B.C. city says Pacific FC owes taxpayers hundreds of thousands as team considers move

Pacific FC teammates celebrate with the North Star Shield after defeating Forge FC by a score of 1-0 during Canadian Premier League championship game action at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton, Ont., Sunday, Dec. 5, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/NICK IWANYSHYN

A turf war is kicking off between the owners of a Canadian Premier League soccer team and the city that hosts the club, with the team threatening to pull up stakes and leave Langford, B.C., even as city administrators say the club still owes the municipality hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid bills.

Pacific FC has been based in the Vancouver Island city since the league’s inaugural season in 2019, playing home games at the Starlight Stadium and practising at a nearby training facility.

But on Wednesday, the ownership group behind the soccer club, SixFive Sports and Entertainment, announced it was exploring options to sell the team, potentially triggering a move to another community.

“From day one, we believed that Pacific FC could be something special,” said Josh Simpson, president of Pacific FC and cofounder of the ownership group, in a statement. “It’s been an honour to help bring professional soccer to Vancouver Island. With a strong foundation now in place, it’s time for a new group to lead the club into its next chapter of growth and success.”

In response to the announcement, the City of Langford says the soccer club owes its taxpayers more than $691,000 for the team’s use of the training centre, and more than $90,000 in unpaid stadium rental fees and game-related costs.

“Further, PFC has not remitted to the city the $1-per-ticket service charge for any of its home games in 2025, which is intended to support ongoing stadium maintenance,” the city said in a statement Friday.

Langford says it has allowed these and other unpaid bills to slide “in the spirit of ongoing partnership” with the team “and to allow for continued negotiations of a long-term stadium use agreement,” which has remained elusive.

The city went on to accuse the team of owing more than $24,000 to Langford’s field operator, and to the small businesses that provide food and beverages at the stadium.

“While all stadium users are required to pay facility rental fees at the time of use, the city has allowed PFC to accrue a negative balance in good faith,” the statement said.

“Rather than enforcing penalties beyond interest for outstanding amounts, such as locking PFC out of the stadium and office space, the city has chosen to honour the partnership and seek solutions that do not negatively impact fans, families, season ticket holders, or sponsors.”

‘Unresponsive and unreasonable’

Langford Mayor Scott Goodmanson says the city is proud to host the team and support its growth, but it cannot be expected to do so at the expense of city residents.

“We’ve made every effort to be fair, flexible, and forward-looking in our partnership,” Goodmanson said in the statement. “While recent comments are disappointing, our priority remains with the residents of Langford and ensuring that public resources are managed responsibly. We remain open to working with PFC in good faith, but we also have a duty to protect the interests of our taxpayers.”

Pacific FC won the Canadian Premier League title in 2021, delivering a boost to the professional league’s profile on Vancouver Island. Two years later, the team allowed its five-year stadium use agreement with the city to expire, leading to a deterioration in the partnership between the city and the team’s owners.

“Unfortunately, PFC has remained largely unresponsive to emails and phone calls to resolve the outstanding debts,” the City of Langford said in the statement. “This is a pattern that has persisted annually since the expiry of the initial five-year stadium use agreement, which PFC chose not to renew for an additional five years at their sole discretion.”

The city alleges the team has been “unresponsive and unreasonable” in negotiating a long-term stadium use agreement, even accusing the team of demanding reduced youth rates for its on-field practices, “despite being an adult, for-profit organization.”

Pacific FC spokesperson Trisha Lees responded to the city’s accusations on Friday, saying the team is “committed to working constructively with Langford, and believes that continued direct dialogue, not public exchanges, is the best way to move forward.”

“Our business is strong, and all our financial commitments are being met or are part of active discussions with the City of Langford,” the spokesperson said in an emailed response to the allegations about unpaid bills.

“Pacific FC is proud to call Langford home and thankful for the support of our fans, local businesses, and the community over the past six seasons,” she added.

The Vancouver-based Knightsbridge Capital has been appointed to manage the team’s potential sale.

“The club will now begin the process of identifying and engaging with potential investors,” Pacific FC said in its statement announcing the proposed move. “There is no set timeline for a sale to be finalized, and the focus remains on ensuring stability and continuity throughout.”