Soccer fans in the Tri-Cities will soon have a new team to check out south of the Fraser River.
And, if they look closely at the players running around the pitch, they'll notice a special shout out to the region on the jerseys.
Vancouver Football Club (FC) recently unveiled their uniform kits for its inaugural Canadian Premier League (CPL) season, starting April 15 on the road against new B.C.-rival Pacific FC.
The home jersey is a bold, all-black design, but is faintly embossed with the names of 53 communities associated with Metro Vancouver.
kʷikʷəƛəm̓ (Kwikwetlem) First Nation, Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam and Port Moody are prominently displayed in all caps at first sight.
Kwikwetlem can be seen above Macron's downward arrow logo, while Port Coquitlam can be found just below it.
Port Moody is very noticeable as it sits underneath Vancouver FC's eagle logo, and Coquitlam is seen at the top of the right shoulder and below Chilliwack's name on the right side of the CIBC jersey crest.
In a release, Vancouver FC said the design is a celebration of community and gives everyone a "strong sense of belonging."
"Honouring our sporting past, celebrating our region and uniting the South Coast are among our key objectives as we introduce soccer fans on the Lower Mainland to Vancouver FC," said Rob Friend, club owner and former Canadian men's national team forward.
"We look forward to sharing the region's existing passion for the game with the rest of the Canadian Premier League through its support for our club and, together with our fans, building an even stronger soccer culture on and off the field that serves as a point of connection for all of our local communities."
Additionally, the uniform includes silver lettering for the team's logo and sponsors.
According to its website, the Vancouver FC logo is V-shaped as a silhouette tribute to many local sports organizations and the eagle symbolizes B.C.'s south coast as home of the bird's largest gathering spot in the world.
"The newcomers to the Canadian Premier League arrive in style with a pair of eye-catching kits that are already receiving rave reviews from fans on the Lower Mainland for their bold designs and clever tributes to both the local and national soccer scenes," the team added in a news release.
Vancouver FC was unveiled as the CPL's second B.C. franchise in November last year, replacing the debunked FC Edmonton as the eighth club in the top-tier league for Canadian men's soccer.
Their first home game, when the Tri-Cities embroidered jerseys will be seen for the first time, is scheduled for May 7 against Cavalry FC (Calgary) at Willoughby Community Park at the Langley Events Centre.
