Calgary Foothills Football Club is a Canadian soccer club based in Calgary, Alberta, that competes in the Alberta Premier League. The club was founded as a youth club in 1972 and joined as a USL2 franchise in 2015. The team plays its home games at the Foothills Composite High School in Okotoks. The team colours are green and white.
History Calgary had previously hosted the Calgary Storm of USL2 (then known as Premier Development League) during the 2001 season. Calgary Foothills FC launched in 2014 as they played a series of exhibition games against Vancouver Whitecaps U 23's, FC Edmonton Reserves, and local university clubs.
The club's inaugural game was played on May 17, 2015 against Puget Sound Gunners FC, winning 2–1. The club finished 4th in the Northwest Division in 2015 with a 3–2–7 record, ultimately missing the playoffs.
In the 2016 season, Calgary Foothills won the Northwest Division with an 8–3–3 record, despite only 4% of supporters predicting the club would win the division. In the playoffs, Calgary Foothills would defeat Seattle Sounders U-23, FC Golden State Force, and FC Tucson to win the Western Conference. Calgary Foothills would later defeat Ocean City Nor'easters in the semifinals to advance to the 2016 final against Michigan Bucks. Calgary would lose the final 3–2 on a controversial penalty decision in the 86th minute.
In the 2017 season, despite losing key players Elijah Adekugbe and Dominic Russo to injury, Calgary Foothills would improve on their point total from the season before, finishing second in the Northwest Division on goal differential to Portland Timbers U-23. The club would lose to Portland in the Northwest Division play-in game. Off the pitch, the club would open an $11 million indoor training facility, the first of its kind in Western Canada.
After playing in three stadiums in three years, and struggling to find a venue that met league standards in Calgary, the club would move 20 km south to the town of Okotoks for the 2018 season to play at Foothills Composite High School stadium. Prior to the start of the season, the club made headlines when Canadian national women's team goalkeeper Stephanie Labbé would try out for the USL2 squad. The club would have their best season to date during 2018, only losing once in 14 games, and would become Western Conference champions after defeating Colorado Rapids U-23 and FC Tucson. Foothills would advance to the league final for the second time in three seasons after defeating Chicago FC United, and would win the 2018 Championship 4–2 after extra time, over Reading United AC.
The Foothills played in Saskatoon for the first ever SK Summer Soccer Series which is hosted by the Saskatchewan Selects. The Foothills defeated the Selects 2–1 in front of 3,067 people.
In April 2020, Calgary Foothills announced their withdrawal from the 2020 USL League Two season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That same month, the league announced the 2020 season would be cancelled.
In 2023, they joined League1 Alberta, playing in the league's exhibition series, ahead of the official launch the following season. In 2023, they won the league's exhibition series championship.
Youth system The Foothills have a full youth academy system from ages U4-U18 for boys and girls. Teams play in the Calgary Minor Soccer Association (CMSA) Tiers 1–6. The Generation program consists of the top players in U15 and U17 boys and girls. These teams are prepared to qualify and compete for the Canada Soccer Toyota National Championship.
Supporters' groups The Foot Soldiers were founded in February 2015 with the intention of bringing a passionate atmosphere to Calgary Foothills FC games.
Coaching staff
Jay Wheeldon – Head coach Paul Ferries – Assistant coach Mark McLaren – Assistant coach
Roster
Notable former players
USL2/L1AB Squad
Canadian women's national team goalkeeper Stephanie Labbé had a tryout with the team in preparation for the 2018 season, posting a shutout against the Lethbridge Pronghorns men's soccer team.
Foothills Academy
Source: Calgary Foothills FC
Club records
Most appearances League and playoffs #Pos.NameNationCareerLeaguePlayoffsTotal1ForwardTofa Fakunle2015–2019519602DefenderDean Northover2015–2018499583MidfielderNico Pasquotti2016–20183810484MidfielderElijah Adekugbe2015–2018388465DefenderDominick Zator2015–2018369456ForwardAjeej Sarkaria2016–2018339427MidfielderKyle Jones2016–2018355408ForwardDominic Russo2015–2017316379ForwardWilliam Akio2017–20192963510DefenderJonathan Wheeldon2015–201828634 Bolded players are currently on the Calgary Foothills roster.
Top goalscorers League and playoffs #Pos.NameNationCareerLeaguePlayoffsTotal1ForwardDominic Russo2015–2017114152ForwardWilliam Akio2017–2019131143ForwardAli Musse2017–201875124ForwardMoses Danto2018–2019110115ForwardTofa Fakunle2016–201982106MidfielderKyle Jones2016–20187187MidfielderNico Pasquotti2016–20184378MidfielderElijah Adekugbe2015–2018606ForwardAjeej Sarkaria2016–201842610MidfielderAribim Pepple2019314 Bolded players are currently on the Calgary Foothills roster.
Record
Year-by-year SeasonLeagueDivisionTeamsRankPlayoffsRef2015Premier Development LeagueNorthwest Division73–7–24thdid not qualify201678–3–31stChampionship Final201768–4–22ndDivisional Qualification2018611–2–11stChampions2019USL League TwoNorthwest Division69–2–31stConference Semifinals2020Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic2021Did not play due to COVID-19 pandemic travel restrictions 2022Did not play2023League1 Alberta Exhibition Series56–2–01stChampions2024League1 Alberta77–2–32ndFinalists202598–2–64th
Honours USL League Two National Champions: 2018 Western Conference Champions: 2016, 2018 Northwest Division Champions: 2016, 2018
Player honours YearPosPlayerCountryHonour2016FDominic RussoAll-League TeamAll-Western Conference Team2018GKMarco CarducciGoalkeeper of the YearAll-League TeamAll-Western Conference Team2018FMoses DantoAll-League TeamAll-Western Conference Team2018MElijah AdekugbeAll-Western Conference Team2018MNico PasquottiAll-Western Conference Team2018DDominick ZatorAll-Western Conference Team
References
External links