local clubs.

[bettermirror]

hi, who is your local amateur men's club and what league do they play in? do they have any sort of history? who are their rivals?

my local club is the newly named Chilliwack Rapids. They play in the Fraser Valley Men's Premier League (equivalent, but not as skilled, to the Vancouver Metro Soccer League - kinda like comparing England to Scotland's premier). About 7 years ago they made the jump from First Division to Premier. They challenged the big boys the first year, and finished in the top 5 (out of about 10). The next year they were runners-up and created a fantastic rivalry with Surrey FC. The following year they won the Pakenham Cup (a squad I was part of as a youth reserve player - i was playing metro youth, but was called up for suspension/injury). The year after that they lost in the Pakenham Cup final. The Pakenham Cup is Canada's oldest cup competition. The following years Chilliwack has struggled, relatively. Never finishing above 3rd in the last 4 seasons. This year the squad has revamped and taken on a new outlook as displayed by the club name-change. Since 1995 they have gone from Chilliwack FC to Townsend Park Rangers (T.P. is where the club played - and my preferred club name), and to now the Chilliwack Rapids. They also moved venues. They moved across the street to a field with a stand that holds about 2000, maybe 3000. They have the goal of becoming a semi-pro club in the next 5-10 years, and definately joining the Pacific Coast League. The club has enlisted two local major sponsors, and are attracting between 100 and 400 fans for every home match. Home matches are played on Friday night's under the lights. The colours are Green Tops with Black shorts and socks, with a white away strip.

Chilliwack's biggest rival is Abbotsford (when they have a club at the same or similar level), but really since Abbotsford dropped their premier club in about 1996 after they won the F.V. Prem, Chilliwack's major rival are the Surrey clubs, mostly Surrey F.C. No one here likes Surrey F.C. (although I did win a major provincial title with them, i dislike the club too!).

you can see the standings at www.fraservalleysoccer.com. Chilliwack is fielding a very inexperienced club this year with 7 first teamer's in their first season.

The Rapids are beginning to develop a true club by placing a squad in the First Division this year that can actually compete. The goal is to add a club to the bottom division and u21 division for developmental and recovery purposes. Chilliwack's local youth soccer club is thriving with clubs at all level's of all most age groups. Chilliwack has consistently been fielding coastal, and provincial winning sides over the past 4 seasons on both the men's and women's sides.

The Rapids are named after Chilliwack's world-renowned white-water rapids. Canada's national kayaking and canoers all train on Chilliwack's Tamihi - east/upper portion of the Vedder River.

Fraser Valley League:

1. Langley United FC (http://www.lufca.com/)

2. Golden Ears United Ultra

3. Poco City Dominion (Port Coquitlam)

4. Delta Metro United

5. Aldergrove United (http://www.aldergroveunitedsoccer.com/)

6. Peace Arch United

7. North Delta Lions

8. Chilliwack Rapids (http://www.chilliwacktimes.com/092203/sports/092203sp2.html)

9. GN Sporting Club (Indo-Canadian club based in Surrey)

10. Surrey United FC Red Devils

all of the clubs are called "United" because they all have clubs in the lower leagues and youth systems with the same name - so they are truly U.K.-style "club" teams.