Victoria to be expansion team for 2009 USL Premier Development League season
The Canadian Press
January 16, 2008

TAMPA, Fla. - Victoria will be home to the first expansion team for the USL's 2009 Premier Development League season, it was announced Wednesday.

The Victoria Highlanders FC's first kickoff will take place at the city's upcoming new Westshore Stadium, which is currently in development. "We admire greatly what USL has built with their vertically-integrated model of youth, development and professional leagues and want to recreate that model, much as other USL clubs have done," majority owner Alex Campbell said in a statement.

According to the statement, Victoria's role as one of the U-20 FIFA World Cup's host cities in July 2007 led to the city's interest in launching a USL team.

"The city of Victoria and the greater island community has shown a hunger for the sport beyond the local recreational level and we are thrilled to help bring the game to a community long overdue for USL soccer," said USL executive vice-president and COO Tim Holt. "The Highlanders have a long-term vision for the community we believe will be successful."

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Also see: http://www.canada.com/victoriatimescolonis...deb&k=24817

Great news this, what great rivalry this would create!

Apparently though the location of the stadium is far out from the city of Victoria, so it could be shit.

Yeah, but its just a PDL team. They wouldn't ever play the Caps.

Not that there is anything wrong with being a PDL side...

I wouldn't say ever- with the Seattle jumping up they may want a USL-1 team from the Northwest and I am sure that both the Timbers and the Caps would appreciate it. Once flounders leave we have a heavy awau schedule.

Would they be willing to subsidize them to do so? Cost difference between PDL and USLD1 are huge.

Yes I didn't realize this until I read it over again.