Pacific Must Pay-Per-Game For Starlight Stadium Use

The relationship between Pacific FC and the City of Langford has hit a new low.

Things between the two were already strained after Pacific co-founder Josh Simpson called the city ‘not particularly easy to work with’, with Langford rebutting through financial figures showing the club had unpaid office rent, stadium fees, and hundreds of thousands of dollars still left to pay from its indoor training facility agreement, amongst other items.

With a new stadium use agreement still not decided following the last deal’s lapse and the financial issues still outstanding, Langford has now determined that Pacific FC must pay for the use of Starlight Stadium on a game-by-game basis until the financial matters between the two get resolved.

The city demands that match fees must be paid two weeks in advance of each game.

“Despite the efforts of both parties, the city and PFC remain divided on several key components of the proposed Stadium Use Agreement and the existing Island Training Centre lease,” reads a statement from the City of Langford.

Club owners SixFive Sports and Entertainment publicly put Pacific FC up for sale last fall. They also own Langley-based Vancouver FC, but SixFive has now run into legal issues regarding a loan received that club’s former head coach.

Back out on the Isle, Pacific tested out what a move to Victoria might look like with a one-off match at Royal Athletic Park last year. For ’26, however, it looks like a stay at Starlight Stadium will hold, albeit on a game-by-game basis.

In the meantime, city councilor Keith Yacucha says the club has been using the city as an ‘unwilling creditor’ by delaying its repayments, and that discussions surrounding the stadium and a plan for debt reconciliation have stalled after months of negotiations.

In a club statement, Pacific FC says that the club is deeply invested in the community but admits to ‘material areas of disagreement’ between the club and Langford regarding the interpretation and application of its existing agreements.

The club has, however, acquiesced to the matchday fee, though it was left with little choice on the matter.

“Pacific FC remains willing to re-engage in good faith to resolve all other matters directly and reach an outcome that benefits both Pacific FC fans and the community,” says Pacific FC managing director Ross Marshall.

Yacucha said that the Canadian Premier League side owes the city and local vendors close to one million dollars. The city wishes to flesh out a payment plan for Pacific’s current debts and determine a clear timeline to meet ‘several unmet contractual obligations’, though it’s unclear what the specifics of those are.

“I believe we cannot continue to subsidize a for-profit venture,” Yacucha added in a separate online video.

He says the city recently received legal advice that informed them the financial terms they previously agreed to went outside the legal framework of Langford’s community charter, and now that the city has been made aware that its actions fell outside such a statute, the city had a duty to act immediately.

“I want to be clear, in no way am I suggesting that previous councils acted in bad faith,” adds Yacucha, who describes the city as being an ‘unwilling creditor’ for Pacific FC at present.

“This is not good business practice. This is not a good partnership, and this is not fair or sustainable for the city or for our taxpayers,” adds the councilor.

Pacific is expected to kick off the 2026 Canadian Premier League season in early April, marking the club’s seventh campaign. This season will have a condensed schedule, with CPL clubs expected to have a break in action during the FIFA World Cup.

With the per-match payment agreement in place, it’s unclear how the team would pivot should it fail to pay two weeks ahead of a particular matchday, especially given that the team sells season tickets.

That’s something a new stadium use agreement would solve, though it looks like there’ll be plenty of conversations needed if the two parties are to reach an agreement this year.

Photo Credit: Sheldon Mack