As per our article on Monday Feb. 8th 2010 Edmonton gets NASL team in 2011 Edmonton was first mentioned in this article December 1st 2009.

FC Edmonton Announces Coaching Staff

EDMONTON, AB – Fath Sports Ltd. has joined the newly formed NASL as a founding member and will start play in the NASL in 2011.

The NASL will compete in the second tier of soccer behind Major League Soccer (MLS) beginning in April 2010 in the United States and Canada. The NASL was established in November 2009 and is comprised of the following active teams:

2010 Teams

Carolina RailHawks FC Cary, North Carolina

Crystal Palace Baltimore Baltimore, Maryland

Miami FC Miami, Florida

Minnesota (Name TBA) Minneapolis, Minnesota

Montreal Impact Montreal, Quebec

Rochester Rhinos Rochester, New York

AC St Louis St. Louis, Missouri

Tampa Bay Rowdies Tampa, Florida

Vancouver Whitecaps Vancouver, BC

For the 2010 season, the NASL’s nine teams, together with three teams (Austin Aztex, Portland Timbers and Puerto Rico Islanders) from the United Soccer Leagues, will play in a second division league established and administered by the United States Soccer Federation. In 2011, the NASL will be joined by FC Edmonton and a team in Atlanta. The NASL and its member teams are committed to building on their long tradition of providing a high level of soccer to fans across the United States and Canada in 2010 and beyond.

The Edmonton team is owned by Tom and Dave Fath of Fath Sports, a division of The Fath Group. Mel Kowalchuk is the General Manager of Fath Sports.

Tom, Dave and Mel were involved in the Edmonton Cup, the friendly between Everton and River Plate held at Edmonton’s Commonwealth Stadium on July 25th last summer.

The original NASL operated in Canada and the United States from 1968 through 1984. The Drillers beat the Chicago Sting 5-4 in front of 16,257 fans at Chicago Stadium to capture the 1981 NASL indoor championship.

Tom Fath (BSc, MBA, Gold Seal CCA) is President of O’Hanlon Paving, Vice Chair of Board of Directors of Alberta Construction Safety Association (ACSA), and a board member of the Alberta Roadbuilders and Heavy Construction Association (ARHCA), the Derrick Club and Exciton Technologies Inc. and the Board of Governors of the NASL.

Dave Fath (BCET, NAIT Dip. Building Technology, Gold Seal CCA) has been employed by O’Hanlon Paving in the road building industry since 1978 and has occupied numerous field and office positions. Currently he is serving his second term on the Board of Directors of the Rotary Club of Edmonton South

Mel Kowalchuk brings more than 25 years of successful professional sports experience to his role as General Manger of Fath Sports Ltd. Mel is no stranger to pro soccer having served as the president and GM of the CSL’s Edmonton Brickmen and NPSL Edmonton Drillers. He also served as CSL president while operating the Brickmen.

The Fath Group includes O’Hanlon Paving, Fath Industries, Aubro Services, Hi Signs, DCR Camp Services, Brookwood Industrial Catering, Fath Business Parks Ltd. and now Fath Sports.

FC Edmonton announces coaching staff

An Olympian and a Dutch Premier League Head Coach
EDMONTON, AB – FC Edmonton today announced the hiring of Dutch-Canadian Dwight Lodeweges as the team’s first Coach.
Lodeweges, currently the Head Coach for the Dutch premier league’s NEC Nijmegen will be joined by Associate Coach Hans Schrijver, a former member of the Dutch Olympic team.
Dwight Lodeweges was recently the head coach for the Dutch premier league’s FC Groningen, FC Zwolle, PSV Eindhoven and NEC Nijmegen. Lodeweges spent 9 years playing in North America including three years with the Edmonton Drillers. SEE ATTACHED BIO.
Hans Schrijver, a former member of the Dutch Olympic team and player with GA Eagles, most recently comes to Edmonton as coach of the U20 Dutch Men’s National team and long-time member of the staff of KNVB – Koninklijke Nederlandse Voetbalbond (”Royal Dutch Football Association”). SEE ATTACHED BIO.
Fath Sports Ltd. has joined the newly formed NASL as a founding member and will start play in the NASL in 2011.
The NASL will compete in the second tier of soccer behind Major League Soccer (MLS) beginning in April 2010 in the United States and Canada.