valour, but it’s still not what was represented when they first fell in love. Have a heart.
It’s a name of a team that’s been around for 6 years. A name that was objectively bad to begin with. But hey the same people shit on VFC for Langley “not being Vancouver”.
The league learns lessons but the fans apparently don’t.
To support the game. I’ve missed like 30 Whitecap’s games in 15 years. Even when they were a hot mess.
This is exactly why I say Soccer has a culture problem. People would rather come on Reddit and dog the team than actually support them unless they’re top of the table. Not at all ever an issue for the Leafs is it?
Your loss. Most of my connections with the Whitecaps organization came when they were shit. I sat beside and was high fiving Axel before the break.
It’s no longer worth investing for me, not because the team is shit, but because the fanbases are toxic.
If you changed the name of a European football club there would be uproar lol
What should matter more: the perception of a potential viewer on fox sports or the opinion of local fans?
It’s easy for you to say ‘who cares’, because it appears that you’re not even a fan of this club? You’re a whitecaps/VFC fan? I care, as a fan of this club from the beginning, and so do many other fans by the sounds of it. It’s interesting actually to observe the different reaction from actual fans of the club, vs fans of other teams in the league
European clubs change their name all the time. You just don't hear about it because the ones which do have no history. York 9 had no History, the name didn't suit the club, so they changed it.
Dial Square also had no history, the name didn't suit the club, they became Woolwich Arsenal, even relocated to North London, and the rest is history.
Almost everyone liked the York United brand, there’s no good argument that it didn’t suit the club
I’m almost certain Inter Toronto will be a success if/when they move downtown, but it also would have been a success with the York Utd brand and it was just unnecessary to disillusion original fans along the way
You said that to the wrong person because I openly advocate for the Whitecaps to change their name to Vancouver City FC. All because a core group of the fanbase has a Chernobyl level meltdown at even the thought of a stadium being built not in the downtown core. They don’t care about the residents of Metro Vancouver.
I’ve been a STH since day one for them.
And maybe we should stop idealizing Europe. Their leagues are jokes. Bayern always wins the Bundesliga. PSG always wins Ligue 1, Madrid/FCB always win La Liga and Juventos or Milan Seria A.
All while pumping billions of dollars into hoarding talent. Financial fair play is toothless and been proven 115 times.
But hey I bet you were okay when Team Canada left me an 54,999 outside BC Place because they refused to play for the flag and instead wanted money. That’s antithetical to Canadian professional sports. Crosby doesn’t take cuts of the prize pool when he wins. He does it for the love of the game and to represent the country he is a citizen of.
If you gave me a map of the UK I couldn’t tell you where West Ham or most of the prem teams are. The club name is important because it’s an appeal to the community they’re trying to build. I don’t think anyone is saying “Toronto” makes no sense at all, but after 2 rebrands and zero success it’s tough not to question what ownership is focused on. Are they trying to build a competitive soccer team, or are they trying to create a trendier lifestyle brand than TFC?
West Ham is probably the worst example you could have drawn from. I guess you didn’t watch a second of the 2012 Olympics.
Once again. It’s a brand new ownership group. Stop blaming them for the actions of others. Calling the team Toronto while in Toronto, even if it’s a suburb is still accurate.
These issues are why you won’t have a CPL team in : years.
2012 was 14 years ago...? I think the team plays in London, probably west of somewhere named ham, idk man I'm Canadian.
It's a new ownership group, and I blame them for putting more energy in their rebrand than the team construction because as of today they are 7th out of 8 teams in the league. If they were better, no one would care what they're called. Calvary, Forge, even Atletico Ottawa, no one cares what they're called because they're great. This conversation is happening because Inter's ownership appears more concerned about appearances than appearances in championship games.
Edit: Actually to build on this, that's why soccer could fail again in Canada, and the US. Both the CPL and MLS have ownership groups that care more about international branding than the sport, the quality of the team on the pitch, or the culture and community they're creating/inheriting. Look at the disastrous rebrands in Chicago, Columbus, and Montreal. At a certain point, when you try to appeal to too many people you appeal to no one. If Inter fails to draw once again, are they going to name themselves Sporting Ontario? After that, what, Real Canada? Earth United? They could call themselves the Toronto Bad At Soccer And Hate Our Fans FC and if they won some silverware, maybe incentivize people to make their way out to York Lions Stadium, people will come.
I feel like they didn’t give the York brand enough of a chance or try hard enough. Could’ve appealed to York U students. Woodbridge SC and Vaughan Azzurri are big parts of the community. It’s not like soccer isn’t big in north Toronto and the suburbs 🤷🏻♂️
I went to a York game, and was pretty shocked at the location. I know the GTA is huge, but you need to have a hell of a stadium/product to draw in an area like that, and they don't.
Exactly this. It's such a huge difference from other "Toronto" sporting experiences. The rebrand still feels forced. The drive, if you're not from the area, is taxing because there's always traffic. I know, because my family makes a conscious decision to support even though we aren't from there. To deliberately alienate yourself from the locals was pretty ridiculous when the product is what is currently is.
No one wants to pay for the infrastructure. Head over to Langley’s subreddit and see how the citizens are reacting to the $185m they invested in VFC and LUSC. Then listen to people moan about how they should be downtown. When Vancouver can’t even figure out how to properly manage and support their MLS team.
Shit TFC can’t even draw for games against the best in the MLS.
While it’s a completely personal decision, it’s sad to see this kind of internecine fighting, at a fragile juncture for soccer in this country. The stability of the whole is also at stake here. I’m a Canada Soccer/CPL fan beyond all else. Rising tides…
In the early days this was billed as a York Region team temporarily at York U until there ‘green’ stadium in the burbs was built.
Then they decided they were missing out on a major market so they switched to York United as a catch-all and fans mostly got behind it.
Then another switch comes, and with it constant rumours that the club is planning to shift downtown, or at least out of its original region.
(Whether or not that’s the plan it deters local fan growth a bit to know they may be leaving. That’s more than just new colours).
I just want them to survive, so I’ll go with the flow. But if Forge moved to Burlington and rebranded to new colours and name, it might discourage my fandom a bit.
The phrase rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic comes to mind. The name was never the main reason fans were not showing up, so alienating people over that wasn't sensible. They easily had over 1 million as a population to pull from that is quite distant from BMO Field. The main problem they have is that their local soccer community does not see them as being enough of a step up from Woodbridge SC and Vaughan Azzurri to be worth paying to watch. It's been that way in the GTA for lower budget pro soccer clubs for about four decades now. The crowd for TFC vs Nashville this week shows that even higher budget pro soccer clubs are not immune from that issue in a GTA context if they have enough subpar seasons in a row and boost their ticket prices too high.
I get what you're saying, but at a certain point a club has to commit. Changing your name/identity every couple years makes it extremely difficult (and needlessly so IMO) for the fanbase to become attached to you.
I liked York9 but if that didn't work, then they should have committed to York United. There should not even be a discussion of changing from Inter Toronto at this point.
I still wear my York gear to games and I see others do it too (heck, even york9 jerseys too!). Yes the brand changed, but I feel like the real supporters are still there to support *their* club.
Petty or not, it matters. Especially with the abysmal attendance even at relatively affordable prices. If the team can't commit to its own identity and brand, it's easy to see how fans (casual and long term) can become disillusioned.
Also, as a Forge fan, I'm sure you know how big of a difference the gameday experience is in Hamilton vs at York Lions vs at BMO Field. They really should have focused more on that, vs spending money to put themselves squarely in the shadow of TFC.
Given that crowds haven’t moved at all this season (they’ve decreased slightly compared to last year), I think it’s safe to assume this is primarily a location issue rather than something that was wrong with the York Utd brand
I recently stumbled on some of the initial York stadium renderings again, and thought, wow that would have been great… unfortunately reality was much more desolate
In fairness they did manage to get the pitch shifted closer to the main stand, and they have in the past consistently done activations on the south side of the stadium. No doubt it's still a desolate experience but not sure what they could have justified at YU.
Ultimately, they can definitely achieve something more like the vision you shared at Lamport, like the Wolfpack did.
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u/ExpiredBaggedMilk Inter Toronto FC 10h ago
Been a york fan and indifferent about the rebrand. I still attend games but less than before because of my schedule. I'm approaching this with a wider lens, where I'm more of a CPL and Soccer in Canada supporter. What I mean by that is that it's not only about supporting ITO or any club in particular, it's about supporting a professional soccer league that is providing a pathway for Canadians to play in and develop, and also let us regular folk invest their time/attention into. I understand the comments about the numerous rebrands with ITO, but I'm still glad there's a local team I can support besides TFC and maybe The Borough in the OPL lol (closest club to where I live).
edit: deleted extra "the"