Kitchener and District Soccer League
Kitchener and District Soccer League is a competitive Canadian men's football (soccer) league based out of southern Ontario, Canada.
| Country | Canada |
|---|---|
| Confederation | Canadian Soccer Association |
| Number of teams | 9 |
| Level on pyramid | 5 |
| Promotion to | Ontario Soccer League |
| League cup(s) | 2019 KDSL League Champions (Stratford City Football Club) 2019 TMSL League Champions (Polwood SC) |
| Current champions | 2019 Playoffs Champs KDSL
(Stratford City Football Club) 2019 TMSL Playoff Champs (Polwood SC) 2019 DaSilva Cup Champs (Banat SFC) |
| Website | http://www.kdslsoccer.com |
The league has been in operation as the KDSL since 1975.[1] Historically the league has operated with a first/premier division and a second division. As of 2018, only one 9 team premier division competes for a KDSL title and there hasn't been a second (or lower division) since the 2010 season. In 2017, the KDSL welcomed their first women's premier division.
There is also a cup tournament called the Da Silva Cup. In previous decades, the cup was named after the chief sponsor of the tournament - the Molson Cup. It was also called the KDSL Cup. Some teams also participate in the Ontario Cup with the only Ontario winner coming in 1981 when the Greek backed KW Olympics or "big blue machine" collected the honours. The league champion also has the option of joining the Ontario Soccer League (OSL).
Most teams are located within or around Kitchener, Ontario as well as other nearby cities such as Stratford, Cambridge, Guelph, and other smaller towns from the area. Playoffs at the end of the season determine the champion of the league. The top 8 teams qualify for the playoffs.
Historically daily newspapers like the Waterloo Region Record and Cambridge Reporter had very good coverage of the league. This continued into the 1990s at which point it appears budget cuts at these daily newspapers took KDSL reporting off their pages possibly due to the common problem of the internet impact on the print media. Many feel that losing this type of print media reporting diminished public interest in the leagues. In particular, many of the long-running ethnic clubs had a significant older generation supporter base that followed the league in this manner.
Currently Romanian backed Banat SFC trace a continuous existence in the league to the 1970s beginnings. In particular, the loss of teams from three of the four Portuguese clubs in Kitchener and Cambridge (Leoe's, Oriental, and Torreense) seemed to signal a downturn in the league if one could identify a negative trend. Newer ethnic clubs that have taken their place did not have the same staying power and the non-ethnic traditional clubs always lacked a long running and continuous existence.
| Premier Division | Year Founded | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Guelph Gryphons |
2017 |
| 2 |  Supersonics |
1971 |
| 3 |  Polish Eagles Football Club |
1982 |
| 4 |  IST Srbija |
2018 |
| 5 |  Banat SFC |
1967 |
| 6 | Riverside FC (Formerly Sonny's FC) |
2018 |
| 7 | Stratford City Football Club |
2005 |
| 8 | Listowel United |
2016 |
| 9 | Owen Sound United |
2017 |
| TMSL Division | Year Founded | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Polwood SC (Previously Phoenix FC) |
2014 |
| 2 |  NK Mladost |
2015 |
| 3 | SFC Suspects |
2015 |
| 4 | Stratford Home Farm SCFC |
2019 |
| 5 | Riverside FC B |
2018 |
| 6 | Huron United |
2019 |
| 7 | Cambridge United |
2017 |
| 8 | KW FC |
2019 |
| 9 | Kappa Boys |
2019 |
| 10 | Vapors |
2014 |
| 11 | Oriental |
2014 |
TMSL Previous Seasons Results
2019: Polwood SC League Winner, Polwood SC Playoff Winner
2018: Polwood SC League Winner, Bridgeport Strikers Playoff Winner
KDSL Previous Seasons Results
2019: Banat SFC Cup Winner, Stratford City Football Club League Winner, Stratford City Football Club Playoff Winner
2018: Stratford City Cup Winner, Polish Eagles League Winner, Riverside FC Playoff Winner
2017: Stratford City Cup Winner, Polish Eagles League Winner, Polish Eagles Playoff Winner
2016: Supersonics Cup Winner, Bridgeport Strikers League Winners, Polish Eagles Playoff Winner
2015: Supersonics Cup Winner, Polish Eagles League Winners, Hrvat Playoff Winner
2014: Bridgeport Strikers Playoff Champion, Supersonics Regular Season Champion, Supersonics KDSL Cup Winner
2013: Hrvat Playoff Champion, Leoes Regular Season Champion, Leoes KDSL Cup Winner
2012: Hrvat Playoff Champion, Guelph Rangers Regular Season Champion, Hrvat KDSL Cup Winner
2011: Sonny's FC Playoff Champion, Oriental Premier East Regular Season Champion, Sonny's FC Premier West Regular Season Champion, Al's Motors KDSL Cup Winner
2010: Oriental Premier Playoff Champion, Oriental Premier Regular Season Champion, Hrvat KDSL Cup Winner
2009: Hrvat Premier Playoff Champion
2008: Al's Motors Premier Playoff Champion
2007: Hrvat Playoff Champion
2006: Oriental 1st Division League Champions, Hrvat League Champions, Hrvat Cup Champions
2005: Srbija Premier Playoff Champion, Hrvat Regular Season Champion, Hrvat Cup Champions, World Hungarians 1st Division Playoff Champions
2004: Oriental Premier Playoff Champion, Hrvat Regular Season Champion, Srbija KDSL Cup Winner
2003: Hrvat League Champion, Hrvat Cup Champion
2002: Hrvat Cup Champion
2001: Hrvat League Champion, Hrvat Cup Champion
2000: Leo's Premier Playoff Champion, Hrvat Regular Season Champion
1999: Hrvat League Champion, Hrvat Cup Champion, Hrvat Playoff Champion
1998: Hrvat League Champion
1997: Banat League Champion
1996: Hrvat League Champion
1995: Hrvat League Champion, Hrvat Cup Champion
1994: Hrvat League Champion, Hrvat Cup Champion
1992: Hrvat League Champion, Hrvat Cup Champion
1990: Hrvat League Champion, Hrvat Cup Champion
1984: Hrvat Cup Champion
1983: Hrvat Cup Champion
| Player | Club | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Igor Vrablic | Beograd | NASL, Olympiakos (Greece), Canada 86 World Cup, Toronto Blizzard CSL, 2nd round NASL draft pick in 1982 (13th overall Toronto Blizzard) |
| Roderick Scott | Kitchener City | Canadian National Team, MISL all-star, NCAA All-American, Kitchener Kickers CSL |
| Frank Anagnostopoulos | Olympics, Cyprus, Hrvat | 1st round NASL Draft Pick in 1982 (12th overall Toronto Blizzard), Kitchener Kickers CSL |
| Peter Mackie | Polish Eagles, Al's Motors | Kitchener Spirit/Kickers, Ottawa (CSL), CIAU(CIS) All-Canadian, Rochdale FC (UK), Chelsea FC Reserves |
| Vlado Palijan | Olympics, Croatia, Hrvat, Kitchener City | Leading Player 1981 Olympics Ontario Cup Champion |
| Alija Solak | Croatia | NASL with Toronto Metros-Croatia |
| Predrag Begovic | Olympics, Beograd | Leading Player 1981 Olympics Ontario Cup Champion |
| Tom Abbott | Waterloo Athletics | CIAU(CIS) All-Canadian |
| Dean Carey | Kitchener United, Balkans | Kitchener Spirit CSL |
| Brad Cherevaty | Kitchener United | Kitchener Kickers CSL |
| Barry MacLean | Kitchener United, Beograd, Oriental | Professional Soccer Agent, 1985 CIAU(CIS) All-Canadian |
| Mario Halapir | Hrvat, Kitchener United, Kitchener City, Oriental, Leos | Kitchener Kickers CSL |
| Howie Christie | Kitchener United, Balkans | Kitchener Kickers CSL |
| Frank Jagas | Hrvat | Played for Edmonton Eskimos CFL |
| Joe McDonnell | Croatia | Played in NHL, coached Kitchener Rangers |
| Janko Peric | Zagreb | 3 Term Member of Parliament for Cambridge (1993–2004) |
| Christian Mroczkowski | Polish Eagles | Professional Hockey Player for GKS Tychy in the Polish Hockey League |
| Club Name | Club Identity | Year Founded | Final Season | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Torreense |
Portuguese | 1971 | 1990 | Folded |
| 2 | Croatia |
Croatian | 1971 | 1983 | Merged with Zagreb to become Hrvat |
| 3 | Zagreb |
Croatian | 1971 | 1983 | Merged with Croatia to become Hrvat |
| 4 |  Cyprus |
Greek Cypriot | 197? | 1990 | Folded |
| 5 |  Olympics |
Greek | 197? | 199? | Folded, Ontario Cup Champions 1981 |
| 6 | Beograd |
Serbian | 197? | 198? | Folded |
| 7 | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Balkans |
Yugoslav | 197? | 199? | Folded |
| 8 |  KW Turks |
Turkish | 197? | 198? | Became Kitchener City |
| 9 | Kitchener City |
Turkish | 198? | 198? | Became Al's Motors |
| 10 | Cambridge FC | Non-Ethnic | 197? | 198? | Folded |
| 11 | Cambridge FCA | Non-Ethnic | 198? | 198? | Folded |
| 12 | Hellenic |
Greek | 199? | 200? | Folded |
| 13 |  Germania |
German | 197? | 198? | Folded |
| 14 | Concordia Club |
German | 197? | 198? | Folded |
| 15 | America | Central American | 198? | 198? | Folded |
| 16 |  El Salvador |
Salvadorean | 198? | 198? | Folded |
| 17 | Kitchener United | Non-Ethnic | 198? | 198? | Took over from Balkans, Folded |
| 18 | Waterloo Athletics | Non-Ethnic | 198? | 200? | Folded |
| 19 | Waterloo A's | Non-Ethnic | 198? | 198? | Folded |
| 20 | Galt Eagles | Non-Ethnic | 198? | 198? | Folded |
| 21 | Leos |
Portuguese | 197? | 2013 | Renamed Leoe's, Folded |
| 22 | Guelph Oaks | Non-Ethnic | 19?? | 19?? | Moved to the OSL |
| 23 | Guelph Oaks | Non-Ethnic | 2012 | 2013 | Folded |
| 24 | Guelph Royals | Non-Ethnic | 200? | 2008 | Folded |
| 25 | ARTA | Non-Ethnic | 199? | 200? | Folded |
| 26 | White Eagles |
Serbian | 200? | 200? | Folded |
| 27 | Burns Hoffman | Non-Ethnic | 200? | 200? | Folded |
| 28 | Budd Rangers | Non-Ethnic | 200? | 200? | Folded |
| 29 | Polonez |
Polish | 200? | 200? | Folded |
| 30 |  World Hungarians |
Hungarian | 199? | 2007 | Folded |
| 31 | Euro | Non-Ethnic | 200? | 200? | Folded |
| 32 | SC Romania |
Romanian | 200? | 2006 | Folded |
| 33 | KW Celtics | Non-Ethnic | 199? | 199? | Folded |
| 34 | Benfica |
Portuguese | 199? | 199? | Folded |
| 35 | Alianza official site | Latina American | 199? | 2009 | Folded |
| 36 | AMO-SC | Non-Ethnic | 199? | 2009 | Folded |
| 37 | Banat Jr. |
Romanian | 200? | 2010 | Folded |
| 38 |  Aurora Azzurri |
Italian | 2010 | 2010 | Folded |
| 39 | Leotar FC |
Serbian | 2009 | 2010 | Folded |
| 40 | Nuri F.C. | Non-Ethnic | 200? | 2010 | Folded |
| 41 | KMS Spirit | Non-Ethnic | 199? | ???? | Folded |
| 42 | Perth County FC | Non-Ethnic | 2011 | 2012 | Folded |
| 43 | K-W Srbija Official Site |
Serbian | 199? | 2013 | Folded |
| 44 | [2] Al's Motors |
Turkish | 2012 | Formerly Kitchener City and KW Turks, Folded | |
| 45 | [3] Oriental |
Portuguese | 197? | 2013 | Folded |
| 46 | FC Serbian-Eagles |
Serbian | 2011 | 2012 | Folded |
| 47 |  FK Bosna |
Bosnian & Hercegovinian | 2014 | 2014 | Folded |
| 48 | Feds United | Non-Ethnic | 201? | 2014 | Folded |
| 50 | Hrvat |
Croatian | 1983 | 2017 | Folded |
| 51 | Bridgeport Strikers | Non-Ethnic | 19?? | 2017 | Merged with Sonny's FC into Riverside FC |
| 52 | Sonny's FC | Non-Ethnic | 19?? | 2017 | Merged with Bridgeport Strikers into Riverside FC |
| 53 | Aurora Lodge |
Italian | 1981 | 2017 | Folded |
References
- Christine Rivet (May 3, 2000). "Soccer president hopes for peaceful season; KDSL celebrates 25th anniversary". The Record.
- Josh Brown (Sep 18, 2006). "Men of Motors clip Hrvat in OT". The Record.
- Christine Rivet (Sep 27, 2000). "Pride always at stake". The Record.