Pacific FC’s Home Ground To Take Starlight Stadium Name

Canadian Premier League side Pacific FC is set to see its home ground renamed to Starlight Stadium ahead of the upcoming season.

The home ground has been known as Westhills Stadium since 2012, when the Westhills Land Company acquired its naming rights for an undisclosed fee from the City of Langford. For its first three years, it was simply called called Bear Mountain Stadium.

Pacific FC has a contract with the city allowing the club to name the stadium pending municipal approval, which is expected to formally approve the new stadium sponsor at a council session tomorrow. The fees associated with the naming rights are split 85% in favour of Pacific FC, with the remaining 15% going to the City of Langford.

Annual fees for naming rights will range from $75,000 to $155,000 with a five-year initial term and two options for five-year renewals, meaning Starlight Stadium will be the home ground’s official name up until at least the 2025 Canadian Premier League season.

For its corporate sponsorship, Starlight Investments will get one marquee sign that lights up from dusk to 10:00PM, branded signage behind each goal, ten stadium flags, municipal direction signage, and a 40-foot roadside banner on stadium-adjacent fencing.

We are thrilled to be working with Starlight Investments as a future partner at our stadium. Please stay tuned this spring when we unveil the newly named stadium alongside Starlight who are fans of both soccer and Langford.

Pacific FC Operations VP Brad Norris-Jones

The arrival of the Canadian Premier League and Pacific FC saw a massive stadium renovation increase the stadium’s capacity increase from 1,500 to 6,000, with Langford investing some $8.8 million worth of upgrades including three new prefabricated roofed grandstands, one of which goalkeeper coach Mark Village likened to The Kop. The upgrade also saw the city install new washrooms, water bottle stations, dressing rooms, and parking.

A second phase of renovations is set to remove the infamous hydro pole pending city approval, which would allow the club to install bleachers at the other side of the field and allow OneSoccer to broadcast from a higher angle. Last year also saw the club open its brand new Island Training Centre, the largest indoor fieldhouse in British Columbia.

Pacific FC didn’t play at its home ground last year, but instead traveled to a bubble tournament in Charlottetown. In his first year with the club, head coach Pa-Modou Kah led the side to its first-ever postseason appearance, with the side bowing out at the group stage.

The side has since re-signed all but two of its players from the prior season. The only new addition is former York United Captain Manny Aparicio, though Kah recently suggested that some new squad additions will be revealed soon.

While whether home markets are allowed in the 2021 Canadian Premier League season depends largely on the success of Canada’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, the name change appears to have struck a positive chord with fans, likely because of how easily Starlight Stadium rolls off the tongue.

Source: Citified