Wellington FC

Wellington Football Club is a professional association football club based in Wellington, Nanaimo, British Columbia and presently playing in the BC Football League's Division One. It is one of fifteen clubs never to have been relegated from the BC Football League since its establishment in 1929. It is also one of the most successful British Columbian clubs in international club competition, having won six titles in international play; only Royal City's six titles and Port Alberni Athletic's eleven match Wellington's international success.

Rivalries
The rivalry between the two oldest clubs in the Nanaimo area - Wellington and Nanaimo Thistle - is one of the fiercest in BC. Known as the Old Dispute, it was frequent during the years that the two clubs were not in the same division that supporters of one club went to matches of the other for the opportunity to root against the arch-enemy. A then-record high attendance was set in the 2012 FA Cup quarter-final, in which 10,170 spectators were on hand to see the Violets convincingly defeat the Thistles 3:1.

Though not quite as intense, derby matches with Nanaimo City are equally anticipated by fans of both sides. The rivalry with Victoria Athletic dates back to the 1902 FA Cup final (which required a replay to decide, with Wellington winning 2:1 away at Victoria), and has been enthusiastically cultivated by the two supporter camps ever since. There is also a strong rivalry with Royal City FC of New Westminster that has developed since the 1930s.

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

History
Wellington FC are the second oldest association football club in the Greater Nanaimo area, having been formed in 1891, a year after Nanaimo Thistle FC were established. They were from the start one of the powerhouses of the Vancouver Island Football League established in 1899, winning several titles during the league's existence. When the VIFL was merged into the BC Football League in 1929, the fifteen clubs in the VIFL's First Division were distributed between the three divisions of the BCFL; having finished sixth, the Violets were assigned to Division Two.

Work to expand and modernise the Pleasant Valley Park stadium to accommodate 16,300 spectators was completed in 2018, accomplished in several stages over a number of years.

League competition
The Violets were a middle power in Division Two until the end of the 1940s, until a 15th place finish in 1950 led to their relegation to Division Three. They dominated play in the following season, losing only five times in thirty matches on the way to the Division Three title and a return to Division Two for the 1952 season, but this stay was short-lived, being once again relegated after another 15th place finish in 1954. This time the Wellies stayed two seasons in the lowest tier of League football, finishing third in 1956 to once again return to the second level. This return proved permanent, as they have not returned to Division Three since that time.

The club returned to middle-power status in Division Two through the 1960s. With a restructuring of the BCFL to take place in 1974 which included the expansion of Division One from twelve to eighteen teams, the top six finishers in Division Two in 1973 were promoted to the expanded Division One - amongst them Wellington, who had finished fifth. The top flight proved a step too far for the Violets' at that time, barely avoiding relegation in 1975, having finished four points ahead of 17th placed Regatta Club but a full ten points behind Alberni Town in 15th place, and following that with an abysmal 1976, winning only two matches and twelve points as they limped to a last-place finish and relegation. In 1978, they topped the table in the first period of play, earning the side a berth in the promotion play-offs, where they managed only six points out of six matches and finished third, failing to win promotion. In 1981, Wellington secured a promotion play-off spot by virtue of total points, and this time they managed to edge out Victoria Athletic by one point to secure promotion to Division One for the second time. This second tenure in the top flight was somewhat better than the first, achieving a high of seventh place in 1984, but ultimately being relegated again in 1987. By then, however, the squad had been much strengthened by its experiences in the highest level, and first-place finishes in the second and third periods of play secured the Division Two title, and a third promotion to the top flight.

The Violets continually improved themselves through the early 1990s, winning the FA Cup for the third time in 1991, which was followed up by a victory in the Super Cup the following year. It took a further three years for the Violets to secure their first Division One title in 1995, but they put an exclamation point on it by winning the double - both League and FA Cup titles in the same year. They successfully defended the League title in 1996 and 1997, finishing as runners-up in 1998, having finished tied for first place with Llangefni on points, but Llangefni had one win more than the Violets left Wellington to settle for second place, before winning the title (and the double) again in 1999; the same results - a second followed by a first-place finish - were repeated in 2000 and 2001; further League titles were won in 2007, 2013, and 2014 - in the last of these setting an all-time record for most points in a Division One season with 83.

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

FA Cup
Wellington have taken part in the BC FA Cup since the first edition of the competition in 1891, over which time they have appeared in the finals fourteen times, winning the cup in 1896, 1902, 1991, 1995, 1999, and 2005. The Violets hold the record for the longest gap between Cup wins, with a drought of 89 years between 1902 and 1991.

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

Super Cup
Wellington have played in the BC Super Cup twelve times, winning five times. Together with Royal City they hold the record for the biggest win in a Super Cup match with a 3 goal margin, a 3:0 win over Vernon City in 2012; they are also co-holders of the record for highest-scoring Super Cup match with five goals, a feat achieved by the Violets on three occasions - 1997 (a 1:4 loss to Royal City), 1998 (a 3:2 win over Quesnel United), and 2008 (a 2:3 loss to Royal City). They also hold the dubious record of most defeats in the Super Cup, with seven.

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

International club competition
Wellington have had considerable success in international club competitions, winning each of the competitions open to clubs from the CONCACAF federation at least once.

CONCACAF Champions League
Wellington first appeared in the CONCACAF Champions Cup in 1996, advancing through the North & Central American Zone stage to reach the Final Tournament, in which they finished third. The format of the competition changed for 1997, as only eight clubs were entered; Wellington were eliminated in the semi-final by Los Angeles Galaxy of the United States, and shared third-place honours with CD Guadalajara of Mexico after a 2:2 draw in the third-place match. The format was once again different for Wellington's third consecutive appearance in 1998, having to play a North American Zone Qualifying Round before the main competition; they were again eliminated in the semi-finals, going on to lose in the third-place match to Deportivo Saprissa of Costa Rica.

The Violets next made it to the Champions Cup in 2000, qualifying directly to the quarter-final, where they defeated Real CD España of Honduras 5:3 on penalties after a 0:0 draw to advance to the semi-finals for the third time where, in a rematch of the 1998 semi-final tie, they defeated DC United 4:2 on penalties after scores remained level at 1:1 after 120 minutes of play. In their first-ever Champions Cup final the Violets faced another Honduran side, CD Olimpia, emerging as the winners in a wide-open 3:2 win for their first continental title. No competition was held in 2001, and for 2002 it was expanded to sixteen clubs, each qualifying directly to the round of sixteen. Wellington advanced comfortably to the semi-finals, where they crushed American opponents Kansas City Wizards, winning the first leg at home 6:1 before playing a 1:1 draw in the return leg to return to the final for a second consecutive time; they successfully defended their title, defeating Mexican side Pachuca in a tightly contested 1:0 win. After missing out on the tournament in 2003, they were back again in 2004 in a field reduced back to eight. Their quarter-final matchup with San Juan Jabloteh of the West Indies resulted in a total of eleven goals scored, the Trinidadians winning the first leg at home 5:2, whilst the Violets won the return leg in Nanaimo 4:0 to advance with a 6:5 aggregate win. The semi-final was similarly close, Deportivo Saprissa winning the first leg 2:1 before Wellington won the second leg 2:0, moving on to the final for a third time thanks to a 3:2 aggregate win, where they faced another Costa Rican side, LD Alajuelense, whom they defeated 1:0 on aggregate to claim their third Champions Cup title. After an absence of several years, Wellington were back in the Champions Cup in 2008, defeating West Indian side Harbour View FC in the quarter-final before losing a closely fought semi-final matchup to eventual winners Pachuca; the home side won both legs, Pachuca winning 2:0 in the first leg, the Violets winning 2:1 in the second, giving the Mexicans the 3:2 aggregate victory.

The Champions Cup was reformed as the CONCACAF Champions League ahead of the 2009 competition, with three Mexican, three American, two British Columbian, and one Canadian teams qualifying from the North American Zone into a group stage competition, with the winner of each group advancing to the knockout stage. Wellington first qualified for the Champions League in 2013; drawn into a group with CS Herediano (Costa Rica) and Tauro FC (Panama), they finished second and thus failed to advance to the quarter-finals. Wellington were back in 2014, winning Group 7 to qualify for the quarter-finals to face Los Angeles Galaxy. Los Angeles won the first leg at home 1:0 as the Violets seemed unable to crack through Galaxy's defensive shell, but in the return leg in Nanaimo the tables turned, with LA being unable to contain Wellington's attack; the Violets triumphed 4:2, advancing to the semi-finals with a 4:3 aggregate win. After putting in a solid performance in defeating Mexican club Cruz Azul in the first leg at home, the Violets seemed unable to withstand the pressure of the over 80,000 supporters in Azteca Stadium, losing 0:2 and thus being eliminated again. The Violets' last Champions League appearance to date was in 2015, when they were drawn into a group with Deportivo Saprissa and Real Estelí of Nicaragua. Wellington and Saprissa finished with identical records of two wins, one draw, one loss, seven goals for and four against, leaving them tied for first place; to break the tie, head-to-head away goals scored was taken as the deciding statistic: Saprissa had won 2:0 at home whilst Wellington won 3:1 at home, thus Saprissa were ranked first and advanced to the quarter-finals.

Inter-American Cup
Wellington have appeared in the Inter-American Cup three times, winning it in 2001 and 2003, and losing in 2005.

Intercontinental Cup
Wellington have taken part in the Intercontinental Cup twice, winning in 2003 and losing in 2001.

Honours and records

 * CONCACAF Champions Cup/League
 * Winners: 2000, 2002, 2004
 * Third placed: 1997


 * Inter-American Cup
 * Winners: 2001, 2003
 * Runners-up: 2005


 * Intercontinental Cup
 * Winners: 2003
 * Runners-up: 2001


 * Super Cup
 * Winners: 1992, 1998, 2000, 2002, 2013
 * Runners-up: 1996, 1997, 1999, 2006, 2008, 2014, 2015


 * FA Cup
 * Winners: 1896, 1902, 1991, 1995, 1999, 2005
 * Runners-up: 1899, 1900, 1983, 1987, 1992, 1996, 2007, 2014


 * Division One
 * Winners: 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2007, 2013, 2014
 * Runners-up: 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2012
 * Third placed: 2005, 2015


 * Division Two
 * Winners: 1988
 * Third placed: 1932, 1960


 * Division Three
 * Winners: 1951
 * Third placed: 1956


 * Highest league position: 1st
 * D1 (1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2001)


 * Lowest league position: 5th
 * D3 (1955)


 * Most points in a season: 83
 * D1, 2014


 * Fewest points in a season: 12
 * D1, 1976


 * Most goals scored in a season: 64
 * D2, 1978


 * Fewest goals scored in a season: 29
 * D1, 1989


 * Most goals conceded in a season: 66
 * D1, 1987


 * Fewest goals conceded in a season: 14
 * D1, 1999
 * D1, 2014


 * Most wins in a season: 27
 * D1, 2014


 * Fewest wins in a season: 2
 * D1, 1976


 * Most draws in a season: 15
 * D2, 1986


 * Fewest draws in a season: 2
 * D1, 2014


 * Most losses in a season: 26
 * D1, 1976


 * Fewest losses in a season: 3
 * D1, 1995


 * Most games won in a row (to 2001): 8
 * D1, 1995


 * Most games lost in a row (to 2001): 9
 * D1, 1982


 * Most games without losing (to 2001): 18
 * D1, 1995


 * Most games without winning (to 2001): 21
 * D1, 1976


 * Biggest win: 5 goals
 * 6:1 v Sooyoos Utd, 1960 FA Cup 4th Round
 * 5:0 v Kimberley Town, D2, 1978
 * 6:1 v Gitlaxt’aamiks, D1, 1994


 * Biggest league win: 5 goals
 * 5:0 v Kimberley Town, D2, 1978
 * 6:1 v Gitlaxt’aamiks, D1, 1994


 * Biggest defeat: 6 goals
 * 0:6 v Fort George, 1947 FA Cup 5th Round


 * Highest scoring game: 11 goals
 * 6:5 v Prince Rupert Regatta Club, 1983 FA Cup 4th Round


 * Highest scoring league game (to 2001): 9 goals
 * 5:4 v Vavenby Town, D2, 1936
 * 3:6 v Kelowna Central, D2, 1941
 * 4:5 v Coquitlam Town, D2, 1979


 * Deepest cup run: finals - 1983, 1987, 1991 (winner), 1992, 1995 (winner), 1996, 1999 (winner)