Vol 1 Issue 3

Welcome to issue number three of The Crust fanzine, a fanzine for York United Supporters. This issue is dedicated to Diyaeddine Abzi. As a day one player, Abzi have been a shining star for the club on and off the pitch. We owe some of the best experiences at Pielands to Abzi and he will always be one of our own. Good luck Abzi. Allez!

COY9S

Merci Abzi

By Thomas Hewitt

Right from the very first kick-off in Canadian Premier League history, as a member of York United FC, then York9, Diyaddine Abzi was there, a member of the nine stripes. Over the years, he developed from just another CPL player, lucky to be playing for compensation, to now being a star, and now, being the first CPL player to rise up to European ranks. Abzi played his last match in the blue and green, or le bleu et vert, on Saturday, against Pacific FC.

The fans gave him a show of affection all afternoon. No, it wasn’t just due to his superb play, as he was able to deliver clean and productive tackles all game along, as well as some good set pieces, but it was also because of all he’s done for the club.

Being a star in the harsh media centre of Toronto is hard enough as an athlete, but Abzi has been able to combat that with play. Well, if there is one thing this city wants in an athlete, it is to be amongst the best, and, with Abzi landing at number four on last year's CPL50, a ranking of the best players in the league, he has done just that.

It was Abzi, a supporters 2021 player of the year, and Max Ferrari, another honouree of that, who were standing out in the match. Playing out to a 0-0 draw, Abzi and Ferrari had sparks of brilliance, with Ferrari drawing a couple of fouls within decent territory to the net. Abzi took the kicks, and did a pretty good job. There was only one corner in the second half which was poorly taken. You could tell it was hard on set pieces and for the likes of Niko Giantsopolous in net when you’re dealing with the harsh wind, at speeds of around 55-60 km/h.

Thank you for supporting The Crust

Unfortunately, the afternoon may be remembered with some bitterness. The fact is, York was the better team against the reigning CPL champions. Despite Pacific holding on to the ball for 66.3% of the time, that was mostly due to some late spurts and the defence passing around. York, though, led in shots, 8-3. Full credit where credit is due to Giantsopoulos, who made three saves, all relatively easy, but three nonetheless is a good number. But if there was one

thing that stood out to me regarding Niko’s game, it would be when he came out of his net, looked as if to play the ball, but shielded it from a Pacific attacker despite being knocked to the ground. As mentioned by the supporters, he does also have a podcast.

Make that bitterness bittersweet, since Abzi left the club, signing autographs and talking to supporters post-match. It did feel all the more like the community that York United is building, since the smallest crowd of the season showed up. It was only the most loyal, and it fit since Abzi is a loyal player.

Off to French Ligue 2 side Pau FC, where hopefully he can find his game. And, if not, he will still have somebody to lean on.

Soccer Daddy // Too Much Soccer!

Article by Namu Yoon

The York United fans had a Twitter Spaces, as we do every two weeks, to chat all things YU, and one fascinating topic came up about how some fans fall into football all on their own accord, while others fall into football due to their family, whether it be their dad, grandpa, uncle, brother, mom, etc etc.

That topic always fascinates me, as I’m always interested to hear from people about how they got into something, how they became a football fan, or how they became a YU fan, or etc. I’m in the former when it comes to my question above, I mainly got into football on my own accord. My mom did sign me up for soccer when I was in kindergarten, and I do remember kicking the ball with my dad (he had a mean shot), and watching the Korean national team with them on TV, so I guess it’s only partly true I got into it on my own accord. But in terms of getting into club football, in terms of getting into supporter culture, anything beyond really the expected faithful citizen duties of a Korean to support our national team, anything beyond that was all on my accord really. FIFA the video game defintely helped as well haha.

But during the Twitter Spaces, we discussed the topic of some fans who couldn’t even help but fall in with football, as it was a weekly religious routine at home to watch the game on TV or in the stands or etc. That made me think about my own two daughers, and what their relationship with their daddy will be like growing up, and how they will view football or soccer through those lens.

I’ve chatted with friends who said, they got into football because, one way or another, whether their relationship with their dad was great, horrible, or somewhere in between, that football or sport was a great equalizer or connector between father and child. I wonder if my two kids will think of football that way as well, or York United that way. Well, they don’t really have a choice if I’m the one deciding what we are doing on Friday night. Hey, as long as they’re having fun, it can only be good, right? I’ve attached a photo below, I think they’re having fun with it, you might agree. So yeah, one way or another, they’re gonna know about York United and CPL haha.

My oldest one is in a youth club now near our place, and she’s having fun, and she knows I love watching her play or playing with her. She knows I love football, I’m constantly playing it, watching it, talking about it, playing FIFA at home. Her mom taught her to yell “too much soccer!” haha, so she’s a good reminder that maybe I shouldn’t be so obsessed about it too much haha. Hey, I do know I have to be careful not to overdo it, when I was a kid, I was actually only into playing soccer, since like I said, our family didn’t have much of a clue about club football. I was actually obsessed with MLB and ATP, baseball and tennis. But now, I find the two too boring to watch (though I do love playing em).

So yep, as with most things parenting, everything should be in moderation. I want my kids to retain that magic of soccer when they’re my age. I want them to love playing it, love watching it, but that’s not going to happen by me boring them to death with too much soccer when they’re kids, and think it’s so not cool when they’re teens, as they will inevitably do so. Parenting is fun, guess this piece was as much about parenting as it was about soccer. Too much soccer, maybe, hehe. Maybe I’ll trick em by getting em into MLB and ATP first, wish this soccer daddy good luck either way.

THE CORNER KICK

The Corner Kick is an interview series conducted by Nick Friend. For issue #3, Nick spoke with York United Center Back Daniel Obbekjaer

Editors Note: This interview was conducted before Daniel’s release by the club. We wish Daniel all the best going forward. Once a Nine Stripe, Always a Nine Stripe.

NF: If you could eat only one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

DO: Oatmeal with fruits, musli.

NF: If you could have dinner with anyone alive or dead who would it be?

DO: Cristiano Ronaldo.

NF: If football players had a walk out song what would yours be?

DO: High Hopes- Panic at the disco.

NF: Would you ever consider coaching?

DO: Yes. I could definitely see myself as a coach when I retire.

NF: Who was your biggest supporter growing up?

DO: My Dad, Mom, and little brother.

NF: What inspired you to choose to play football for a living?

DO: My love for the game and my Dad.

NF: If you could choose one organization/charity for your fans to support, which would it be?

DO: A charity that supports kids with cancer

NF: What has been the biggest hardship you have had to overcome to get to where you are now?

DO: A coach a few years back did not believe in me

NF: What motivational quote do you stand by?

DO: Always give your 100%. If you do that, you’ll never let yourself down and you’ll allways be able to look yourself in the mirror!

A Supporters journey to York United FC

By Edward Johnson

Being a football fan when you grow up in England is as normal as breathing. You come into the world, clear your lungs and literally start being alive with the sensations, the passion, the banter and the emotions of supporterdom

Like a squid game that never ends, you can't escape. And you should not escape.

Growing up in North-West London meant just a few teams to be serious about (barring your local non-league team)

My family was typically.... divided as Lilywhite on one side and Gooner red on the other. Boys stuck with their Dads so it was him and me... Tottenham Hotspur all the bloody way. Not a single piece of clothing of mine was red. I wanted dad to sue the primary school for making me wear a red and black tie every day.

We lived in Wembley. It was the 70s. There was no satellite or cable TV. No live matchdays except for the really big matches, those Cup Finals, and Home Internationals where the whole country came to a standstill. We lived near a huge park (I called it my backyard yard) where I could run to the top a hill like Rocky on big match days, and see the Twin Towers in the close distance. I'd cup my hands to my ears and listen on the wind for the crowd singing the National Anthem before the games. On the last verse " Gooooddd Save The Queeeen..." I would sprint down the hill to get home in front of the tiny telly with everyone to see the kickoff and the match.

I'll never forget one of those last England-Scotland matches before the Scots were banned for wrecking the hallowed Wembley turf and goals. The morning of matchday, there was a knock on the door. Although forbidden as a small kid, I couldn't resist opening the door after peeking through the letterbox and seeing a glimpse of .... tarten. I opeed the door and a tall ginger haired, ginger bearded man with gapped tooth bent downand said "Hey wee fellow, is yer mami there" My Dad came bursting to the door and they stood chest to chest. "What do you need" said Dad. Ginger said " I walked a long way and I'm busting". So as Dad, opened the door saying "It's upstairs", Ginger shouted "Hey c'mon lads ... we got one and they're not enemy". One by one a squad of thirty noisy half-drunk Scots used the single toilet of our tiny house, each one patting me on the head on their way out, no doubt aimlessly to the Stadium.

I digress.... but in those days, there was only one team to follow when it came to magical Cup Finals and European radio commentaries that team was Tottenham Hotspur. I fell in love with Lilywhite jersey, the blue shorts, the Chivers and Peters combo and those Tottenham fans who were so friendly and positive wherever Dad and I saw them. A relationship more emotional than a love affair was born. (Years later I'll always marvel in disgust at "fans" who can change their supporter allegiance whenever their favorite footballer changes club). Even my wife knows that if I am ever shown as a captive forced to speak on a grainy video and I say ay sentence containing Arsenal" that it will mean that I am the gravest of danger and conditions.

And now the point of this article: Being there at the start, the birth of a new professional league is like winning a lottery but being at the start of a new team is a once in a lifetime chance. As a new Canadian, I gravitated to Toronto FC (The Reds) for a few years win or lose. It has been an amazing ride, but when the team York United FC (formerly York9 FC) was inaugurated ... the only team with white jerseys in the league and the nearest to me, I knew it was fate. I can't describe the feeling of joy and wow as I walked through the gates to attend the very first Home Game ..... it was a Canadian Cup match against AS Blainville. I stood on the concourse watching the match taking in the breeze and feeling like I'd just stepped onto planet Jupiter with the first human spaceship. I didn't care that this match wasn't getting much fanfare from the media. I knew that "I. Was. There.". Starting my own family "supporters" cycle as a York9 fan.

Part 2 to come

Memories in Vancity

by Juan Carlos Dominguez

Shoes off for the Blue and Green, Shoes off for the Blue and Green

Was the thought running through my head while I walked through security at the Pearson Airport. I haven’t been this excited for a while, it’s almost been 6 years that I haven't travelled and this is the first time I’ve travelled to an away game. Almost 4000 kilometers separating from Toronto to Vancouver. One of the longest trips I have ever experienced as football fan to support my club. This was the semi finals of the Voyageurs Cup – between a club that was established in 2019 versus a club that has historic ties to the province of British Columbia. If we beat Vancouver, this would be the first final held in the York Lions Stadium. It would be against Toronto FC or Montreal Impact, FC Montreal, Club de Foot Montreal, and if you have visited our stadium, you would see how crazy the sound of the idea was. Everything went perfectly smooth in security, now it’s time to wait in the terminal for my flight. It’s 9:05 eastern time, I’m expecting to be in Vancouver by 11:30 Pacific time. Absolutely buzzing. I’m meeting a friend and fellow supporter, Tibor, at the place we are crashing for the week. Beautiful little place, located in front of the beach and it’s walking distance to BC Place. While I'm waiting for my flight, I checked the group messages in the supporters group. Wait, what now!? Tibor was able to do what!? Tibor was able to be the pitchside, as the team had a light practice, ofcourse, just my luck, it was the day before the big match. If I arrived a day earlier, I could’ve done the same. A few minutes later, they call us for boarding and as the famous Fabrizio Romano says “Here we go”. 5 hours after, I landed at YVR airport. Absolutely exhausted, I called an Uber and directly go to the house where I’m meeting Tibor. I met him in front of the house, he welcomed me and asked me how the flight was. It sucked. But we were both looking forward to the big day, tomorrow. We went upstairs to our separate rooms and hit the sack.

Then it was the "Game day". Before we left, Tibor had a great idea to make a Tifo for Diyaeddine Abzi. It was his last game for the club, and his impact was definitely going to be missed. Tibor and I spent a good hour and half making sure the sign looks decent, then we got ready for the day that we were waiting for. We grabbed a quick bite and walked to the downtown core. Vancouver is a vibe. When you look at all four corners, it had everything – the beaches, the mountains, the busy city life and the perfect weather. Tibor and I were wearing team gear when we were walking around, a guy walks past us and says “Ehhh go York!” Holy shit, what just happened? Did someone just recognize the shirts that we were wearing? This never happens in our own city! Then we head to this Mexican place that Tibor showed me and it was scrumptious. If I somehow missed the match, my day wouldn’t have been ruined because that’s how good the food was.

Moment of truth – Tibor and I reach to the stadium. People were starting to pile up one by one.

We have reached our appointed seats. BC place was beautiful. There was a certain aura to it, it felt spacious and it had a big game hospitality to it. As Tibor and I were about to sit down there was a huge yell. We turned our heads and we saw multiple women in green face paint with green leotards wearing 'Zator' jerseys jogging to their seats. After we saw them, about 10-15 people started joining them. Tibor and I know that the Zator family is well known to be supportive for our centre back Dominick Zator. It’s something you would love to see, a family that rolls deep in their own. They were about 2 sections ahead of us. Meaghan, Dominick's fiancée, came up and asked if we wanted to join them. Tibor and I felt quite lonely up in the supporters section, so we happily accepted the offer. We came by and talk to some of the family members. A lot of them flew in from Calgary, where Dominick was born and raised. Dominick played for Cavalry, before he joined York, so his family was telling us how it was like watching him play there. You can feel how proud they were of him. As the match goes on, we joined them in the chants and screams. It very something special to see Abzi play his last game for the club. He’s been with us since day one and has consistently put in a shift. For him to go to league two in France was an incredible achievement – watch out for this young buck!

The game ended at 2-1, it wasn’t the result the boys wanted, but they put on a prime performance which made all of the us proud.

When Tibor and I left the stadium, we were chatting about what can we have for dinner, then we heard our names being called from afar, turned out to be Dominick’s fiancee, Meaghan. She was kind enough to invite us for dinner. It was beautiful, I was chatting with the uncle about Polish soccer with a delicious steak and wine. Tibor and I jokingly said it felt like we were part of the Zator family. Surprisingly, Dom and Niko joined us for dinner. Niko (our Greek God goalkeeper) brought his family as well. It felt nice having dinner with the players and their family. It’s something I never thought I would experience as a football fan. Although, it wasn’t the result that we wanted, the destination, the ambiance of the game, the newly found friends made it a very special and memorable trip. I’m really looking forward for the next one. I want to thank Tibor, my guy, for helping set up the trip. It wouldn’t be as fun and memorable without him.

P.S. don't book with SUNWING (that will be a separate blog explaining how terrible they are lol) HORRIBLE.

York United Supporters Q+A

Answers by Jason Karp

How did you first get into football or other sports?

The 1994 World Cup was my first exposure to soccer. I was 11 and the game's hold on me was almost instataneous. I have vivid memories of sitting in front of the TV, transfixed by the flowing, rhythmic nature of the game's movements. The seed was planted but for four years the roots sat dry, until the birth of Sportsnet brought with it Saturday morning Premiership coverage. Already a fan of the game, I was introduced to the world of domestic and continental football, its colours, and its culture. There was no going back.

The 2000 Gold Cup happened and my passion for the game was redirected inwards, locally. Wanting that same thrill but on a weekly basis, I sought out the only professional product available to me at the time. The Toronto Lynx, of what was then known as the A-League, was a mom and pop operation that struggled to attract attention from a Eurocentric soccer market. But it was soccer, and on an overcast day Varsity Stadium, with its brutalistic slabs of concrete tighly packed into its dense surrounding neighbourhood, almost felt like England. I imbedded myself with the club's tiny supporter's group, The Toronto Ultras, and even worked for a time for the club out of highschool. The page turned on soccer in Toronto and the Lynx were usurped by Toronto FC and what were the Ultras became U-Sector.

What are some of your favourite clubs or nations to support in football?

Toronto FC, York United, Canada.

How did you find your current group/position related to football?

My friend from U-Sector started COTU

How are you enjoying the rise of Canadian footy at the moment?

Being able to share something that I once believed was the domain of a few weirdos on an internet forum with such a growing movement of fans across the nation is something that I am still struggling to come to terms with. I felt the hurt of the Hargreaves, DeGuzmans, and Begovics betryals as much as anyone. Getting to the point where one of the darlings of European football is proudly and emotionally wearing his love the Canadian Men's national team on his sleeve on a platform like Twitch to an audience of thousands, most of them not Canadian, most of them around the same age as was the generation of fans that laughed at our program when I was growing up -- that means a lot.

Rob Wong at the Canadian Championship match against Whitecaps

How important do you think CPL and YU are to the development of football in the GTA and beyond?

I see the growth of the game here in three stages. The first was the introduction of the MLS to Canada. This changed the landscape of soccer here by making supporting the local game something people sought out rather than disregard. TFC offered fans of overseas soccer the opportunity not just to add another fixture to their weekend watch list, but to be a part of something. This energy mobilized and congealed into the culture found today in the south end. The second stage saw that culture bleed over to the national team, allowing us to reclaim our stadiums as pro-Canadian environments and setting the stage in the stands for the golden generation on the field that was yet to come. The last stage is taking that energy and redircting it towards a domestic league. Only when that happens, can Canada truly claim to be a football nation.

When and where did you first hear about Y9/YU/CPL?

When the team was innagurated.

What made you first get into Y9/YU/CPL?

The opportunity to support the local game and to get a first-row view of young talent.

What were your first impressions of Y9 or YLS or CPL?

Reminded me a lot of the Lynx!

What were your first impressions of Y9 or YLS or CPL?

Reminded me a lot of the Lynx!

What’s been your favourite experience at YLS or with YU so far? Share a favourite story of YU/Y9 with us if you like.

The pies

Who’s your favourite YU player at the moment? Who’s your favourite YU/Y9 player from before?

Abzi, but I'm most intrigued by Johnston and Ferrari, who I think could be on the radar for 2026.

What do you hope to see from YU in the near or long term future?

Keep the striped kit and decide what and where "York" is.

What are your thoughts on the big plans at Woodbine?

A home to call our own, both in name but also in terms of being able to shape the surroundings as we see fit, is essential to being able to market this team. A green and blue team named York, playing in a red-and-white stadium located on a campus for a separate institution named York, is obviously a branding mess.

So when is YU winning the microwave plate? Any last words you’d like to share with fellow YU fans?

Go Jays :)

Number 20, Diyaeddine Azbi

By Jason, Day 1 Abzi fan

“Starting at Left-back, number 20, Diyaeddine Abzi”.

In York 9/York United FC history, no other name has been called to the starting line-up more than our former dynamic fullback. He’s our all-time club appearance leader with 76 games played over 4 seasons. He’s scored 8 goals over the years, placing him in the top 3 in York history (and is the youngest player in our top 4), potting a team-high 6 goals in 2021. To us it's no surprise he got transferred to Pau FC of Ligue 2 (France 2nd division) in June 2022, but for those newer to following York United, read ahead to see how he got from Montreal to France.

How do you think YU will do this 2022 season?

Very well. The large degree of carryover is a huge opportunity to mold this team of talented young individuals into a cohesive unit. In Martin Nash, the club seems to have found someone who more closely aligns with the front office's vision.

Original York Manager Jimmy Brennan spotted Diyaeddine playing for the semi-professional PLSQ side A.S. Blainville, and was excited for a player he described as “[having] terrific feet and skill” and being “very comfortable on the ball, likes to get forward with pace”. In our debut season to shore up our left side, Abzi quickly became one of our first signings, February 22, 2019 officially signing for York. It didn’t take long for Abzi to make his professional debut, as he came on as a substitute in the Canadian Premier League’s first ever game, April 27, 2019 against 905 Derby rivals Forge FC. I was at the game, and was impressed by the full-back combo of Abzi and former right-back Doner which held very strong all season.

Forge FC are a team that we always want to do well against, and on an excellent Saturday in October, York beat rivals Forge FC 4-0, a score even more significant because the third goal of the game was Abzi’s first ever professional goal. The 2019 season resulted in a CPL Best Under-21 Canadian Player of the Year nomination, ultimately losing out to Forge’s Borges, however Abzi garnered a lot of respect around the league for the nomination and the 24 games played.

After a quieter 2020 season in a pandemic-shortened Island Games, the 2021 season was a true breakout for Abzi. He played 2,307 minutes in 26 CPL appearances, led the team in a three-way tie with 6 goals, leading the league in many statistical categories along the way. He led the entire Canadian Premier League in successful 1v1s with 61, and was 3rd in the league with 167 successful duels. He finished number 4 in the end of season CPL 50 rankings.

These quality performances caught the eye of Canada’s coaches who selected Abzi to play in the Concacaf U-23 Olympic Qualifiers. Although minutes were hard to come by in the U-23 squad, coming off the bench in the semi-final game meant a few minutes against Mexico that in no doubt was a great experience for him. He says he learned a great deal on the tactical side from his time on the U-23 team.

In the 2022 season, his final with York United, he was one of the Players of the Year leading up to his departure. On our Supporters and fans “Player of the Match” vote, he’s been voted player of the match in Games #6, 8, 10, and 11, and with a goal against Ottawa in the Canadian Championship, another CanChamp POTM. He is loved by the fans!

Growing up in Canada without our own premier league to follow, we didn’t have the same access to Canadian representation, especially in our own backyards. For many of us, there weren’t hometown heroes to cheer for. But now with the Canadian Premier League, we have these local heroes we can now support at home, and as they move on to next levels. Diyaeddine was hopefully the first of many inspiring players that use the CPL to make their football dream come true.

Most of all with Abzi we will never forget the heart he gave each and every game, on and off the pitch. As a wing-back you have to cover both ends of the field, and Abzi had the distinction of being one of our best offensive players, while also being a stalwart on defense. And after every game he was one of the first people leading the line to thank the supporters with high fives and celebrations with teammates and fans. Abzi will be missed but we are all proud of him.

Abzi cites Ronaldinho, Messi, and Di Maria as inspirations for him, and you can see the wonder left foot of the latter two in him. Let’s hope they match up in a Coupe de France game one day soon - and Abzi has the upper hand!

voyage, Diyaeddine!!!

OPEN LETTER TO SHARMANS PROPER PIES

By Ronan Cordelle

Dear Mr Sharman

Football and pies is one of those wonderful combinations like Batman and Robin,Peaches and Cream,Penn and Teller the list is endless. We adore the pies, we named our stand after them, in fact we nicknamed the stadium after them and to every team that has traveled to Pielands get told in no uncertain terms that "Our Balti Pies are better than yours' '.

Sharmans pies are now synonymous with York United and are a massive part of our game day routine.We meet in the lot ,smash some beers,sing our way over to the stadium,get in and grab a pie then try scoffing it down before kickoff.

For the next generation, it will be different, every year we see more Canadian athletes on prestigious teams, which will only continue to grow, and more and more kids can have heroes to look up to when they watch football on the world stage.

Now you may be saying after all these positive things I have covered, why is there an open letter. Well James we need a combination of our own. After pounding back beers the lads have a hunger on them and just 1 pie aint going to cut

Bon

it for our guys, we need a side, we need a meal deal, we need an option to supersize it. Now James being from England I know you know this deep down and lets break the usual candidates

1) Fries....or as some know them chips

Now not any old thin rinky dink fries can sit beside our beloved pie.It would need to be a thick cut, chunky , potatoie chip. We also understand you would need a frier for this so maybe not the top option.

2) Mushy Peas...or as some know Yorkshire Caviar

What can we say about mushys,they don't look at all appealing but my god they are delicious.For those that dont know mushy peas are marrowfat peas(big pea type) soaked in sodium bicarbonate then 24hrs later drained,covered with water and simmered till mushy, some add green food coloring.

I'm salivating just thinking about a beautiful fresh pie with a ladle full of mushies on top.

3) Gravy, don't need to explain this one much as Canadians love their gravy just as much as the Brits do.How about a nice jug of Bisto?

4) Mash... When you speak about the great food combinations Pie and Mash is right up there.It goes well with all the pies and also with some other sides like peas and gravy..just saying hint hint

So please Mr Sharmans can you do the nine stripes faithful, the best pie fans in the league a huge favor and add some side to your incredible pies. Because "Our Balti Pies" could be amended to have a second,third and maybe forth verse Our Mashed Spuds are better than Yours........

Dwayne De Rosario is a man whose ambition burns white hot. This comes as no surprise, having at one point earned his living in top-�light soccer, a world where drive and dedication in the 98th percentile are pre requisites for entry, with little guarantee beyond that than a �light out, a complimentary kit bag, and for all but the chosen few, a �light home.

But while De Rosario’s nineteen years as a pro speak to the depth of that ambition, what jumps out from the pages of DeRo: My Life, his 2021 auto-biography (co-written by Brendan Dunlop and published by ECW Press) is its breadth.

From his earliest days growing up in Scarborough, DeRo’s self-belief was resolute. It was also a belief that extended beyond himself, encompassing at various points along the way peers, teammates, leagues, and even an entire country. From the window of his aunt’s crowded one-bedroom apartment, the young son of Guyanese parents could dream of a future where the game took him beyond a world demarcated by Steeles Avenue and Lake Ontario to one bookended by oceans. But soccer, and his carefully cultivated idea of how it should be played, would not only be a vehicle of escape for De Rosario, but a tool to both reshape the game inside the country as well as how it was perceived outside of it.

“In my mind, I wanted to change Canada Soccer. I didn’t only want to change it for me. There were a lot of kids that didn’t make it because of their philosophy of teaching and what they were looking for in players. Dump and chase. Beat your opposition with your physicality. A lot of us didn’t embrace that.”

DeRo: My Life is the story of one man’s love affair with a game, a city, and a country and the career-long obsession with dragging the sport out of the dark ages and modernizing it that (FIX) sprang from it. But it is also the story of how that ambition was so often cut off at the pass by an out-of-touch power structure, skewed priorities, and an antiquated playing style that �lattered neither the sport nor the Canadians tasked with employing it.

“You’re that Canadian kid. What are you doing over here? You’re not gonna make it here, kid. This is not a place for Canadians.”

It was a jarring thing for a teenager from the eastside of Toronto to hear, especially coming from a player the stature of Edgar Davids. But while the sentiment was unexpected, it was nonetheless understandable. De Rosario had already suffered the consequences of a national footballing mentality that borrowed more from Hockey Night in Canada than it did the �lowing European soccer he’d seen on Soccer Saturday with Graham Leggat. His �irst rude awakening had come early, prior to the U-17 World Cup in Japan. De Rosario did not make the trip with his countrymen: too small, concluded the Canadian brain trust. The move was yet another symptom of Canada’s physique-over-technique approach, a system that cedes control of the match before the �ixture is even agreed upon. Little wonder Canadian passports failed at the time to move the dial in Europe.

The story echoes that of Owen Hargreaves, who was cut from the U-17 side in 1996 after being deemed “too timid” by Canada’s decision makers. The snub would send Hargreaves into the open arms of the English FA, for whom he would tally 42 caps, including two appearances in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. But unlike Hargreaves, the snub merely fueled DeRo’s desire to break into the Canada set-up.

De Rosario would eventually crack the senior side, but what awaited him was an operation off the pitch every bit as discouraging as the program's direction on it. Players were forced to endure the indignity of discount red-eye �lights to and from international ties, and honours such as being named Canada’s Player of the Year passed without reward or fanfare from the federation. “American guys are getting Rolex watches or cars. I would lie to people about what I got because I was embarrassed.”

“Embarrassed.”

“That’s not right. That’s not professional.”

“It feels so amateur.”

There is a despondency to DeRo’s language when speaking about his time with the national team that juxtaposes sharply with his recollections of his stints with San Jose and Houston in the MLS. “The standard in San Jose was so high. It was the most professional environment I had experienced up that point.” Frank Yallop had San Jose playing adventurous, con�ident football; meanwhile, on international duty the negativity that Canada clung to cut even deeper for De Rosario due to the fact that the directive came from head coach Dale Mitchell, like him a striker, and formerly Canada’s all-time leading scorer.

Yet no matter how frustrated he got with a program that lacked the courage and self-belief that DeRo so valued in himself, it would not send him down the path of disillusionment so many of his peers had walked, often straight out of the door and out of the Canadian men’s player pool. Instead, DeRo endured and every new manager brought renewed hope and excitement that �inally the program’s vision would line up with his.

This con�licted relationship with home, whether his city or national team, is a theme that runs throughout the book. In fact, it’s as ubiquitous in his life off the pitch as it is on it. Scenes of violence feature frequently in the author’s recollections of his childhood in Scarborough, but as much risk as this lifestyle posed to DeRo’s soccer future, it also strangely informed it. Parallels between parking-lot brawls and pitch-side battles are established. “Home and away scraps” with rival schools were common, and once in the thick of it even �ighting began to resemble soccer. “We’d slide into a guy, take his feet out, and then start beating on him.”

Soccer and street life seem to merge seamlessly in his childhood, but later those same temptations of home would prove incompatible with any professional ambitions. “When I got traded to Toronto, I knew the closer I was to Scarborough, the more distractions I’d have.

NEW YORK CITY

By Michael Miles / Y Front Fanzine

If I had been writing this article a few months back it would have been a totally different read. The club was languishing in the 6th tier of English football. Two leagues lower than our traditional position in the football pyramid. For 5 long and painful seasons we had been at our lowest ebb. The atmosphere was toxic especially at home games. There was a proportion of our support who stopped coming to games on the basis that they refused to their hard earned money to a chairman they felt was not running the club how it should be run. The chairman a lifelong fan had stopped coming to games and had left the club in the not so capable hands of men who were still using pen and paper on a digital age and had no idea of the fans wants and needs. It was all very tiring and despondent did the supporters who still came to games. They came out of a loyalty to the club they loved and to be with their friends which is what football is all about right?

Easter Monday we trudged out of Alfreton after a stinging 3-0 defeat knowing that the season was over. Despite a terrible start to the campaign under Steve Watson resulting in his departure and the appointment of the man Steve brought into the club John Askey, for a while it looked as if we may make the play offs but defeat that Monday meant that was it….. or was it……

Look I don’t know how we did it but somehow we managed to get into the play off. We won games we were not expected to win. We ground our wins and draws when needed to set up a home tie against Chorley on the play offs at home. Our new home. We had been in since the start of the season the LNER Community Stadium having previously spending the best part of 90 years at our beloved city centre ground Bootham Crescent. A �ine old traditional football ground that had so much charm and beauty in the decay but if we are all being honest was not �it for the 21st Centenary having being built in 1932. So in our �irst season at our brand spanking new ground it has chance to cement itself as our proper new home being the backdrop to our dreams.

Over 6500 inside and the noise was tremendous. York fans have always got behind the team especially away from home where we travel in good numbers but this was something very special indeed. The acoustics in the stadium ampli�ied the noise to levels rarely seen at Bootham Crescent.

The goals came, we won, the fans invaded the pitch. We’re the good times really coming back?

The next leg was away at Brackley a team who �inished the season with 21 more points than us. It was a home banker on a red hot day but somehow we won again 1-0 to take us through to the play off �inal and one step from promotion. And the kicker was the �inal would be on our home ground. Now the old York City we know and love would have blown this. Let everyone down but not the new York City this team playing in front of over 7500 fans took the lead over Boston United early doors and never looked back. The ground rocked and the decimals grew louder as a second goal near the end of the game sealed our promotion to the National League and getting us one step closer back to the football league.

Things for a change felt so good. For once being a York fans wasn’t embarrassing or opened you to ridicule. You could walk round with your head held up high for we are York and we’re proud of it. Surely nothing could top this…… well yes it could and don’t call me Shirley!

The rumours started around 18 hours before on social media. The tension and excitement grew. What was happening? It just kept building and building and then �inally after an exhausting time waiting for the news it broke. The Supporters Trust and a successful business in partnership had taken control of the club. Something we had all hoped for for years but never actually believed would happen. The joy and relief that �inally the dark days were over and we could all look towards a better future one that puts the fans �irst and foremost at our club.

So that’s just a very small teasing article on our club York City FC the Minstermen.

It’s been great to see over the summer the relationship building between our two sets of fans and hopefully this is the start of a journey that we will make together.