Vanderhoof United FC

Vanderhoof United Football Club is a professional association football club based in Vanderhoof, British Columbia and presently playing in the British Columbia Football League's Division Three.

Rivalries
Being their closest neighbours, Vanderhoof United's biggest rivals are Endako Village and Fort St James. Competition is also tight with clubs from Prince George.

* PL = penalty shootout loss; shootout wins are counted in wins column

History
The Vanderhoof Recreational Society was established in 1915 as an amateur sporting club with various departments. When the board rejected the football department's request to turn semi-professional in 1921, its membership elected to sever ties with with the society, cancelling their memberships en masse and establishing the Vanderhoof United Football Club in 1923.

League competition
The new club entered the lowest tier of Mainland Football Association in 1924, remaining in the Third Division North of the MFL until it was merged with the Vancouver Island Football League to create the BCFL in 1929. The Cardinals were assigned to the Regional Northeast Division Three at that time.

Vanderhoof United first reached the Division Three Qualification Competition in 1940 after a third-place finish in the Regional Northeast but failed to earn promotion; with the same performance the following year they returned to the Qualification Competition and this time did achieve promotion to the League, but due to the outbreak of the Pacific War and the suspension of professional sport in BC for the duration it wasn't until 1946 that they were able to finally play in Division Three, being immediately relegated after finishing 14th. The Cards thereafter failed to reach the Qualification Competition for over fifteen years.

Another third-place finish in the Regional Northeast brought the Cardinals back to the Qualification Competition in 1963, but once again they failed to qualify, but in 1964, finishing as runners-up in the Northeast, they earned direct qualification to Division Three. Their first season back in the League was a resounding success, finishing tied for third place and the last promotion spot with Cassiar City on 55 points; however, Cassiar's +18 goal differential was better than the Cards' +16, and thus the Cards remained in Division Three. The following season was the opposite, as they finished 13th and were relegated from the League.

Despite winning the Northeast in 1967, they failed to qualify out of the Qualification Competition, but did so in 1969, having once again been Regional Northeast champions. The Cards' stay in Division Three was again short, surviving in 1970 but being relegated in 1971 after another thirteenth-place finish. 1974 saw another Regional Northeast championship and direct promotion to the League, and despite a poor performance in finishing 14th - tied on points with Gitanmaax United - the Cardinals' better goal differential meant a chance for survival for another season in Division Three via the Relegation Play-offs. Entering in the quarter-finals, they soundly defeated Rapid Vienna of Prince George by a 3:0 score at home before dispatching Pemberton Town 2:0 to ensure their Division Three status.

After two respectable mid-table finishes in Division Three B in 1977 and 1978, a third-place finish in 1979 qualified the Cardinals for the D2 Promotion Play-offs, advancing past Gibsons Athletic in the quarter-finals with a 5:2 aggregate win, but losing 1:3 on aggregate to Mackenzie in the semi-finals. They qualified for the Promotion Play-offs again in 1979, this time reaching the final and defeating Division Two side Prince George Army 1:2 after extra time, clinching promotion for the Cards and relegation for Army. In the next three seasons they finished in the lower half of the table, avoiding relegation with respectable finishes before finishing fourth in 1983 and entering the six-game round-robin D1 Promotion Play-offs, along with Nanaimo Thistle, Kelowna Central, and Merritt City. The Cards dominated the competition, winning four of the six fixtures and earning promotion to Division One for the first time.

Vanderhoof's Division One status lasted four seasons, finishing in safety in 1984, 1985, and 1986, but 1987 saw a last-place finish to bring an end to the Cardinals first (and thus far only) tenure in the top flight of BC football. They spent the next several seasons in the middle of the Division Two table, until in 1992 they once again qualified for the Promotion Play-offs with a fifth-place finish, but this time failing to win promotion. After several respectable finishes, an unexpectedly poor performance in 1997 saw the Cardinals finish 17th and relegated to Division Three. Two seasons later, they found themselves in the D3 Relegation Play-offs battling for their Football League status, ultimately losing 0:1 at home to Parksville and dropping out of the League after 24 years.

The Cardinals opened the new millennium with success, finishing third in the Regional Northeast, and though they didn't earn direct promotion in the Qualification Competition, they successfully made their way through the D3 Relegation Play-offs, defeating Ashcroft United 4:0, D3 side Lake City 3:0 away, and Valemount City 2:1 away to secure their return to League football after only a single season away.

Vanderhoof made an impact in their first season back in Division Three, finishing third in Group B in 2001 and qualifying for the D2 Promotion Play-offs, but losing 2:3 on aggregate to Barriere Railway in the semi-finals. After an eighth place finish in 2002 another third-place finish in 2003 saw them back in the Promotion Play-offs, repeating the previous performance by losing in the semi-finals, this time to Kettle Valley United of Midway with a 1:3 aggregate score. The fruits of the Cardinals' labours paid off in 2004 as they won Group B eleven points clear of second-placed Ulh’katcho to both earn direct promotion to Division Two and qualify for the Division Three Final to decide the Division Champion; unfortunately, the Cards lost the first match 0:1 at Atlin, and in the return leg they were only able to manage a 1:1 draw, leaving Atlin as Division Three champions - but the Cardinals were returning to Division Two.

The 2005 Division Two campaign saw an intense four-way battle to avoid relegation between Vanderhoof, Regatta Club of Prince Rupert, Atlin, and Belcarra Supermarine; at the end of the last matchday only three points separated safety from relegation - and it was the Cardinals who found themselves in safety, their 29 points leaving them one ahead of Regatta Club. Every season was difficult for the Cards this time around, finishing no higher than 14th, and finally finishing seventeenth in 2008 and direct relegation back to Division Three. Back in the third tier in 2009 they finished third, qualifying for the Promotion Play-offs but losing 1:3 on aggregate to Secwépemc United of Kamloops in the quarter-finals. The 2009 performance was repeated in 2012, with Meziadin City playing the spoiler this time in the Promotion Play-off quarter finals. After an absence of two years the Cardinals were back in the Promotion Play-offs in 2015, reaching the semi-finals but coming up short against Penticton Shamrocks, losing 0:1 on aggregate. 2019 once again saw Vanderhoof in the Promotion Play-offs, this time suffering a quarter-final defeat at the hands of Prince George City; they finished eighth in 2020.

Season-by-season
This is a complete listing of the club's performances in British Columbia Football League competition.

FA Cup
Vanderhoof United began taking part in the BC FA Cup in 1924, but prior to the competition reform in 1929 they never advanced beyond the first round. The Cardinals' first appearance in the new competition came in 1931, when they were dismissed in the first round by 100 Mile House; this remained their last FA Cup appearance for a decade. Qualifying for the first round proper in 1941, they hosted Bella Coola United and played to a 1:1 draw, forcing a replay which they won 2:1 away, advancing to the second round for the first time ever. They continued their good form in the second round, defeating Division Three Quatsino Navy 2:1 in Quatsino, reaching the third round, where they were overwhelmed by a far superior Grand Forks side, succumbing to the Dukes in a 1:4 defeat. Professional sport was suspended in BC between 1942 and 1945 due to the Second World War, but with its resumption in 1946 the Cardinals were once again in the FA Cup, losing 1:4 at home to Sooyoos United; after this appearance, they failed to qualify again until 1951, when they were eliminated in the first round by Gulf Islands United, after which they were once again absent from the first round proper all the way through 1964.

Having returned to League competition for the 1965 season, the Cards qualified directly for the first round in 1965 and 1966, losing in both years in the first round; relegated from Division Three after the 1966 season, they once again failed to appear in the FA Cup until their promotion to D3 for the 1969 season. Although eliminated in the first round that year, in the following year they did much better, reaching the third round for the second time ever, eventually losing - surprisingly - to non-league side Chichester FC of Kelowna. Relegated from Division Three at the end of the season, Vanderhoof was absent from the competition until 1974.

Qualifying for the first round proper in 1974, the Cards embarked on their best run yet, advancing past newly renamed Haida Gwaii United - they'd been called Queen Charlottes United until the previous year - with a fine 2:0 away win at School Road in Sandspit, following that up with a 5:3 extra-time win over Mackenzie in the second round to reach the third round for the third time. Facing D2 Lake City, to whom they'd lost in 1966, they held the Lakers to a 1:1 draw after 120 minutes to force a penalty shootout, which Vanderhoof won 4:1, sending them to the fourth round for the first time to meet Grand Forks for the third time in Cup competition. The Dukes and the Cardinals each had one 4:1 win to their credit, and both were eager to break the tie in their own favour; in the end, Grand Forks came out on top in a closely fought 2:1 win.

In 1975, Vanderhoof United were back in the Football League and remained there for the remainder of the century, thus having guaranteed entry into the First Round Proper of the FA Cup. In 1978 they matched their best performance by reaching the fourth round, defeating second-tier Cassiar City 2:1 in the third round but despite an excellent effort, coming up short against Division One Burnaby Albion. The next year the went one better. After setting a club record biggest win in the second round by crushing Gibsons Athletic 5:0 away and defeating second-tier Cranbrook North Side 4:3 on penalties after an exciting 3:3 draw through 120 minutes, the Cards faced Division One Kitimat & Kemano United in the fourth round. The Electricians opened the scoring, but the Cards stepped their game up and netted three of their own in a wonderful upset victory, advancing them to the fifth round for the first time; sadly, a powerful Port Alberni side was too much, and the Cards lost 0:3 at home; nevertheless, it was a Cup performance to be proud of.

Promoted to Division Two for 1980, the Cardinals entered the FA Cup in the second round, facing Castlegar United of Division Three; after playing to a 0:0 draw, Castlegar won 4:2 on penalties, marking the first time since 1969 that they failed to win their first Cup tie. After exiting in the third round in 1981, Vanderhoof began the 1982 edition with an emphatic 4:0 win away over non-league Penticton Foxes, following it up by defeating another non-league side, Mission City, by a 3:1 score, once again on the road. A tough test faced the Cards in the fourth round in the form of Vancouver City, who were then embroiled in a particularly tight battle in Division One with only eight points separating eighth place from first. To make it harder, the match was played in front of the notoriously unrelenting supporters in Empire Stadium in Vancouver, but through a doggedly determined (City supporters called it "mind-numbing") defensive effort the Cards managed to shock the Reds by winning 1:0. The luck of the draw placed Vanderhoof with another Division One side in the fifth round, Wellington FC of Nanaimo, and once again they held their own against superior opposition, playing to a 1:1 draw after 120 minutes before winning the penalty shootout 3:1 to advance into the rarefied atmosphere of the Quarter-finals. Facing the Cardinals were the same Kitimat & Kemano United club they had eliminated in the fourth round five years prior, and this match was a replay of that one but in reverse: Vanderhoof took an early 1:0 lead only to lose 1:3. From 1984 through 1987 the Cards were in Division One, but never advanced beyond the fifth round. They never advanced beyond the fourth round after that, being relegated from Division Two in 1997 and from Division Three in 1999.

Vanderhoof United failed to qualify for the first round in 2000, but having been promoted back to Division Three for 2001 they resumed their place in FA Cup competition, marking their return to the Football League by advancing to the third round, losing 1:4 at home to Belcarra Supermarine. The next Cup run worthy of mention came in 2009, as a third-level Cardinals team overcame Division Two Smithers & Telkwa United 3:1 away in the second round and Port Alberni Athletic 3:1 at home in the third to advance to the fourth round, where they managed to force extra time against D1 side Fort Nelson RBCAF but came up short, dropping the decision 1:3 after 120 minutes. After losing in the third round of the 2011 competition to rivals Fort St James by a score of 3:0, in 2012 the Cards had luck through the first three rounds, drawing non-league opposition in each before being paired with Division One Grand Forks in the fourth; the 120 of open play ended with the score 1:1, but Vanderhoof's players had the cooler heads and won the shootout with a 4:3 scoreline. The same story - but with a 5:3 decision in the shootout - repeated itself in the fifth round against Port Alberni, sending the Cards where they had been only once before, forty years earlier: the quarter-finals. Facing Division One Prince Rupert Regatta Club in Prince Rupert, the Cardinals pulled off a 1:0 upset win to advance to reach the last four for the first time ever. With the first leg in Vanderhoof hopes were high, but Oak Bay Wanderers ran out to a 3:0 win, all but sealing the Cardinals' fate. Needing to win by four goals the Cards had little chance of winning, but they played with all possible effort and saved face by winning the return leg 1:0; despite that, Oak Bay advanced with a 3:1 aggregate score, but the underdogs were celebrated on their return home for their best-ever FA Cup performance. The Cardinals reached the fifth round again the following year, eventually losing 0:1 away at Keremeyus Albion. Most recently, in 2020 they reached the second round by defeating non-league Edziza Iskut 4:3 on penalties after a 1:1 draw, but succumbing in the second round to Golden in a 0:1 away loss.

Season-by-season
This is a listing of the club's performances in FA Cup competition since 1929.

Honours and records

 * Division Three:
 * Runners-up: 2004


 * Regional Northeast Division One:
 * Winners: 1967, 1969, 1974
 * Runners-up: 1964
 * Third placed: 1940, 1941, 1963, 2000


 * Highest league position: 14th
 * D1 (1984, 1986)


 * Lowest league position: 14th
 * D3 (1946, 1975, 1999)


 * Most points in a season: 70
 * D3, 2004


 * Fewest points in a season: 19
 * D3, 1975


 * Most goals scored in a season: 65
 * D3, 1978


 * Fewest goals scored in a season: 21
 * D2, 2014


 * Most goals conceded in a season: 71
 * D1, 1987


 * Fewest goals conceded in a season: 17
 * D3, 2012
 * D3, 2014


 * Most wins in a season: 21
 * D3, 2004


 * Fewest wins in a season: 5
 * D3, 1975
 * D1, 1987


 * Most draws in a season: 15
 * D2, 1990


 * Fewest draws in a season: 4
 * D3, 1975
 * D3, 1998
 * D3, 2003


 * Most losses in a season: 23
 * D2, 1997


 * Fewest losses in a season: 2
 * D3, 2004


 * Most games won in a row (to 2001): 6
 * D3, 2001


 * Most games lost in a row (to 2001): 10
 * D2, 1997


 * Most games without losing (to 2001): 9
 * D2, 1996


 * Most games without winning (to 2001): 23
 * D1, 1987


 * Biggest win: 5 goals
 * 5:0 v Gibsons Athletic, 1979 FA Cup 2nd Round
 * 5:0 v Pouce Coupe, 2013 FA Cup 1st Round


 * Biggest league win (to 2001): 4 goals
 * 4:0 v Terrace, D3, 1970
 * 6:2 v Royal Oak Hotspur, D2, 1982
 * 5:1 v Prince George Army, D2, 1991
 * 4:0 v Liverpool VLW, D3 Relegation Play-off 1st Round, 2000
 * 4:0 v Gitsegukla, D3, 2001


 * Biggest defeat: 5 goals
 * 0:5 v Cranbrook North Side, D2, 1997


 * Highest scoring game: 9 goals
 * 4:5 v Smithers & Telkwa Utd, D3, 1969
 * 3:6 v Vancouver City, D1, 1986


 * Highest scoring league game (to 2001): 9 goals
 * 4:5 v Smithers & Telkwa Utd, D3, 1969
 * 3:6 v Vancouver City, D1, 1986


 * Deepest cup run: Semi-finals - 2012