FC London doing the right thing!

When FC London was granted a franchise two years ago in the USL Professional Development League, its goals were simple. It wanted to win and develop players so they could move up the soccer food chain.
FC London has been successful on both counts. The team has made the playoffs its first two years. While it has never made it past the first round of those playoffs getting there twice is an accomplishment.
The success of the team and the players on it is now catching the attention of professional soccer teams in North America. While no FC London player has made the jump but the exposure appears to be working in getting some players a look-see.
Four members of FC London have spent the last week with the Kansas City Wizards of the MLS (Major League Soccer.) They practise daily with the Wizards and stay in Kansas City through Sunday. Ryan Woods, Alan McGreal, Haris Cekic and Luke Holmes have been training with the big club.
"This is really what our club is all about," said FC London CEO Ian Campbell. "I've heard that they are doing well." McGreal and Woods are finished school and would love to play professionally. Cekic and Holmes have school years left. Holmes, an English native and playing at Notre-Dame Ohio, had an impressive first year with London. He finished second in points with 32 and goals with 14 in the 67-team PDL.
"This is something we've been trying to do with Toronto FC for two years," Campbell said. "We've contacted them and asked them to do this type of thing but they seem to have their own agenda. The first thing we did when we got this for the players was fax Toronto . . . "
This trial was put together when FC London head coach Martin Painter and assistant coach Rahim Mohamed met Wizards' goalkeeping/fitness coach John Pascarella at the NAIA National Championships in California last year.
Since Cekic and Holmes are still in school, all expenses incurred while all players are with the Wizards have been paid for by FC London. That will ensure the players don't encounter any difficulty with NCAA and NAIA scholarships and eligibility.
"All the players asked their coaches to be sure there were would be no problems with the players attending the camp," Campbell said.
Aside from not winning a playoff game, FC London completed a successful second season. It averaged about 1,100 fans a game, fifth best in the PDL.
* * * The USL has announced the finalists for the 2010 Premier Development League awards.
FC London coach Martin Painter is one of four coaches in line for the coach-of-the-year award to be announced Friday.
Brendan Burke of Reading United AC, Dave Dixon of Mississippi Brilla and Jim Rilatt, of Portland Timbers U23s are the other candidates.

FC London leaves no doubt in opener!

by Morris Dalla Costa The London Free Press

FC London left no room for disappointment this year in their home opener. The second-year USL Premier Development League team didn’t give the Toronto Lynx any chance. London defeated the Lynx 3-0 Friday night in front of 1,725 at TD Waterhouse Stadium with an impressive display of solid offensive soccer. Read Full Story

McGreal bubbles for FC London start!

Posted by RYAN PYETTE (London Free Press)

Alan McGreal minces words about as often as he misses the net. He returned to FC London this summer on the heels of his senior season at Canisius College in Buffalo. This most recent NCAA campaign finished much like the first three — McGreal was an all-star (he ended up the best offensive player in school history, in fact) but the Griffins remained a mystery, failing to make waves again in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. Read Full Story

FC London kicking into second gear!

Posted by MORRIS DALLA COSTA (London Free Press)

Every second-year team wants to avoid the sophomore jinx, but FC London has a little more incentive than usual this year. In its debut USL Premier Development League season, FC London finished third out of nine teams in the Great Lakes Division of the Central Conference and made the playoffs. This season, however, only two teams move on to the postseason, so FC London has even less wiggle room. Read Full Story

FC London expects growth spurt this year!

Posted by MORRIS DALLA COSTA (London Free Press)

Forest City London will open its second USL Professional Development League season May 28 against the Toronto Lynx. FC London made a big splash in London soccer circles in its inaugural season in the PDL, regularly drawing crowds of more than 1,000, including a season opening crowd for more than 3,200. It also proved successful on the field, making the playoffs in its first season even though they lost in the first playoff round. "We're well ahead of last year," FC London's Ian Campbell said. "We didn't have tryouts until March last year. We've already filled most of our roster and we're just waiting to get all the paperwork done with the players." Read Full Story

Painter attends NAIA National Championships in Fresno, California!

FC LONDON head coach Martin Painter and coaching staff member Rahim Mohamed have just returned from the NAIA National Championships in Fresno, with a full roster of prime player prospects for the 2010 PDL season. The finals pitted the top 16 teams in NAIA against each other over 4 days, including FC LONDON's Johnny Morris' Notre Dame-Ohio squad. "It's the perfect opportunity to see players in action at the highest level", said Painter, "We saw some real talent on the field, and look forward to having some of those players on the field in London this coming year."

USL Annual Meeting – TAMPA, Florida!

Members of the Forest City London ownership group recently attended the annual meeting in Tampa, meeting with other owners and sharing thoughts and ideas about the past and upcoming seasons. "It's a great chance to find out how other clubs are handling their operations", said Ian Campbell, CEO of Forest City London, "The league is continuing to grow, both in size and popularity." The meeting confirmed that the Dayton Dutch Lions (Dayton, Ohio) will join the league in 2010, and the schedule has been set, with FC LONDON playing their first home game in late May. The official schedule will be announced by the league in January.

FC LONDON running a U21 Team in 2010!

Tryout dates will soon be announced for the 2010 FC LONDON's U21 Reserve team which will play in the Ontario Soccer League and compete in the U21 Ontario Cup. In 2009, the U21 squad was only one step away from the Ontario Cup U21 Championship when they lost 1-0 to Oakville in the U21 Ontario Cup Final held in Vaughan. In regular season play, the team placed second in Ontario. Keep checking the website for tryout details.

What a year for FC LONDON!

FC LONDON finished their 2009 season ranked 17th out of 67 teams in North America. Going along with their 11 game unbeaten streak (a record for first year teams), Forest City London finished the season with 8 wins, 5 ties and only 3 losses, finished in the Top 10 for Goals Against, and in the top 20 for Goals For. The team from London are one of only 3 Canadian teams to qualify for the playoff round which will decide the overall winner across North America. Alan McGreal and Anthony DiBiase were both ranked in the top 10 minutes played and over the course of the season, both were honoured as "North American Player of the Week" based on their game performances and stats.

FC London stepping into the community

  Posted By Mark Spowart, Special to The Londoner

   LONDON, ON – Community involvement and creating a “greater good” has been part of the FC London mantra right from Day One. A unique aspect of that commitment are the summer camps and one-on-one coaching sessions where kids between 6-18 years of age are able to sign up and work with a FC London player.

“It (requests) has gone from one to two requests per week at the start of the season, to five or six per day,” says Rahim Mohamed, FC London assistant coach who co-ordinates the one hour coaching sessions. “Right now I have over 40 requests we are responding to.” .

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