The ambitious Highlanders Football Club needs hundreds of more seats at Bear Mountain stadium to break into the pro leagues, but who will pay remains up in the air.

The Highlanders menB次元官网网址檚 team, now only two seasons old, is keen to advance from the United Soccer LeagueB次元官网网址檚 premier development league to a professional division, but the price of that is having a home stadium with at least 2,500 permanent seats.

Bear Mountain stadium, with about 1,100 grandstand and box seats and hundreds of portable seats, can field B次元官网网址渃lose to 2,000B次元官网网址� people, reckoned Mike Leskiw with Langford parks.

Highlanders general manger Drew Finerty pegs available seating at about 1,700, while drawing average crowds of about 1,600 to games.

B次元官网网址淲e find people are not coming because they think there is no place to sit,B次元官网网址� Finerty said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 important to have comfortable, high quality seating with this level of sport. ItB次元官网网址檚 going to stop us from moving to the pro level if we donB次元官网网址檛 have 2,500 seats.B次元官网网址�

The Highlanders finished their second season in fourth place in their division, with a 7-6-3 win-loss-tie record.

After underground utility work is completed, grandstands could be added along the northern edge of the stadium and possibly more behind the goal lines.

The City is willing to work with the club to find more portable seats, said Langford Mayor Stew Young, but taxpayers shouldnB次元官网网址檛 have to foot the bill, at least without a compelling reason.

The Highlanders need to show a clear business case before City money is spent on more temporary or permanent seating, Young said.

B次元官网网址淚 like the idea of a bigger stadium, but what we have fits the community uses right now,B次元官网网址� the mayor said. B次元官网网址淚f we see more people are going that canB次元官网网址檛 be accommodated, then thatB次元官网网址檚 something to look at, but its not happening yet.B次元官网网址�

Highlanders owner Alex Campbell said talks with Langford over seating are B次元官网网址渋n flux.B次元官网网址�

There hasnB次元官网网址檛 been much talk over funding, he said, noting that while the Highlanders are an important user of the stadium, they are a tenant of the stadium.

B次元官网网址淲e felt our numbers go down a bit last year,B次元官网网址� Campbell said. B次元官网网址淥ur research indicates people want a higher percentage of quality seats in the right viewing spot. For us, that means more premium seats between the 18 yard lines.B次元官网网址�

Campbell stressed that the Highlanders organization is happy to remain based in Langford at Bear Mountain stadium.

B次元官网网址淚 think the city and the community are proud to have the Highlanders calling Langford home,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檇 like to do more to fit in and add value.B次元官网网址�

editor@goldstreamgazette.com