Pirates on Tour – Rovers Invade the Island in Search of More Can Champ Glory

Rovers’ now-signature win over Valour in the Canadian Championship preliminary round was a glorious bit of treasure, enough for a supporter to live on for years. But the victory was also a ticket to the high seas, as the next Voyageurs Cup battle came against Vancouver Island’s CPL club, Pacific FC. It was time for us Pirates to batten down the hatches, fly the flag, and head off in search of gold – those three shiny points of PFC’s trident.

Our pack of Pirates set sail from Tsawwassen on a sun-soaked Wednesday afternoon, meeting on the ship’s top deck to hoist the Jolly Roger. Nearby civilians scuttled away from our rowdy crew, providing us plenty of room to stretch our peg legs. It was easy to feel optimistic on a day like this; hazy daydreams of another upset victory formed, soon drifting off in the wind to join the streaky clouds lining the ever-reaching blue sky. Away days are always special, an opportunity for supporters to go beyond the regular gameday experience and forge even tighter bonds while navigating enemy territory together. But this particular football journey – sailing the Salish Sea amongst mountains, valleys, and island shores on an unseasonably warm day – was next level. It’s hard to imagine better scenery en route to a match. We disembarked the boat, energised by the beautiful journey, ready to meet our foes. It wasn’t long before bright purple banners began to appear on the roadside, informing us that we were now entering “Trident Territory,” a pleasant little place otherwise known as Langford, BC. Looking to become a new “national sports capital,” wee Langford has seen major growth over the last few years, centred around PFC’s ground (shared with Rugby Canada among others), Starlight Stadium. It’s clear to see that Pacific are the main tenant as the entire place is done up in their signature shade, “Starfish Purple.” It’s a charming and cheerful venue made up of two main stands with natural wood features, a bleacher-like supporters’ section, and a pitch-length beer garden. After early arrival to setup the away section and establish some ground rules (the Swanguardians’ signature smoke was a no-go in this particular spot), there wasn’t much left to do but pre-game in the parking lot. We were greeted by the Lake Side Buoys, PFC’s supporter group, with some true West Coast hospitality; gathering as one around their funky PFC- and Pride-themed van, both groups mingled together nicely, imbibing some chilled beverages while trading stories and scarves. It was the antithesis of the scene some Toronto FC supporters recently created when inciting violence against travelling fans from Montreal. Our support is passionate, but that’s not how we do things. I was even gifted a Freeze by the Buoys, and a red one at that! An icy-cold peace offering. The nice vibes carried on as we entered the stadium, which by now was filling up with fans, many of which seemed to be young families and teens. All were out enjoying the day, most were dressed in purple. 

“Silky football,” said one Swanguardian of the Rovers’ early play. Erik Edwardson had a shot on net in the first few minutes, but to be honest, I was so swept up by our glorious away section, our voices and scarves rising in unison under the glowing sun, I didn’t keep proper track of play. It’s a good problem to have. Back on the plastic pitch, which was cut in half diagonally by a great slash of shade, Rovers continued to move the ball nicely. “It’s just like watching Brazil!” A strike sent wide by PFC drew jeers from the Swanguardians, who asked that age old question: “How wide do you want the net?!” In the 12th minute the sun hit the trees, suddenly turning the heat down drastically; the battles out on the pitch remained fiery, however. Quality passing and strong defence had been a sufficient treat thus far, but “Give us a goal you Rovers” rang out as we neared the 20 minute mark, the Swanguardians now swaying arm-in-arm. There’s a key lyric substitution here too – “hungry for CUPS (not just points, in this case) and a victory.” Dare to dream. Then, suddenly, a nightmare; a Rover went down, Connor MacMillan, and it looked bad. Folks huddled around a tiny phone broadcast of the match for a better look, which showed head-on-head contact and plenty of blood. There were whispers in the stands of a red card but no fouls were called. Connor received some attention, got bandaged up, and somehow kept going. Play resumed to the tune of “We love you, we love you, we love you, and where you play we follow.” By now the sun had gone and the pitch was bathed in shade. The black-clad Rovers made a couple of hard tackles, providing further fuel to the unrelenting Swanguardians, who grew in voice with every small victory. Suddenly on the attack, Rovers crossed from the right; the ball flew in and out of the keeper’s hands and onto the foot of Matteo Polisi, who knocked it into the back of the net… GOAL. Swanguardian jubilation! But… the joy was short-lived. No goal was called as the ball was said to have fully crossed the byline (despite what some close-up shots might show). No bother, it felt like whatever half chance PFC got, Rovers were there to shut it down. At the same time, getting to the half without conceding would be a very solid start on the road. A jolt of worry soon rattled the away stand as PFC pressed into the box dangerously, but Danylo Smychenko showed some “class” and stuck out a well-timed leg to clear. There was almost a risky back pass to our keeper Justyn at the death, but play was called back, thankfully, and with that the boys made it to half without conceding. A mighty donut.

My halftime wait in line for some sustenance bled into the start of the second, but the upside was a nice view of the tireless Swanguardians from the other end of the ground. As I navigated through some kids and their balloon-sword fight in the grass, PFC looked more and more menacing. Rovers’ number 3, Gabe Escobar, made a nice sliding tackle just outside the box, but moments later a PFC man went down – quite easily I might add – inside for a PK call. Goal… Womp womp, PFC with the lead. Purple smoke leaked out into the night, appearing to almost melt off the purple rectangle of a building just behind the home supporters’ section. Right after the restart Rovers flexed their resiliency and marched down the pitch, sending a low shot scraping past the left post. Just like their team, the travelling Swanguardians stood undaunted by the deficit, getting louder instead. Rovers soon cried out for their own penalty as a man fell to the right edge of the PFC box, but the whistle did not sound. The size difference between the two teams became more and more noticeable as the night wore on. There were a couple of non-calls as Rovers players were taken down roughly, and it begged the question: did the slew of tough games finally take a toll? Time flew by from there, and the 79th minute soon hit to the tune of Willie’s Privateers. After some throaty singing I ran out for water, the distinct beat and hum of the Swanguardians carrying me the whole way, even through a wall in the restroom. Sadly, my return was marked by a second PFC goal. That’s game. And right on cue, some pal in purple tried to post up in front of us, just to make sure we knew. No bother, the sound of the Swanguardians grew yet. The flags came out. Full time was called, but our supporters kept singing into the good night. The Island teens, feeling confident now, threw shade by pointing out the 2-0 scoreline with their fingers. All good. The players came over and were celebrated as victors. 

You could see the pain in the Rovers’ faces. You could see them scanning the crowd, making eye contact, hand over heart – that real personal connection. And that’s when it hit me… We can’t be stopped! We simply can’t lose! Being a fan-owned, semi-professional club that prides itself on supporter involvement and community growth means that every single day is a victory. Stand up if you own your club! Just us? Thought so. In the cutthroat world of professional sport, we are the change. We are Rovers, and we’re just getting started. 

All photography taken by/property of @residualimage/@aftn