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Draft:AFC Toronto

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AFC Toronto

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Full name AFC Toronto Founded 2023 CEO Helena Ruken Head Coach Marko Milanovic League Northern Super League Website Club website

AFC Toronto is a professional women's soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario[1]. It will compete in the Northern Super League[2], a league at the top of the Canadian soccer pyramid.

History

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In April of 2023, Toronto soccer community members Helena Ruken, Brenda Ha, Jill Burgin, Billy Wilson, Mike Ruthard, Kamal Sandhu, and Shamez Mangalji[3] came together to form the Toronto club of the NSL, becoming the league's third founding club[4]. In June of 2024, the club unveiled their crest and brand identity.

Identity

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AFC Toronto’s brand crest is deceptively simple and modern, yet within its clean lines are layers of stories that pay homage to the City of Toronto and its diversity, the founders, the grassroots heritage of the organization and ethos of the club[5]. The inaugural brand crest is a culmination of specific elements that together form its crest.

The ‘anchor T’ is at the centre of the primary crest. It symbolizes Toronto with the bold angles shooting upwards capture momentum, forward movement and the rally cry of the club, “Rise up”! The anchor T is propped up by the mirrored 7’s on either side of the design honouring the founding seven members of AFC Toronto, and the original 6 boroughs of Toronto plus the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) that align the club’s commitment to community.

The ‘elemental shield’ with its eleven strokes, represents the starting IX on the pitch signifying unity, tenacity, athletic excellence and the strength of the club on the field. It’s wrapped in a shield, with the upper and lower strokes that are unbounded to symbolize the club’s commitment to continually push boundaries while creating an inclusive and fair-play environment. These woven parts make the ‘primary crest’. It is a reflection of Toronto, that includes the club’s starting season year, and pays respect to the global tradition and the legacy in soccer of using Association Football Club and a club’s city name within their primary crests. For AFC Toronto, the acronym takes on a deeper meaning: Always For: Commitment, Change, Courage and Celebration.

AFC Toronto is committed to uniting the community and inspiring young women and girls to lead, develop, and excel. The club’s purpose is to not just build a world-class football club but to also create a platform for girls and women to achieve greatness on their terms.

Colours

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Mighty Maroon: Symbolizing ambition and resilience, this deep red-purple reflects the team’s solid foundation and toughness.

Victory Vermillion: This vibrant colour embodies energy and passion, capturing the team’s bold and spirited approach to the game.

Organization

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Helena Ruken serves as AFC Toronto's Chief Executive Officer[6] (CEO). In August of 2024, the club announced its' appointment of founder Billy Wilson as Sporting Director. Following this announcement[7], AFC Toronto revealed their Head Coach (Marko Milanovic) and Assistant Coach (Sylvia Forbes).[8]

  1. ^ "Toronto", Wikipedia, 2024-08-12, retrieved 2024-08-19
  2. ^ "Northern Super League", Wikipedia, 2024-08-16, retrieved 2024-08-19
  3. ^ "Northern Super League", Wikipedia, 2024-08-16, retrieved 2024-08-19
  4. ^ Press, The Canadian (2023-04-26). "AFC Toronto City becomes third team to sign on to Canadian women's pro soccer league". TSN. Retrieved 2024-08-19.
  5. ^ Northern Super League (2024-06-03). AFC Toronto. Retrieved 2024-08-19 – via YouTube.
  6. ^ "Chief executive officer", Wikipedia, 2024-08-17, retrieved 2024-08-19
  7. ^ "AFC Toronto". AFC Toronto. Retrieved 2024-08-19.
  8. ^ staff, Canadian Soccer Daily (2024-08-07). "Northern Super League's AFC Toronto name inaugural head coach, assistant as they build 'formidable' coaching staff". Canadian Soccer Daily. Retrieved 2024-08-19.