Simcoe County Rovers FC
Canadian soccer team in Barrie, Ontario From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Simcoe County Rovers Football Club is a Canadian semi-professional soccer club based in Barrie, Ontario, that plays in the League1 Ontario Premier men's and women's divisions. The Rovers won the 2023 League1 Ontario championship and qualified for the 2024 Canadian Championship. The Rovers played their first season in League1 Ontario in 2022.
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| Full name | Simcoe County Rovers Football Club | |
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| Nickname(s) | Rovers | |
| Founded | 2021 | |
| Stadium | J.C. Massie Field at Georgian College | |
| Capacity | 675 seated. 1,200 including standing room | |
| Owner | Rovers Sports and Entertainment Group | |
| Head coach | Doneil Henry (men) Zack Wilson (women) | |
| League | League1 Ontario | |
| 2024 | L1O-P, 5th (men) L1O-P, 7th (women) | |
| Website | https://www.roversfc.ca/ | |
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History
Summarize
Perspective
The club was founded in 2021, by former Canadian national team player Julian de Guzman, Peter Raco, and the Barrie Soccer Club under the name FC Barrie, who had initially been part of the group forming 1812 FC Barrie, before departing to form their own team.[1][2]
On July 6, 2021, the club was officially unveiled under the name Simcoe County Rovers FC as a joint partnership between Raco and de Guzman.[3] In August 2021, it was announced that Canadian national team player Cyle Larin was joining the club as a co-owner;[4][5][6] in December 2021, fellow Canadian national team player Doneil Henry was announced as another co-owner.[7] In January 2022, Canadian women's team player Janine Beckie also joined the ownership group.[8][9] In April 2022, Atiba Hutchinson also joined the ownership group.[10] Since its formation, the team has been affiliated with youth clubs Barrie SC and Aurora FC (who previously operated a team in League1 Ontario until 2020), and Orangeville-based school Athlete Institute.[3][11]
On October 21, 2021, it was announced that the club was officially joining both the male and female divisions of League1 Ontario for 2022, acquiring the license of Aurora FC, who did not play in 2021 and joined the Rovers as an affiliate club.[12][13] Both teams played their debut matches on April 24 against Blue Devils FC, with the women winning 3–0 and the men drawing 1–1.[14][15] In 2022, the men's reserve team won the League1 Ontario U21 Reserve Division.[16]
In 2023, the men finished the regular season in second place, earning their first home playoff game,[17] where they defeated Vaughan Azzurri in the semi-finals, in front of over 1,200 fans.[18] In the championship final, they defeated Scrosoppi FC to win the League1 Ontario title, thereby qualifying for the 2024 Canadian Championship.[19][20][21] Over 600 travelling supporters attended the League1 Ontario final, marking a League1 Canada traveling supporters record.
On April 24, 2024, the club made their Canadian Championship debut, where they were defeated 5-0 by Major League Soccer club Toronto FC, with over 2000 estimated Rovers fans having purchased tickets and attending the match.[22][23]
Players, staff, and ownership
Summarize
Perspective
Coaching staff
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Owners
Rovers Sports and Entertainment Group (RSEG) owns the Simcoe County Rovers Football Club. RSEG is made up of current and former Canadian National team players, as well as others. The ownership group includes Julian de Guzman, Peter Raco, Kosi Stobbs, Will Devellis, Jason Melbourne, David Zbar, Steve Mantzouranis, as well as Canadian national team players Atiba Hutchinson, Janine Beckie, Cyle Larin, and Doneil Henry.[25]
Executives
| Name | Position | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| Peter Raco | President | 2024-present |
| Peter Raco | Chief Executive Officer | 2020–present |
| Will Devellis | Chief Operating Officer | 2020–present |
| David Zbar | Chief Marketing Officer | 2023–present |
| Jamie Massie | Senior Executive Advisor | 2021–present |
| Andy Wilson | Director of Game Day Operations | 2020-present |
Past Executives
| Name | Position | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| Julian de Guzman | President & Sporting Director | 2020–2023 |
Seasons
Men
| Season | League | Teams | Record | Rank | Playoffs | League cup | Canadian Championship | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | League1 Ontario | 22 | 13–5–3 | 5th | Semi-finals | not held | did not qualify | |
| 2023 | 21 | 15–1–4 | 2nd | Champions | not held | did not qualify | ||
| 2024 | League1 Ontario Premier | 12 | 9–7–6 | 5th | – | Finalists | Preliminary round | |
Women
| Season | League | Teams | Record | Rank | Playoffs | League Cup | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | League1 Ontario | 20 | 12–5–2 | 5th | Quarter-Finals | not held | |
| 2023 | 19 | 8–4–6 | 7th | did not qualify | not held | ||
| 2024 | League1 Ontario Premier | 10 | 5–6–7 | 7th | not held | Semi-finals | |
Honours
Senior
- League1 Ontario
- Champions (1): 2023
- Trent Severn Cup
- Winners (2): 2022, 2023
Reserves
- League1 Ontario U-21 Reserve Division
- Champions (1): 2022
Notable players
The following players have either played at the professional or international level, either before or after playing for the League1 Ontario team:
Men
Ethan Beckford
Orlendis Benítez
Gabriel Boakye
Jordan Dover- Trivine Esprit
- Javier George
- Ricky Gomes
- Luke Green
- Ijah Halley
Micah Joseph
Shawn-Claud Lawson- Jevontae Layne
- Baj Maan
- Reshon Phillip
- Jarred Phillips
- Alejandro Portal
- C. J. Smith
- Nathaniel St. Louis
- Rahim Thorpe
- Reshaun Walkes
- Jalen Watson
Women
Club records
Below are current record holders for the club.
Men
| Record | Record holder | Date | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largest victory | 9–1 vs. Unionville Milliken | June 17, 2023 | [citation needed] |
| Most appearances[a] | Shawn-Claud Lawson (70) | 2022–present | [citation needed] |
| Most career goals[a] | Jevontae Layne(30) | 2023-2024 | [citation needed] |
| Home attendance | 1,180 | August 27, 2023 | [citation needed] |
| Away attendance | 2,250 (BMO Field) | April 24, 2024 | [citation needed] |
Women
| Record | Record holder | Date | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| Largest victory | 7–0 vs. ProStars FC | July 12, 2023 | [citation needed] |
| Most appearances[a] | Cloey Uddenberg (53) | 2022–2024 | [citation needed] |
| Most career goals[a] | Brianne Desa, Courtney Chochol & Cloey Uddenberg (16) | 2022–2024 | [citation needed] |
References
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