Feildians Athletic Association

Feildians
Full name Feildians Athletic Association
Nickname(s) The Double Blues
Short name FAA
Founded 1899 (1899)
Ground Feildian Grounds
Manager Stephen Howell
League Newfoundland and Labrador Challenge Cup
2015 4th
Website Club home page

The Feildians Athletic Association, commonly known as just Feildians, is an athletic club in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. Clubs participate in a wide range of athletics including soccer, basketball, baseball and hockey. Historically, the club also participated in track and field, cricket and even bowling. The Old Feildian Athletic Association was officially formed in April of 1899 as the Feildian Club with the election of the Hon. Edgar Bowring as President.[1] The club motto is "Mens sana in corpore sano", meaning a healthy mind in a healthy body.[2]

History

On June 10, 1929, the club opened a multi-use facility on Rennie's Mill Road in the East End of St. John's. The Feildians Athletics Grounds Association (FAGA) made the facility available to all soccer teams (both male and female) who play under the Feildians Athletic Association (FAA) banner.

The club is one of the oldest formed athletic associations in all of Canada. Founded in 1899, before the province of Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) was yet part of Canada. [3] Originally stemming from Bishop Feild College as an offshoot for athletics, the club has since thrived in the capital of NL.

The FAA was inducted into the Sport NL Hall of Fame as a builder on November 16, 1991. [1]

After a long absence, a group of former & current FAA players and executives began the process of reviving the Youth Athletics Programs. That year saw the relaunch of youth programs in both soccer and basketball. In conjunction with the youth system revival, major work began around the nearly 100 year old Feildian Grounds[4] facility including a new clubhouse and plans for improved field infrastructure (turf).

Soccer

Senior

The Men's squad (aged 18-35) is a member of the Newfoundland and Labrador Challenge Cup League. The club has one Provincial Title, dating back to 1969.[5] Winners of the Challenge Cup Playoffs go on to represent NL at the The Challenge Trophy Canadian Soccer Association National Championships each year. The Women's squad (aged 18-35) is a member of the Jubilee Trophy League. Winners of the Jubilee Trophy Playoffs go on to represent NL at the Jubilee Trophy Canadian Soccer Association National Championships each year.

The 2015 summer season ended in a semi-final loss for both the Men's & Women's teams respectively. The men dropping a 1-0 decision against Provisional Championship Hosts, Mount Pearl.[6] The women falling 2-0 to Holy Cross at the Topsail Turf Complex in Conception Bay South.[7]

First-team squad

As of end of 2015 season

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
00 Canada GK Christopher Goodridge
0 Canada GK David Hickey
1 Canada GK Michael Delong
4 Canada DF Christopher Hart
5 Canada DF Gregory Reid
6 Canada DF James Seifert
7 Canada FW Michael Dawe
8 Canada MF Bobby Gamba
9 Canada DF Richard Hickey
10 Canada MF Taylor Smith
11 Canada MF Sean Fardy
12 Canada FW Carter Mackey
13 Canada MF Ian Mandville
14 Canada FW Marek Nakonieczny
15 Canada MF Steven Johnson
16 Canada MF Kevin Connolly
17 Canada DF Tyler Winsor
18 Canada DF Ben Collingwood
19 Canada FW Hassan Kamara
20 Canada FW Aaron Buckingham
21 Canada MF Josh Murphy
22 Canada FW Zach Hynes (captain)
24 Canada MF Haydn Maclean
Canada FW Iain Gamba
Canada DF Simon Pope

Youth

Since the 2011 relaunch of Youth soccer within the club, the FAA has sent two provincial champions as NL representative to Canadian Soccer Association National Championship tournaments. In 2015 the Under 16 Boys squad finished in 8th place with a 1-4 record at the Surrey, British Columbia hosted tournament.[8] The same core group of FAA youth players also represented NL at the Under 14 National Championships in Lethbridge, Alberta where they finished as winners of the consolation bracket.

FAA Academy Logo

One of the success stories to emerge from the FAA Youth Academy since its relaunch in 2011 has been Striker Emmanuel Dolo. Dolo has played with the Senior squad on numerous occasions and participated in National Youth Squad camps, has had trials with the Vancouver Whitecaps FC & Montreal Impact Academy respectively.[9][10]

The 2016 summer season will be the first to completely bridge the gap from Under 6s to Senior Soccer as the club will have a full youth academy in both boys and girls leagues from Under 6 up to Senior level soccer. All youth and senior teams compete under the Newfoundland & Labrador Soccer Association.

References

  1. 1 2 "Sport Newfoundland and Labrador". Sportnl.ca. 1991-11-16. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  2. ↑ "Feildians Athletic Association : Powered by GOALLINE". Site3109.goalline.ca. 1928-06-10. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  3. ↑ "Oldest Sports Teams In Canada...? | UrbanToronto". Urbantoronto.ca. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  4. ↑ "Feildians Athletic Association : Powered by GOALLINE". Site3109.goalline.ca. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  5. ↑ "Challenge Cup Archives" (PDF). Nlsa.ca. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  6. ↑ "Holy Cross beats Laurentians, goes straight to final - Soccer". The Telegram. 2015-09-04. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  7. ↑ "Holy Cross wins Jubilee Trophy semifinal, will meet Kirby for crown - Soccer". The Telegram. 2015-09-03. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  8. ↑ "Schedule & Results : U-16 Boys U-16 Girls : Qualification Stage" (PDF). Nlsa.ca. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  9. ↑ "Star on the horizon - Sports". The Telegram. 2014-07-18. Retrieved 2015-12-10.
  10. ↑ "Dolo's desire - Soccer". The Telegram. 2015-08-22. Retrieved 2015-12-10.

External links

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