New, Semi-Pro Soccer Franchises Coming to Guelph in 2021

GUELPH, Ont. – A pair of new, semi-professional soccer franchises are coming to Guelph in the summer of 2021. The recently founded franchises, Guelph United F.C. (men's) and the Guelph Union (women's), will be playing their home games at the University of Guelph's Alumni Stadium and drawing upon some Gryphon varsity coaching expertise when they kickoff their inaugural seasons within League1 Ontario in the summer of 2021. Typically, the League1 season runs from early spring to late summer, but a shortened season is anticipated for the 2021 campaign due to COVID-19 with an official start date yet to be announced.

Guelph United F.C. (Men's Team)

On the men's side, Guelph United F.C. are one of four new franchises set to join League1 Ontario, with Waterloo United, the St. Catharines Roma Wolves and Scrosoppi F.C. (Milton) bringing the total number of clubs within the Men's Premier Division to 20.

Founded in 2014, League1 Ontario is the Province of Ontario's Pro-Am, standards-based, senior soccer league. In the pyramid of play for Canadian professional soccer, League1 Ontario's Men's Premier Division is the second-highest level of professional soccer offered in the country, behind only the Canadian Premier League, and equal to the Quebec-based P.L.S.Q. (Première Ligue de Soccer du Québec). For Guelph soccer fans who like to dream big, there is a chance that Guelph United F.C. could one day face-off in cup play against Major League Soccer sides such as Toronto F.C., the Montreal Impact or the Vancouver Whitecaps. The winners of League1 Ontario, like the champions of the P.L.S.Q., receive an automatic berth into the Canadian Championship, Canada Soccer's highest domestic professional soccer competition.

League1 Ontario serves as a critical bridge between the high-performance youth level and the professional levels of the game. Owned and managed by Canadian Soccer Business (CSB) since 2019 and sanctioned by FIFA through the domestic bodies of Canada Soccer and Ontario Soccer, League1 Ontario's primary focus is to showcase and develop Canada's future stars. The 2021 campaign marks the league's eighth season of existence (the 2020 season was cancelled due to COVID-19).

For Gryphon soccer supporters and alumni with close ties to the U of G varsity men's soccer program, there will be plenty of familiar faces helping lead the way for newly founded Guelph United F.C.

Keith Mason, head coach of the Gryphons men's soccer program since 2000, will serve as General Manager and Associate Head Coach of Guelph United F.C. alongside Justin Springer, a five-time OUA All-Star during his outstanding Gryphon career (2012-2016), who will also serve as Associate Head Coach. Guelph United F.C. will also boast a U21 reserve squad, which will be led by former Canadian National Team member Don Ferguson, who has served as Goalkeeper Coach with the Gryphons varsity soccer programs for the past decade.

"We are extremely excited to be part of League1 Ontario in 2021," says Keith Mason, General Manager and Associate Head Coach of Guelph United F.C. and the 2011 U SPORTS Coach of the Year as head coach of the Gryphons men's soccer program.

"With our close ties to the excellent soccer program at the University of Guelph, we look forward to building a team which our community and fans can get excited about."

"Established in 2020, Guelph United F.C. is a new and independent soccer club operating in League 1 Ontario, the provinces Men's Premier Division," adds Mason. "We founded our team with a goal to bring semi-professional soccer to our community. We look forward to working with our strategic partners: the University of Guelph, City of Guelph, local businesses, and the Guelph Soccer Junior Gryphons, in this adventure. We Are United in bringing a club that inspires the youth of today to become the stars of tomorrow."

Currently, talented soccer players from Guelph and surrounding areas do not have a professional environment to compete within. With the world-class facilities at the University of Guelph and the Gryphon-led qualified coaching staff, Guelph United F.C. has the ambition to establish the City of Guelph as a national centre of excellence, where local talent has access to all the necessary infrastructure to compete at the highest levels.

One individual who has certainly played at some of the highest levels of soccer throughout his career is Justin Springer. The now 27-year-old Burlington native suited up for the Guelph Gryphons men's soccer team from 2012-2016. In his senior season, Springer led the Gryphons on an unforgettable postseason run which culminated with an OUA title (just the second conference title in program history, and first since 1991) and a national bronze medal on home soil. Following his playing days as a Gryphon, Springer went on to win a championship in League1 Ontario as the starting centre back for the Vaughan Azzuri in 2018. His experience and success at the League1 level helped him earn a chance to compete in the inaugural season of the Canadian Premier League as a member of the 2019 York9 F.C. (now called York United F.C.).

"League1 Ontario has such a strong alignment with the Canadian Premier League, it's certainly a great opportunity for players with professional aspirations to showcase their skills," says Springer, who has also earned 15 international caps while representing his native country of St. Kitts and Nevis. Springer will take on the role as Associate Head Coach of Guelph United. Since 2018, Springer has served as an Assistant Coach of the Guelph Gryphons men's soccer team.

"The creation of this club is an incredible way to bring together the three main partners of our Guelph soccer family; Guelph Soccer, Gryphons varsity soccer and, now, Guelph United F.C.," adds Springer, who has worked as a Technical Manager for Guelph Soccer since 2017, helping oversee competitive and recreational soccer teams within the Guelph community. "My love for this City started the moment I set foot on U of G campus. Everyone involved with this new club has a passion to want to grow the game within our community. And giving players the chance to excel on their high-performance pathway, without having to look elsewhere or leave the City, is a huge step."

It is expected that the composition of the Guelph United F.C. roster will be made up of a mixture of current players and top alumni from the Gryphons varsity men's soccer program, while also serving as a target destination for standout, aspiring players from within the Guelph Soccer system.

Read the official press release here.