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- Sept 21 - Soccer squabble in Langford
Sept 21 - Soccer squabble in Langford
Weekly roundup, and mayor promises major 'difference' downtown
Capital Daily Team
September 21, 2025
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Good morning !
Depending on the outcomes of some rival matches last night and later today, Victoria’s professional soccer team, Pacific FC, looks to be out of the playoffs.
But that’s not why the club is in the news this morning.
It’s Sunday, so for our Insiders, our weekly roundup, and an update on the city’s efforts to clean up the downtown core.
— Mark
Today’s approx. read time: 6 minutes
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Langford says it remains committed to Pacific FC, but claims the CPL team owes money
Photo: Courtesy Pacific FC Official Site
In an interview that aired Wednesday on CHEK News, Josh Simpson, Pacific FC’s co-founder and president, said, “The City of Langford has been… not exactly simple to work with since the departure of Stew Young, I can say that,” referring to the former Langford mayor, a vocal proponent of the team.
That didn’t sit well with Langford, and on Friday, the city shot back, calling the comments “both inflammatory and factually incorrect.”
The city seized the moment to tell the public the Canadian Premier League (CPL) club—which is up for sale—owes Langford close to $800K.
In a release on Friday, the city said it has “taken proactive steps to support PFC,” including relocating a hydro pole on Langford Parkway to increase field space.
“Despite these efforts, PFC is currently in arrears to the city for over $90K, which includes unpaid office rent, stadium rental fees, and game-related costs.”
It said the club has not remitted the $1 per ticket service charge that’s supposed to go toward stadium maintenance, and that the club owes more than $24K to the city’s field operator and food and beverage provider.
“Additionally, PFC owes $691,477.77 under the Indoor Training Centre agreement, an amount the city has held in abeyance,” the release said.
“Unfortunately, PFC has remained largely unresponsive to emails and phone calls to resolve the outstanding debts until it requires a renewed stadium use contract with the City.”
The club’s lease at Starlight Stadium is up at the end of the year.
Capital Daily was unable to reach the team for a response.
On Wednesday, ownership group SixFive Sports & Entertainment announced it is exploring a potential sale of the club and that it wants the team to remain in Langford.
It said with the franchise “firmly rooted on Vancouver Island,” and with the 2026 FIFA World Cup poised to shine an even brighter light on soccer in Canada, “SixFive believes the timing is ideal for new investors to guide Pacific into its next phase of growth and achievement.”
On Wednesday, Langford Mayor Scott Goodmanson said he hopes the team can sign a long-term deal to remain at Starlight Stadium.
Pacific FC fell 3-0 yesterday to HFX Wanderers and sits seventh in the eight-team CPL.
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