The Canadian Premier League is coming to Vancouver.

The league announced Wednesday that a ninth franchise will come on board for the 2023 season. ItB次元官网网址檚 the first addition since Atletico Ottawa joined in 2020.

B次元官网网址淣ot only is it great for soccer in Canada, I think itB次元官网网址檚 great for the Canadian Premier League,B次元官网网址� said commissioner David Clanachan. B次元官网网址淚 think itB次元官网网址檚 great for all our fans and supporters. And for everything weB次元官网网址檙e trying to build B次元官网网址� For me, every time we take a step forward, itB次元官网网址檚 not only a step forward itB次元官网网址檚 a step upward.B次元官网网址�

The expansion Vancouver franchise was awarded to SixFive Sports and Entertainment LP, which owns Pacific FC, the CPL team based out of Langford, B.C.

SixFiveB次元官网网址檚 general partners are former Canadian internationals Rob Friend and Josh Simpson, investment entrepreneur Dean Shillington and Starlight Investments, a privately held Toronto-based real estate investment and asset management company.

Shillington said the group has been talking to eight or nine municipalities through the Lower Mainland about stadium location.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e close but we felt it was an appropriate time to put it to the community, to the fans. We want to hear where everyone wants us,B次元官网网址� Shillington said in an interview from England.

The plan is to build a stadium from scratch, with a capacity of around 8,000 to start but which can be increased as needed down the line.

As for sharing the city with the MLS Whitecaps, Shillington says his group sees no issue with two teams in the Greater Vancouver area. Toronto has two pro soccer clubs with the MLSB次元官网网址� Toronto FC and York United FC, a CPL side that plays out of York University in the north of the city.

Shillington says owning multiple teams is part of the SixFive plan.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e merely custodians of a broader brand. So our goal has been to invest in Canadian football everywhere we can and to keep investing in Canadian football. So weB次元官网网址檙e quite excited to use what weB次元官网网址檝e learned through Pacific, add Vancouver to the mix and then hand the whole thing off to the supporters and community to take it from there.B次元官网网址�

Clanachan says Shillington will be the point man for the Vancouver franchise while Friend and Simpson focus on Pacific.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e ringfenced it properly,B次元官网网址� said Clanchan.

Shillington is president of the Knightsbridge Capital Group and owns Caffe Artigiano, which has branches in B.C. and Alberta.

Simpson won 43 caps for Canada while Friend earned 32.

Simpson played his club football for EnglandB次元官网网址檚 Millwall, GermanyB次元官网网址檚 FC Kaiserlautern, TurkeyB次元官网网址檚 Manisaspor and SwitzerlandB次元官网网址檚 BSC Young Boys. He retired in 2015 in the wake of a badly broken leg.

Originally drafted by the Chicago Fire in 2003, Friend opted to go to Europe and played in Norway for Moss FK and Molde FK and in the Netherlands with SC Heerenveen and Heracles Almelo. He then embarking on a successful stretch in Germany, with Borussia Moenchengladbach, Hertha Berlin, Eintracht Frankfurt and TSV 1860 Munchen.

He joined the Los Angeles Galaxy in January 2014 but retired later that year, at the age of 33, after missing more than five months of action due to concussion-related problems.

SixFive Sports and Entertainment is a global football fund `B次元官网网址漵eeking investments in high growth markets, under-managed European clubs, and distressed or turnaround opportunities.B次元官网网址� The name comes from FriendB次元官网网址檚 and ShillingtonB次元官网网址檚 height.

Friend is also co-founder and partner in the DRG Investment Group along with Simpson.

Simpson is also co-founder and partner in Von Schwanau Invest AG, a Swiss-based international real estate investment group.

The current CPL teams are HFX Wanderers FC, (Halifax) Atletico Ottawa, York United FC (Toronto), Forge FC (Hamilton), Valour FC (Winnipeg), Cavalry FC (Calgary), FC Edmonton and Pacific FC.

Clanachan says other expansion plans are ongoing.

The league has already awarded B次元官网网址渆xclusive rightsB次元官网网址� to an expansion franchise to a company planning to start a franchise in Saskatoon. Clanachan says Living Sky Sports and Entertainment Inc. continues to work on a suitable stadium.

B次元官网网址淎s far as other franchises are concerned, weB次元官网网址檝e got three or four groups that weB次元官网网址檙e talking to right now,B次元官网网址� he said in an interview. B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 want to tell you who there are but IB次元官网网址檓 extremely excited about the fact that weB次元官网网址檙e able to grow the business. And we should be able to grow it. WeB次元官网网址檙e open for business, weB次元官网网址檙e a new league. And weB次元官网网址檙e seeing better things every day out of our league and our clubs.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址擭eil Davidson, The Canadian Press