Thursday March 30, 2022...York United FC Alternative Kit Launch Party at the Springhill Suites by Marriott
in Vaughan.

York United FC hosted an alternate kit launch party at the Springhill Suites by Marriott in Vaughan 
at 6:30pm to show off their alternate kits and serve as a meet and greet with the players and team staff.  
It was the first time for most of us fans to hear from new head coach Martin Nash who was signed 
after last season.  There was also time to provide more details to the plan to develop a new stadium 
and training facility near the Woodbine Racetrack in Etobicoke.  If a few more season tickets were sold 
and kits sold, well all the better!    
  
Fans arrived for a 6:30pm start and were soon served complimentary ball park style food like hotdogs 
and fries, and nachos and cheese, to go with soft drinks and beer and pastries for dessert.    
  
Folks at my table were trying to figure out when we had a party like this.  We knew it was before 
the pandemic but I had to look it up when I got home...it was Thursday February 27, 2020.  That was like 
three weeks before the world changed and the CPL season was almost cancelled then finally an abbreviated 
season was held in a 'bubble' on Prince Edward Island.  York 9 FC before the rebrand!    
  
At least one other CPL team was holding a party tonight for the same reason.  The event would transform 
into a World Cup Qualifying watch party for the Canada vs Panama game scheduled at 9:00pm.  The invites 
were sent out at least a month in advance so it was unknown whether this final game of the cycle would 
be a 'must win' or just a placement game for a better qualifying draw pot.  

The lights were turned down at 7:20pm and players were introduced in order from lowest to highest jersey 
number.  The new kits are now a solid dark blue on both front and back with gold names and numbers like 
last year.  It's the primary kits that are white and have the Toronto skyline outlined on them.    
  
After the MC (Eoin O'Callaghan VP, Content and Communication Strategy) had finished with the players, 
he had a round table with Angus McNab, the President, CEO, and GM and the new head coach and technical 
director Martin Nash on stools on a small stage.  

The crowd noise I thought would drown out everything that was being said by the three of them especially
the soft spoken Nash (one mic passed around) but because I'd placed my phone on the closest table then 
backed away so others could see the stage, the recordings are just listenable.  

Comments on the team...23 minutes, 55 seconds 
McNab thanks the fans for coming out.  Comments on the Woodbine announcement. 
Will be the best facility in the league for our team and the youth of the city. 
Thanks the owner.  O'Callaghan asks McNab the reason/process of deciding to
replace head coaches.  Nash is asked how preparation is going. How important is
the mental side (of training) for the players. For McNab What do you think
of the transformation from the start of the league and the rise in Canadian
soccer?  He heaps praise on the Women's national team in his answer!  You will
see some of today's CPL players on the 2026 team!   For Nash: What is it like
watching today's Canadian national team?  What role will the CPL play for future
national team rosters?  More comments on Woodbine.  McNab makes more comments
on the Canadian Women*!   for Nash:  How excited are you for next week's first game?   

*With what's been mentioned about the Women's game in the Woodbine announcements and tonight's comments, 
I think McNab is siding with having a women's league in Canada (rather than joining the US league). 

Fans question and answer segment...8 minutes, 53 seconds 

If I ask the question it's in bold font! 

Will the Woodbine training facility be built by the World Cup 2026 for visiting teams to use?
McNab action: since built modularly, there will be portions that will be ready.  
for Martin:  Will the team be ready Thursday (season opener).
for Martin:  For the past three years the team has been very defensive, how will you change
the strategy for the games.  McNab says Nash's vision of the changes helped him win the job!   
Nash says the most successful teams direct the tempo of the team.  We will Press!  
for Nash:  Did you ever think when you were playing with Rochester Raging Rhinos and you'd
come to town to beat the Toronto Lynx that one day you'd be a manager of a team in an All-Canadian
team? Answer:  No, there were not very many managerial jobs back then with the small amount
of teams in Canada. 
 
While the Q & A broke up, I was given a bag with my name on it (as a Season Seat Holder).
It had this year's scarf inside plus a postcard of the home schedule.  Hmm 14 dates.  
I can't remember now if the package promised a Canadian Championship game (some teams did)
but York will be on the road for the first three rounds.  So much for home-and-home series. 
Also included is a 'replica' of an actual cardboard ticket with my seat number but with 
a disclaimer that our actual ticket is on TicketMaster.   
 
There was a desk with a steam presser and boxes of various sizes of jerseys and read to iron
on names and numbers although there was an option to have your own name put on it. I was
promised a customized shirt would be ready before the national team game was over.  I passed
as I wanted to get home but can take up their offer at home.  I've had bad luck in prior
seasons with six week waiting times but they are doing it different this year!   
 
I came with a friend (call him at most a casual fan) and I had to leave him at our table of
eight near the back so I could go up to the front and make these recordings.  A mother and
girlfriend of a staff member at our table gave him one of their SSH scarves.  What a great
gesture.  Thank you!   

Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
twitter:  @RocketRobin01
   

The Springhill Suites by Marriott located in Vaughan was the location of tonight's event.

A crowd of about 200 season ticket holders and guests came to the alternate kit launch party.

Defender Jordan Wilson is introduced.

Midfielder Diyaddine Abzi makes enters to great applause.

York United FC players gather after their introduction.

Angus McNab, President, CEO and GM (wearing glasses) and Martin Nash (head coach and technical director
(in light colours) prepare for question and answer period.

Eoin O'Callaghan, the VP of Content and Communication Strategy acted as the MC tonight.

Both sides of the Season Seat Holders' membership scarf for 2022.

back to 2022 York United FC menu

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