The news that Langley will be home to a new professional football team was welcomed by the Langley United Football Association (the day after tomorrow).

On Wednesday. April 13, the new Canadian Premier League (CPL) franchise announced it would debut for the 2023 season with Willoughby Community Park as the home of club football. Team names will be announced later.

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Willoughby Community Park is also home to LUSA, and club members are overjoyed at the news.

Mark Parker, Technical Director of LUSA, said having a professional football team right at the heart of their own player development was something they had dreamed of for years.

“Now that this is a reality with the new CPL franchise, it will inspire our young players to strive to be the best they can be, and hopefully one day a young Langley United player will run out of the new CPL franchise club uniform. , said Parker.

“We love our Vancouver Whitecaps, but having a professional CPL team in our community is something really special,” added Parker.

LUSA Executive Director Marcel Horn “is thrilled with our community that the real Canadian professional football league is here at Langley.”

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Horn predicts the CPL “will open up a whole new world of possibilities for youth within our club, Fraser Valley and beyond and inspire next-level commitment to this extraordinary sport. I am grateful that we have Township who are proactive in seeing the importance such a franchise can play in building community pride and engagement with the outdoors and have worked so hard to make that vision a reality.”

Horn said LUSA looks forward to working with team owners, Six Five Sports, to expand the line of LUSA players and “continue to develop Canada’s global football footprint.”

Mayor Jack Froese said having a CPL at Willoughby Community Park would give residents “an exciting opportunity to see professional football close to home and can help inspire young players to take up the sport.”

Plans call for the construction of an 8,000-seat stadium at Willoughby Community Park next to the Langley Events Centre.