York Lions Stadium will be a busy place in 2025 with four teams from four leagues playing there!
(by Rocket Robin)
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Friday February 21, 2025
The Northern Super League released their inaugural schedule yesterday which outlines AFC Toronto's home and away calendar
for 2025.
Now all the dates are known for what will be a very busy time for York Lions Stadium.
I thought I'd look at how the three major soccer tenants have divided the limited number of availabe times. I'll assume that they
all covet the popular weekend dates to generate crowds, favourable broadcasts, and gate dollars.
1. York United FC of the Canadian Premier League have played at this stadium since the first year of the league in 2019
(known as York 9 FC when they started).
Fan surveys they conducted early last year revealed that Friday evening games were unpopular because of their early 7:00pm
starts when the Toronto evening rush hour wasn't over in this northern part of the city. The short term solution was to change
starting times on Fridays to 8:00pm midseason. Crowds appeared to grow larger as the season progressed but that is maybe a partial reason
considering the team improved to their their best record ever.
This season they have concentrated on Sunday matinee dates with eight of their fourteen home games taking place on those afternoons.
Add two Saturday matinees, one Sunday evening, just two Friday night games (one of those at 8:00pm and the other at 7:30pm), and one
Thursday night. They also drew a home game in the preliminary round of the Canadian Championship and that will be on a Tuesday night.
York has also promised to have pre-game matches with their newly created York United Academy team which will play its inaugural season
in League1 Ontario's (second tier) Championship Division. They have eleven home games to fit in.
2. Toronto FC II of the MLS NEXT Pro (they also have 14 home dates).
They've been scheduled for eleven Friday night games all at 7:00pm, one on Wednesday night and only three Sunday matinees.
They would be the least concerned with Friday nights as they manage with a hardcore group of maybe 300 including family
and friends with no real gate as fans are on the team guest list and/or Toronto FC (MLS) Season Seat holders are admitted
free. I've heard in previous years that they'd be just as happy to play at their training facility in Downsview (6.3km away)
but their league has a deal with Apple TV that require proper broadcast facilities so having cameras on risers and the game
called under a tent canopy is not acceptable.
3. AFC Toronto of Northern Super League (11 home games are here).
They could have been required to schedule thirteen but their inaugural game is at BMO Field and with the schedule having a 25 game
schedule, they were given only 12 home dates. Their first game will be held at BMO Field so that means eleven to fit in
at this stadium. Five Sunday afternoon, three Saturday afternoon, one Friday night game, and two Thursday night.
Disclaimers:
All teams are avoiding home games at the stadium between Monday July 21st to Thursday August 7th when the Canadian (National Bank)
Open of tennis takes place. This year it will be the Men's tourney here with the Women rotating to Montreal. The tournament
doesn't actually play on the field but every car parking spot is taken and spills over to the huge public transit parking lot
a good four blocks away. The tourney occupies two weekends but there is a lot of prep work needed for the weekend before it starts.
All teams are avoiding playing at home when Toronto FC of MLS are playing the same day or night at BMO Field.
The only way this location can manage this wear and tear is because the stadium was laid with field turf. I've counted
a minimum of 51 games! York United FC (14 + 1 Canadian Championship) plus their academy team with 11, Toronto FC II (14),
and AFC Toronto (11). Any of these teams making the playoff or progressing further in the Canadian Championship will add more!
Rocket Robin
robin.glover.1958@gmail.com
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