Halifax Tides FC

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https://www.tidesfc.ca/

Time for a thread for the Halifax Tides FC of the new Northern Super League, player signings are coming in fast. Salaries will be higher on average than the CPL currently. Big Sponsors are on board too. Broadcast deal with CBC and TSN.





https://www.tidesfc.ca/

The Northern Super League is set for kickoff in 2025

Canada’s first-ever professional women’s soccer league is finally here

By Jake Takeuchi — Published January 13, 2025

On April 16, the Northern Super League (NSL) will kick off its inaugural match, marking the launch of Canada’s first professional women’s soccer league. The inaugural season will feature six clubs: AFC Toronto, Montreal Roses FC, Vancouver Rise FC, Calgary Wild FC, Halifax Tides FC, and Ottawa Rapids FC. The full schedule of fixtures will be announced in February.

The league was co-founded by former Canadian Women’s National Team (CWNT) midfielder and Oakville native Diana Matheson. According to Matheson on the NSL website, the NSL aims to “build a women’s pro soccer league that would not only change the pathways and futures of Canadian players but reshape the Canadian sports industry and its fans.”

Until the league’s debut, the highest level of domestic women’s soccer in Canada was the pro-amateur league, League1 Canada. Historically, top Canadian players have pursued careers in the US or Europe. For example, Canadian legend Christine Sinclair played 12 seasons in America’s National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) with the Portland Thorns while CWNT star Ashley Lawrence currently represents Chelsea in England’s Women’s Super League.

NSL promises a minimum salary of $50,000 and full trade protection for its players. By comparison, the Canadian Premier League (CPL) — Canada’s domestic men’s professional soccer league — offers a minimum salary of $30,000. Heading into its 13th year, the NWSL will offer a minimum salary of $48,500 USD for the upcoming season. In Major League Soccer — North America’s premier men’s soccer league and home to Toronto FC, Vancouver Whitecaps FC, and Montréal Impact FC — primary roster players earn a minimum salary of $89,716 USD.

Read more here: https://thevarsity.ca/2025/01/13/the...ckoff-in-2025/

https://www.tidesfc.ca

Matheson excited as NSL kickoff countdown hits 100 days

Canadian Press
January 05, 2025 - 11:58am

As the countdown to the Northern Super League kickoff hits 100 days, Diana Matheson likes what she sees.

"It feels like we're right where we need to be," Matheson, co-founder and chief growth officer of the women's professional league, said of Monday's milestone.

"We'll be ready," added AFC co-founder Helena Ruken.

There is still plenty of work to do before the April 16 opener.

The NSL schedule has yet to come out, with the league waiting on the CFL to finalize its dates given shared facilities in Ottawa and Calgary. Matheson expects the NSL schedule to come out in early February with jersey sales to start in March.

And then comes kickoff for the founding franchises in Halifax, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver.

"Picturing those opening games in every market, that's definitely the image I've had in my mind for two years-plus. So I'm really looking forward to those few weeks when all those teams have their home openers," said Matheson, who won 206 caps for Canada in a distinguished international career that stretched from 2003 to 2020.

There will be a one game opening day on April 16, a Wednesday, with two more on the 19th. The league has yet to announce the opening locations.

Vancouver and Montreal have yet to confirm where they will play home games, although Roses FC says it will use several venues in Montreal.

And while the six clubs had only announced a little more than two dozen players prior to Monday, Matheson says many more have already signed with "some exciting" Canadian talent set to be announced this month. The league completed its coaching lineup Friday with England's Lydia Bedford confirmed as Calgary Wild coach.

Matheson also expects more sponsorship announcements this month, with "some pretty top-tier Canadian brands and multinationals" joining Canadian Tire as league partners.

The league already has a kit provider (Hummel), even an official insurance brokerage partner (Westland Insurance). And broadcast deals with CBC and TSN/RDS.

A league spokesman said all league matches will be shown either on linear TV through its broadcast partners or on NSL and partner digital platforms. A "substantial number" will be shown on linear TV.

Each team will play a 25-game regular-season schedule, facing the other clubs five times. The top four sides will make the post-season with No. 1 playing No. 4 and No. 2 taking on No. 3 in two-legged semifinals, followed by a stand-alone championship game.

And while the priority will be to feature female referees and assistant referees, the officiating talent pool will have to grow to reach that goal, Matheson says, with a mixture of men and women officiating to start.

The new league is owned equally by the clubs, with Matheson and league co-founder Tom Gilbert holding an ownership stake in the Ottawa franchise. Future expansion teams will also buy into the league with each franchise holding an equal share.

Matheson says she will not be involved in the day-to-day operation of Ottawa Rapid FC, focusing instead on growing the league.

"We all felt, including myself, that that's where I could continue to have the biggest impact in the next few years," said Matheson. "So I'm not operational at all in Ottawa. And we're really careful to mind any conflict of interest as they come up in any role I have at the league level."

Matheson will also play a role in connecting with other women's pro leagues around the world. She and Jose Maria Celestino da Costa, the league's vice-president of soccer operations, are off to Spain later this month to attend the Women’s Leagues Forum, which represents some 16 women's leagues.

The NSL franchises are independently owned and operated, with ownership groups ranging in size.

AFC Toronto, for example, started with seven founders led by Ruken. More than two dozen investors have since joined, including track star Andre De Grasse and tennis star Milos Raonic.

"We put a public call for investment just through our website, didn't run a huge campaign or anything but it was always there," said Ruken. "And then it spread through word of mouth. A lot of people came to us and just wanted to be part of it and make sure that we have a women's professional team in Toronto. That's our common thread."

Vancouver Rise FC majority owner Greg Kerfoot, who is in the process of selling the MLS Whitecaps, has brought in former Canada captain Christine Sinclair, a native of Burnaby, B.C., and other partners "not necessarily for financial needs but because he wants women to be at the forefront of everything he's doing (with the team)," said Matheson.

The Calgary ownership group includes Winnipeg Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey, a Calgary native.

Clubs will have between 20 and 25 players on their rosters, with eight international players permitted per team.

Teams will initially operate under a $1.6-million salary cap with the league minimum salary set at $50,000. Each franchise will be allowed a marquee player whose pay will not count against the cap.

Unlike Major League Soccer, the NSL special salary slot will not come with a title (designated player in MLS) and Matheson says teams may not identify the player in question.

While the league's bottom line may be bumpy for a while, Ruken says she is in it for the long haul.

"According to our business models, all the clubs will lose money initially," said Ruken. "That's part of it but we very much work towards a breakeven scenario.

"Our plan is to reinvest the revenue back into the club and grow the valuation of the club."

The initial franchise fee was $1 million with a need for an estimated $8 million to $10 million in total invested capital over the first five seasons. Future franchises will have to pay a bigger admission ticket, however.

https://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/arti...hits-100-days/

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TSN 1 will air the first ever Halifax Tides FC match against Calgary FC Wild today at 6 p.m.