Vancouver City FC

Vancouver City Football Club is a professional association football club based in Vancouver, British Columbia and presently playing in the British Columbia Football League's Division One. It is one of only three (as of 2020) to have won the FA Cup more than ten times.

Rivalries
Out of all of Vancouver City's rivalries, the oldest, deepest, and most important is the Waterfront Derby with Vancouver Rowing Club; a close second is the City Derby with Vancouver United. Also of note are those with the other major clubs in the City of Vancouver, Kitsilano, Shaughnessy Shamrocks and Grandview AFC, and with Greater Vancouver Regional District clubs Royal City of New Westminster, Burnaby Albion, and Richmond United.

There is also a notable rivalry with Port Alberni Athletic dating back to the quarter-finals of the 1929 FA Cup - the only time in history a second replay was needed to decide a round, with Quesnel United, with Prince Rupert Regatta Club, and with Dinas Blaenau; although in sporting terms City have dominated Blaenau, this rivalry is one originating in issues between supporters.

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

History
Vancouver City Football Club was established in 1892 as the second football club (after Rowing Club) and the first dedicated specifically to football in the City of Vancouver north of False Creek. Beginning play at a stadium on the northwest corner of Hastings Park (approximately where Pacific Coliseum is located now) with a stated capacity of 23,235, Van City were one of the founding members of the Western Football League in 1895; they played in the WFL until its merger into the Mainland Football League in 1918, and were assigned to Division One of the BC Football League at its formation in 1929.

In 1954 they moved into their current home, Empire Stadium, which has been renovated and modernised on several occasions since then.

League competition
Van City began play in BCFL Division One in 1929 to an inauspicious start, finishing dead last, fifteen points behind Royal Oak, who were also relegated at the end of the season. After a sixth-place finish in Division Two in 1930, the next year they finished in a three-way tie for twelfth place with Castlegar United and Alberni Town on 33 points; unluckily, City had the worst goal differential, leaving them in fourteenth place and another relegation, dropping to Division Three. This was followed by further misfortune in 1933, when the Reds finished fourteenth in Division Three for a third relegation in five years and dropping out of the Football League entirely.

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

FA Cup
Van City were one of the more successful clubs in the early days of the FA Cup, with four wins in eight Final appearances between 1896 and 1927.

The first FA Cup tournament after the reform of football competition in BC was held in 1929, and became notable for a variety of other reasons as well. Being a Division One member, City entered the competition in the fourth round, defeating division rivals Victoria Athletic to move on to the fifth round to face Royal City at Queen's Park, in an exciting match that ended with the score tied 3:3 forcing a replay at Hastings Park; the replay was equally exciting and wide-open, with City eventually winning 3:2 to advance to the quarter-finals. The quarter-final match against Port Alberni ended in a 1:1 draw, requiring a another replay at Hastings Park. Remarkably, this ended in a 0:0 draw, forcing a second replay - and the rule changes introduced in 1974 meant that it would be the only time this would ever happen. The second replay was played in Port Alberni, which City won with a 2:0 score. City hosted Merritt City in the first leg of their semi-final matchup, losing 1:2; they won the second leg in Merritt 3:2, and the 4:4 aggregate score meant that Van City advanced thanks to the away goals rule. Rather fittingly, the Final of the first "new" FA Cup competition was a Waterfront Derby; unfortunately, City were defeated 0:2 by Rowing Club in what would prove to be their last Final appearance for a quarter century. Van City had played nine matches in a single FA Cup tournament, a record unmatched by anyone until 2011, when Vernon City played through every round of the competition to become the first non-league side to reach the Final, then broke the record by forcing a Final Replay for a tenth Cup match (not counting the Qualifying Round matches played by non-league clubs to qualify for the First Round proper); Vernon ended up becoming the first and thus far only non-league side to win the FA Cup. As City were relegated to non-league status over the next several years they entered the FA Cup competition earlier and earlier, and by 1934 had to play through the Qualifying Rounds just to reach the First Round proper and after 1931 never advanced beyond the second round before the suspension of competition in 1942 due to the outbreak of the Pacific War.

The return of football in 1946 saw City have an excellent year, not only winning the Regional Southwest and earning promotion back to the League, but playing well in the Cup as well; they defeated Victoria West 3:0 away in the first round, Grandview 3:1 away in the second, but losing 2:3 at home to Chichester, after having led 2:0 at the half. The following year was even better. As a Division Three club they no longer had to play through the qualifying stage, comfortably advancing to the third round to face Grand Forks, against whom a replay was needed after a 1:1 draw at home; City emerged the winner with a convincing 3:0 away win to advance to the fourth round. Good fortune drew city with non-league Hope Town, giving them a comfortable 1:0 win to reach the fifth round for the first time since 1929, but Division One Port Alberni were ultimately a step too far and City lost 0:1 at home. Still, after the desolation of the 1930s and early 1940s, the future was finally looking bright for the Reds.

After a few false starts at the beginning of the 1950s, City went on another good run in 1951, meeting Rowing Club in the fifth round and coming out 1:0 winners to move on to the quarter-finals for a home tie against Dinas Blaenau, which they also won by a 2:1 score. In the semi-finals, however, top-level Fort George won both legs by a score of 2:1, eliminating Van City, but there was still cause for optimism. They followed this up in 1952 with another trip to the quarter-finals after defeating Port Alberni 2:1 in the fifth round replay, to be eliminated by Kitimat City in a 0:2 home loss in the quarters. Back in Division One for 1953, City's FA Cup campaign misfired, losing in the fourth round to Kamloops City, but the following year they advanced to the quarters and avenged their 1951 semi-final defeat with a 2:0 home win over Fort George. They then eliminated Parksville in the semi-finals with a 3:0 aggregate win to reach the Final for the first time since 1929, but unfortunately narrowly lost 0:1 to Regatta Club of Prince Rupert in the last FA Cup Final to be played at Windsor Park in Victoria.

The Reds had to wait a few years to return to the Final again, having been eliminated early in the next two years, but in the quarter-final of 1957 they had a rematch of the 1955 final, this time defeating Regatta Club in an equally close match - 3:2 in favour of City; in the semis they won the first leg against Quesnel United 2:0 at home, then lost 0:1 away in the return leg but advanced with a 2:1 aggregate score, setting the stage for a Cup-final City Derby against Van United played at the two clubs' shared home, Empire Stadium. United never seriously threatened, and City came out 2:0 winners to lift the FA Cup for the fifth time, their first in thirty years - and also the first time they succeeded in clinching the League & Cup Double, having won the Division One title as well. The Reds met United again the following year in the quarter-finals, emerging winners of a 2:1 match to reach the semis for a second consecutive year. The first leg was played in Fort Nelson at the northernmost stadium in the country, home of Fort Nelson RBCAF, and the air force club won 2:1, whilst the return leg at Empire Stadium was an unrulier affair, the Reds winning 3:2; this left the aggregate score at 4:4, which meant Fort Nelson advanced on the away goals rule. City ended the 1950s with a third straight trip to the FA Cup semi-finals, in 1959 losing 0:2 on aggregate to Kelowna Central.

After suffering several early exits in the early 1960s, the 1965 fifth round saw City paired with Kelowna Central again - to whom they'd lost in 1961 and 1964 - in a closely fought match that needed 120 minutes to decide, but the Reds prevailed, winning 3:2 after extra time. After defeating Kitimat & Kemano United 3:0 in the quarter-final and Secwépemc United 5:2 on aggregate in the semi-finals, Van City were in the FA Cup Final for the twelfth time. Extra time was needed in the Final too, but ultimately City came out on top, defeating Dinas Blaenau 4:2 after extra time to win their sixth FA Cup title and their second League & Cup Double. In 1966 they mounted their first successful Cup defence, advancing past Port Alberni in the quarter-finals and Llangefni in the semis to face Kelowna Central in the Final; after open play finished 2:2 after 120 minutes, penalties were needed to decide the winner, the Reds scoring three but Kelowna managing only two.

Having been eliminated in the fourth round by Cranbrook City in 1968, Van City faced them again in the fourth round in 1969, this time emerging victorious with the same 2:0 scoreline, before defeating Nanaimo Thistle 1:0 in the fifth round. The quarter-final was a rematch of the 1967 quarter-final in which Fort George had defeated the Reds by a score of 3:1; this time, City came out on top of a 2:1 decision. In the semi-finals they faced Quesnel United, winning the first leg at home 1:0 in a deceptively close match; the difference between the two sides - one battling against relegation, the other chasing first place - became evident in the return leg, when City crushed Quesnel 4:0 away. Now in the Final for the fourteenth time, City battled Regatta Club to a 0:0 draw after 120 minutes to force an uncommonly exciting penalty shootout, which the Reds won 7:6 to clinch the FA Cup title for the eighth time.

After another fourth-round exit in 1970, City breezed through the first three rounds, outscoring Cranbrook North Side, Quesnel United, and Victoria United with a combined 9:2 score to advance to the semi-finals to face Dinas Blaenau. The Dragons won the first leg at Empire Stadium 1:0, a somewhat surprising result considering Blaenau's league performance had been decidedly middling, whereas City were running away with the title. The Reds' performance in the return leg was similarly underwhelming, managing only a 2:1 win away and advancing to the final only thanks to the away goals rule. The Final was another City Derby matchup with Van United, and with United battling against relegation, on paper it should have been a comfortable win for City, but the ninety minutes ended with the score level at 1:1; luckily, City managed to score a goal in extra time to win the match, and the FA Cup for the ninth time. It wasn't until 1977 that Van City next reached the semi-finals, facing Royal City in another matchup expected to be quite the battle. The first leg reinforced that expectation as the Hyacks fought hard for a 2:1 away win at Empire Stadium, but the return leg caught everyone by surprise, as City dominated play to win the game 4:1 and the series 5:3 on aggregate to return to the Final once again; this time, it was another Waterfront Derby, with the Reds emerging as 3:1 winners over the Rowers to secure their tenth FA Cup title, matching the record set by Royal City three years prior. The Reds beat Dinas Blaenau 2:0 in the quarter-finals in the following year, to once again meet Royal City in the semis. In the first leg City tied their all-time record for highest-scoring match, defeating the Hyacks 5:4 at Empire Stadium; the Westminsterites won the return leg 1:0, leaving the aggregate score level at 5:5. Royal City thus advanced to the Final thanks to their four away goals, and went on to win the Cup for a record eleventh time. The two then met in the quarter-finals in 1979, with City emerging the winner in a wide-open 3:2 win, advancing to the finals after a 3:0 aggregate win over Port Alberni in the semis. Facing Van United again in the Final, the match ended 1:1, forcing a Final Replay under the new rules introduced in 1974; as close as the first match had been, City were dominant in the replay, running away with a 3:0 win and an eleventh FA Cup title, to once again match Royal City's all-time record. The two would jointly hold that record until Royal City won their twelfth in 1996; City have not won another FA Cup since then.

Much like the 1960s, the 1980s began with poor performances in FA Cup competition, never advancing past the fifth round between 1980 and 1984. The 1985 campaign started out with difficulty, playing Llangefni to a 2:2 draw in the fourth round before winning the shootout 2:0 in an abysmal performance from both sides, then once again needing penalties in the fifth round to take a 7:6 decision over Burnaby Albion after a 1:1 draw after extra time. Things looked better in the quarter-final as the Reds won 3:2 away at Dinas Blaenau, but the semi-finals were a return to the dire performances that had become typical of the Cup campaign that year; surprising, since City were in the thick of the Division One title hunt until late in the season. The first leg was an almost lucky 1:1 draw in which Quesnel took the lead on 24' and the Reds chased the ball the rest of the match, finally managing to equalise on 79'), whilst the second leg was little better in terms of quality, but City won 1:0 away, giving them a 2:1 aggregate win to enter the Finals... to face Van United for the fourth time in an FA Cup Final and the third time in City's last four Final appearances, including the last one in 1979. In a refreshing change, the quality of football on display at BC Place in the Final was excellent, but as in 1979, the match ended with the score level - this time at 1:1 - to force a replay. The replay was equally tight, still scoreless after ninety minutes of play; with only three minutes to go in extra time, United found the winning goal. This would be City's last appearance in an FA Cup final for a quarter century.

Little of note happened in Cup competition over the next several years, until 1988 when City defeated Dinas Blaenau 4:2 in the quarter-finals to reach the semis for the first time since the Final appearance 1985; facing United once again, the Reds won the first leg 1:0 across town at BC Place, but United returned the favour, winning the return leg 2:0 at Empire to eliminate City once again. The 1990s would be devoid of any success as City never advanced beyond the quarter-finals in that decade, but it started the new millennium off well, getting past Quesnel United in the quarter-finals in 2000 to reach the semifinals - but playing a remarkably dull semi-finals against Burnaby Albion, in which the aggregate score after the two legs was 0:0; Albion emerged the winners in the shootout; another visit to the semis came in 2004, in which there was another 0:0 aggregate draw, only for City to lose again, this time to second-division Smithers & Telkwa United. The Reds made another run in 2007, defeating Rowing Club 2:1 away in the quarters to meet Wellington in the semi-finals; unfortunately, a 1:2 loss away in the first leg decided the matchup, as the second leg ended in a 1:1 draw at Empire Stadium, sending the Violets to the final thanks to a 3:2 aggregate score.

Van City finally returned to the FA Cup Final in 2010, after an absence of 25 years. After taking advantage of ten-man Secwépemc United to come from behind to win 2:1 in the fourth round, City easily defeated Nanaimo City in the fifth, winning 4:1 away at Rotary Bowl before dispatching Victoria United with a 3:1 away win in the quarter-finals. Advancing to the semi-finals, they met old rivals Kitsilano for only the second time since 1929 in Cup play - and there would be two matches to play. City went ahead half an hour into the first leg through a Terry Dunfield goal in the 31st minute, and they held on to the lead well into the second half, when Kits striker Ollie Heald equalised with a fine header on 75'; the match ended 1:1. The second leg was played in front of a sold-out Thunderbird Stadium, and once again the Reds were able to strike early, taking a 1:0 lead thanks to a volley on 27' from BC international striker Justin Isidro; this time, City were able to hold the lead safely until Isidro put it away with a second goal nine minutes from time. The Final would prove remarkable. Seven minutes in, City were ahead thanks to an Isidro strike, after which the proceedings remained rather sedate until veteran Steve Kindel added a second for City in the first minute of time added on. The second half, however, would see the Reds' star striker Isidro putting on a master class in goal scoring - and one of the most memorable comebacks in BC sporting history. Two minutes after the restart, Royal City's recent addition from Shaughnessy, 21-year-old midfielder Brandon Bonifacio registered one for the Hyacks, but four minutes later, Isidro hit a lightning strike to restore the Reds' two-goal lead on 51'. Four minutes after that, he added another to put City up 4:1, this time with an inch-perfect header, and four minutes after that, Hyacks' striker Jordan Hughes cut Vancouver's lead back down to two goals - but Isidro once again restored the three-goal lead with another electrifying strike in the 66th minute. With a 5:2 lead and less than half an hour left, City seemed to relax a little - which the Westminsterites exploited, Bonifacio netting his second of the match in the 71st to cut City's lead back down to two. This goal was a lifeline for the Hyacks, who then poured everything they had into attacking. In the 80th minute, Hyacks manager and BC legend Carl Valentine took a gamble, subbing on another young midfielder in the shape of Jacob Lensky, who had transferred mid-season from Shaughnessy Shamrocks. The 22-year-old made an immediate impact, finding himself unmarked just inside the Vancouver area and driving the ball home on 88' to bring Royal City within a goal. With the fourth official indicated four minutes of time added on, the Hyacks went into hyperdrive, with even keeper Paddy Kenny joining the attack, desperate to find an equaliser. Hyacks' veteran midfielder Jeff Clarke won a free kick from near the left side corner flag, taking it himself to loft the ball back to the top of the City area, where after a single bounce Lensky struck it with fury, driving the ball into the top right corner to tie the game up at 5:5 on 90+2' - a match for the history books. The Hyacks took this momentum into the Final Replay, outshooting City 11:1 in terms of shots on target; a Jordan Hughes goal in the 66th minute was the only one to go in, but it was enough to clinch Royal City's fifteenth FA Cup victory, and break the hearts of City's players and supporters.

City's most successful Cup performance since then was in 2019, when they reached the semi-finals but were eliminated 2:1 on aggregate by Rowing Club.

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

Season-by-season
This is a listing of the club's performances in British Columbia Super Cup competition since 1991.

Honours and records

 * Super Cup
 * Winners: 2006
 * Runners-up: 2007


 * FA Cup
 * Winners: 1898, 1907, 1910, 1927, 1957, 1965, 1966, 1969, 1971, 1977, 1979
 * Runners-up: 1896, 1903, 1924, 1926, 1929, 1954, 1985, 2010


 * Division One
 * Winners: 1957, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1976
 * Runners-up: 1954, 1958, 1960, 1968, 1969, 1972, 1977, 1979, 1983
 * Third placed: 1956, 1975


 * Division Two
 * Winners: 1994, 1996
 * Runners-up: 1952


 * Division Three
 * Runners-up: 1947


 * Highest league position: 1st
 * D1 (1957, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1976)


 * Lowest league position: 6th
 * D3QC (1935)


 * Most points in a season: 78
 * D1, 1976


 * Fewest points in a season: 25
 * D1, 1929


 * Most goals scored in a season: 82
 * D1, 1975


 * Fewest goals scored in a season: 27
 * D1, 1993


 * Most goals conceded in a season: 73
 * D1, 1929
 * D2, 1931


 * Fewest goals conceded in a season: 15
 * D1, 2001


 * Most wins in a season: 24
 * D1, 1976
 * D2, 1994


 * Fewest wins in a season: 6
 * D3, 1933
 * D1, 1993
 * D1, 1995


 * Most draws in a season: 14
 * D1, 1999


 * Fewest draws in a season: 4
 * D1, 1929
 * D1, 1975
 * D2, 1994
 * D1, 1998


 * Most losses in a season: 22
 * D1, 1929


 * Fewest losses in a season: 4
 * D1, 1976
 * D2, 1996


 * Most games won in a row (to 2001): 7
 * D1, 1978


 * Most games lost in a row (to 2001): 8
 * D1, 1993


 * Most games without losing (to 2001): 14
 * D1, 2001


 * Most games without winning (to 2001): 15
 * D1, 1993


 * Biggest win: 6 goals
 * 6:0 v Regatta Club, D1, 1975


 * Biggest league win (to 2001): 6 goals
 * 6:0 v Regatta Club, D1, 1975


 * Biggest defeat: 5 goals
 * 0:5 v Rowing Club, D1, 1929
 * 2:7 v Victoria Utd, D2, 1931
 * 1:6 v Bella Coola Utd, D3, 1933
 * 0:5 v Vancouver Utd, D1, 1963
 * 0:5 v Kitimat & Kemano Utd, D1, 1998


 * Highest scoring game: 10 goals
 * 5:5 v Royal City, 2010 FA Cup Final


 * Highest scoring league game (to 2001): 9 goals
 * 5:4 v Nanaimo Thistle, D1, 1929
 * 2:7 v Victoria Utd, D2, 1931
 * 3:6 v Port Moody, D3, 1932
 * 4:5 v Dinas Blaenau, D1, 1978
 * 6:3 v Vanderhoof Utd, D1, 1986
 * 6:3 v Fort George, D1, 1998


 * Deepest cup run: Final - 1896, 1898 (winner), 1903, 1907 (winner), 1910 (winner), 1926, 1927 (winner), 1929, 1954, 1957 (winner), 1965 (winner), 1966 (winner), 1969 (winner), 1971 (winner), 1977 (winner), 1979 (winner), 1985, 2010