LANGLEY, B.C. – Unity Football Club is strengthening the club’s ownership by partnering with Canadian television sports host Kelcey Brade, who is leading a group of passionate local and national investors in acquiring a majority share of the Langley-based franchise.

Unity FC is a professional-amateur men’s and women’s football club competing in League1 BC (L1BC). Both teams are coming off successful L1BC seasons, impressively qualifying for playoff semifinals for the first time. Unity FC women would go on to advance to the L1BC Championship Final last weekend and will compete, starting Friday, in the League1 Canada Women’s Inter-Provincial Championship at Willoughby Community Park Field next to the Langley Events Centre. 

Brade and core group members Aaron Fedora, Brad Ratel and Tyler Walker came on board with Unity FC midway through this season after an agreement was reached with existing ownership on June 12. Within days they bolstered their team by adding Joshua Gaglardi, Chris Della Mora, Lloyd Van Oenen and Clement Wee, reaching investment capacity and positioning the team for growth as a community focused club, dedicated to player development and a fans-first game experience in the 2024 season.

“This game and this league needs people like you and me to come alongside to support, promote and be a part of the journey for our current and next generation of women and men footballers,” said an excited Brade, who will also lead Unity FC as CEO. “I am proud to be leading an amazing group of investors who love football and love Langley.”

Together, this new ownership group is eager to build out the business operations of the club, and strengthen the soccer operations foundation laid by Unity FC’s existing owners – Graham Roxburgh, president and women’s coach, Mike Shearon, men’s coach, Johannes Regier, chief operations manager, Rob Giesbrecht, women’s associate coach, and Troye Flannery, technical director.

“This is a good day for our club and League1 BC. When we began this in 2021, it was all about building opportunity over time on a solid foundation,” said men’s coach Mike Shearon. “We want to get better every year, and by adding these like minded investors and owners, we are definitely ready to build again after a solid year of growth from 2022 to 2023. I’m looking forward to 2024 both for our club and League1 BC as a whole.”

“We are very excited with the addition of new and dynamic owners for Unity FC,” said president and women’s coach Roxburgh. “I love the fact that we have leaders joining us with the same values, ambition and vision for our club to be both excellent on the field and impactful off-field in many lives.”

"To partner with Graham, Mike, Rob, Johannes and Troye who are also vision and values aligned with how we want to see Unity FC succeed both on and off the pitch, and to do it in Langley where I started my sports broadcasting career has me very excited,” said Brade. “Collectively, we want to grow this club by creating an environment where players can develop and push towards their professional goals to reach the heights of CPL (Canadian Premier League), MLS (Major League Soccer) and Project8 (launching in 2025) or overseas.”

The club is dedicated to creating a family-friendly, social atmosphere where soccer enthusiasts and those new to the game are welcome and entertained. 

“This is also so much more than just the players,” says Brade. “We need to connect with the heart and soul of this club – the fans. We want their experience of attending any of our matches to be the best thing you did that weekend and the most fun you had with your family and friends.”

For all media inquiries or further information, please contact:

media@unityfc.ca

For the latest club news follow Unity FC on Instagram, X (Twitter) and TikTok: @unityfcbc

Unity FC Upcoming Match

Come watch Unity FC women take on Ligue1 Quebec champions PEF Quebec women (CF Montreal Academy) Friday at 2:30pm PST in the League1 Canada Women’s Inter-Provincial Championship at Willoughby Community Park Field. Winner will advance to Sunday’s Championship Match, while the loser will play in Sunday’s Bronze Medal Match. Tournament and ticket information can be found on Unity FC’s social media accounts

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Meet Unity FC’s New Partners

Kelcey Brade has more than 20 years of sports broadcasting experience. Brade worked at TSN from 2014-2023, where he regularly hosted SportsCentre, MLS on TSN and the network's live coverage of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Prior to his time at TSN, Brade spent six years at CTV Vancouver anchoring and reporting on the professional and amateur sports scene across B.C..

Chris Della Mora is Senior Risk Consultant at HUB International in Toronto. As part of his job, Della Mora has provided consultation for organizations in MLS (Major League Soccer), NHL (National Hockey League), and NBA (National Basketball Association). He is also the owner of Integral Hockey Whitby. Della Mora is a former university student-athlete having played two seasons for the McMaster University Marauders men’s soccer program located in Hamilton, Ontario.

Aaron Fedora is the Vice President, Development at Cedar Coast Capital Corporation, a Vancouver-based real estate development and investment firm. Fedora is also an active board member for the Korle-Bu Neuroscience Foundation.

Joshua Gaglardi is the founder and owner of Orion Construction, the fastest growing construction company in Canada in 2022. Gaglardi has been named to Business in Vancouver’s Forty Under 40 (‘22) and On Site Magazine’s 40 Under 40 (‘20). He is also a co-owner of PJHL’s Port Coquitlam Trailblazers.

Brad Ratel is the Director of Sales at Code Electric, Western Canada’s largest manufacturer of enclosures and cable tray, located in Port Coquitlam. Ratel is also an active board member for the Korle Bu Neuroscience Foundation.

Lloyd Van Oenen is a motion designer and video editor working 12 years with nonprofits and corporations, now primarily focused in sports. Van Oenen is currently a video producer for MediaPro’s OneSoccer. Prior to his time at OneSoccer, he was a video editor and motion designer for the Canadian Premier League.   

Tyler Walker is an accountant at Empire CPA, formerly known as EPRCGA, with several offices located in Langley and Maple Ridge. Walker was a part of Langley United Soccer Association’s high-performance program for several seasons during his youth. Effective immediately, Walker will also serve as Unity FC’s Chief Financial Officer.

Clement Wee is the Vice President, Alumni and Families at Trinity Western University located in Langley, B.C. Wee is also the founder of Wee Negotiate, a company that helps families and individuals negotiate prices of home services. Prior to TWU, Wee served as a pastor at a local church in Langley.  

About Unity FC:

Unity FC is a story about local football, where stars rise from the grassroots. Unity FC is a professional amateur men’s and women’s football club located in Langley, B.C., competing in League1 BC. Unity FC completes the missing link in the Canada Soccer’s player development pathway – providing homegrown talent the opportunity to take their next step out of their provincial development or college leagues – without having to go out of province or country.

About League1 British Columbia:

League1 British Columbia (L1BC) is a semi-professional men’s and women’s soccer league in British Columbia, Canada. The league is sanctioned by the Canadian Soccer Association and the BC Soccer Association as a pro-am league in the Canadian soccer league system. The league is a member of League1 Canada.