March 23, 2007 Toronto FC unveil jerseys for inaugural season (from Toronto FC Media Relations)

03/23/2007 2:00PM
Toronto FC unveil jerseys for inaugural season
Top SuperDraft pick Edu shows off new threads at BMO Bank of Montreal in downtown Toronto
Toronto FC Media Relations

TORONTO - Toronto FC unveiled their striking new jerseys Friday at a media event held at sponsor BMO Bank of Montreal's First Canadian Place branch in downtown Toronto. Maurice Edu, the first pick in the 2007 Major League Soccer (MLS) SuperDraft and Toronto FC's first pick in team history, wore the new jersey for photographers, reporters and guests who attended a news media briefing at the corner of King and Bay Streets in the heart of the city's financial district.

The jersey is manufactured by adidas and features distinctly European styling. Toronto FC's home jersey is red with white, grey and dark onyx trim and their away jersey is grey with dark onyx and red trim. The distinctive team patch is positioned above the left breast while the familiar logo and roundel of the team's sponsor, BMO (pronounced bee-mo), is displayed across the chest.

Toronto FC becomes the third team in MLS to introduce a sponsor jersey behind the New York Red Bulls and Real Salt Lake.

"Having a prominent jersey sponsor is unique to soccer teams around the world and keeps with the tradition of the sport," said Tom Anselmi, Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. "We're excited to extend our relationship with BMO Financial Group and to support them in exposing their services to a wider audience in Canada and beyond. BMO is a great Canadian brand and a strong supporter of sport and soccer."

"Soccer represents a great opportunity for us to deepen our relationships with customers and communities in Toronto and indeed right across Canada," said Frank Techar, President and Chief Executive Officer, Personal and Commercial Banking Canada, BMO Financial Group. "We are thrilled that as an integral part of the jersey design, the BMO brand is prominently displayed so that our enthusiastic and ongoing support for the world's most popular sport will be plainly in sight at every game at BMO Field and Major League Soccer stadiums right across North America."

The extensive partnership between BMO Financial Group and Toronto FC includes naming rights for the National Soccer Stadium, sponsorship of Toronto FC, a corporate suite and sponsorship of Play Soccer, a grassroots soccer program developed by the Ontario Soccer Association that will further grow the sport among youth. BMO is also a partnering sponsor of the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Toronto Raptors.

Toronto FC joined Major League Soccer in 2006 as its 13th team and the first outside the United States. Toronto FC will play its first home game at the new 20,000 seat BMO Field at Exhibition Place on April 28, 2007.

About BMO Financial Group
Established in 1817 as Bank of Montreal, BMO Financial Group is a highly diversified North American financial services organization. With total assets of $356 billion as at January 31, 2007, and more than 35,000 employees, BMO provides a broad range of retail banking, wealth management and investment banking products and solutions. BMO Financial Group serves clients across Canada through its Canadian retail arm, BMO Bank of Montreal and through its wealth management firms BMO Nesbitt Burns, BMO InvestorLine and BMO Harris Private Banking. BMO Capital Markets, our North American investment and corporate banking division, provides a full suite of financial products and services to our North American and international clients. In the United States, BMO serves clients through Chicago-based Harris, an integrated financial services organization that provides more than one million personal and business clients with banking, lending, investing, financial planning, trust administration, portfolio management, family office and wealth transfer services.

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