The numbers on the scoreboard may not have been what they were hoping for, but the stats put up at the front gate still had the founders of North Vancouver’s Altitude FC absolutely thrilled about their first-ever home games.
The Altitude women and men hosted Whitecaps FC on a gorgeous afternoon on Sunday (May 29) at Kinsmen Field, with the community coming out in full force to check out the teams as they made their home debuts in the new League1 BC semipro soccer circuit. The revamped facility – featuring new bleachers, a scoreboard, a beer garden, flags, food trucks and more – was filled to its 700-spectator capacity for Sunday’s historic opener, with hundreds more stopping outside the fence to peek in on the action.
Neither Altitude team managed to secure a win – the women lost 2-1, while the men fell 3-0 to teams from the Whitecaps program – but that didn’t mean the day wasn’t a big success for the club, said co-founder Mark Marshall.
“For all of us at Altitude FC, this was awesome validation of everything we dreamed a community club would be,” he told the North Shore News. “Kinsmen Field has a long history of great football. The venue showed off how special it can be, and we aim to entrench its reputation as one of finest semipro pitches in the country.”
The action on the field was intense, with both teams showing off the high-quality soccer expected from the new league, which is intended to act as a pathway for local youth, university and amateur players as they work towards professional careers.
“The success and community support of clubs like Altitude FC is critical to providing aspiring young men and women in our community the push to the highest levels of soccer,” said Marshall.
Fans won’t have to wait long for another shot at watching the new squad. Altitude will be back at Kinsmen Field for home games Sunday, June 5, against Rivers FC from Kamloops. The men kick off at 1 p.m. with the women to follow at 3:30 p.m. Tickets are available through the Altitude FC website.
@twitter.com/Sports_Andy
[email protected]
Correction: This story has been amended to note that for the Altitude FC games on June 5, the men will play first at 1 p.m. followed by the women at 3:30 p.m.
