Wanted: Entries

[Robert]

It is one thing for a number of Voyageurs to believe that expanding the Amway Canadian Championship, by allowing a number of amateur clubs to enter this competition, would have a positive impact on the growth and development of soccer in Canada. It is quite something else to find out if there are any amateur Canadian clubs desirous and interested in competing in the ACC.

It also remains to be seen if the Canadian Soccer Association has any serious interest in exploring the viability such a proposal. Although the expansion of the ACC has been an actively discussed topic over the past couple of months in several different circles, the CSA has chosen to give no public indication whether or not it would endorse such a plan.

Assuming that there are amateur clubs in Canada, with no affiliation to a US-based league, who do have an interest in competing for the Nutrilite/Amway Canadian Championship, should they not be afforded every opportunity to do so?

With our men’s national team about to commence their next series of World Cup qualifying matches, would a successful run in that competition, stretching into 2013, not make for an ideal time to attract new players, supporters and investors and welcome them into our Canadian soccer community?

We need to hear from every amateur soccer club in Canada that has even the slightest of interest in competing for the Amway Canadian Championship and bring that to the attention of the CSA. For example, a city the size of Calgary must have enough good material, supporters, organizers and investors to consider entering a team in the ACC.

The CSA needs to focus on the growth and expansion of the Canadian men’s soccer structure in order to develop a top sports culture in this country, instead of constantly boasting of how many registered members it has, a very misleading number considering it is grossly inflated by the number of female and pee-wee players that are included.