Ulh′katcho FC

Ulh’katcho Football Club is a professional association football club based in Ulh’katcho, British Columbia and presently playing in the BCFA Regional Championship Northwest.

Rivalries
Ulh’katcho's most important rivalry is with Bella Coola United of Bella Coola, located 87 miles to the west; this rivalry is known as the Chilcotin Derby. Equally important is the rivalry with Lake City FC of Williams Lake, located 199 miles to the west; these are the two cities closest to Ulh’katcho.

History
The Anahim Lake Football Club was established in 1950, beginning play the following year in the Regional Northwest Division Three. The club was renamed Ulh’katcho Football Club in 1973.

League competition
Having spent the better part of three decades playing in the various tiers of the Regional Championship Northwest, Ulh’katcho finally qualified for the Division Three Qualification after finishing as runners-up in the Northwest Division One in 1979. Failing to finish in the top four, they entered the D3 Relegation Play-offs, defeating Heather Park of Prince George in the first round and Division Three relegation candidates Cumberland Collieries in the quarter-finals before losing 1:2 at home to Tofino Village. A fourth-place finish in the Northwest returned them to the D3QC in 1981; this time they advanced successfully through the Relegation Play-off, defeating Pemberton Town in the semi-final to secure promotion to the League for the first time, in their thirtieth anniversary season.

By any standard, Ulh’katcho's first season of League football was a success, finishing twelfth in Division Three B, eight points clear of direct relegation and three clear of the play-off spot. They quickly established themselves as an upper table side, ultimately finishing first in D3B in 1985 to earn direct promotion to Division Two, and defeating D3A winners Silver King 7:3 on aggregate to win the Division Three title honours for the year. The U's survived for three seasons in Division Two, finishing seventeenth in 1988 to be demoted back to Division Three. They then battled to keep their League status for several years, ultimately finishing fourteenth in 1992; entering the Relegation Play-offs in the quarter-finals, they managed, with difficulty, to defeat Skaha Rovers 6:5 on penalties, but succumbed in the semis to Skwxwú7mesh and were relegated from the League.

After an absence of three years, the U's returned to the League in 1996, after finishing second in the Regional Northwest and advancing through the Relegation Play-offs to secure promotion to Division Three in 1995. Their first season back in the League was a smashing success, finishing first in Division Three B six points in the clear, then winning the Division Three Final with a 4:2 aggregate score over Courtenay Athletic, sending them back up to Division Two after a single season in Division Three. They stayed up for three seasons, being relegated again in 1999 after finishing seventeenth. The U's didn't stay down long, winning the Division Three title again in 2000 with a 2:1 aggregate score over Cranbrook City, but were immediately relegated again from Division Two in 2001. In 2004 they qualified for the D2 Promotion Play-offs, reaching the final but losing to Invermere & Athalmer United, but following that very good season the U's collapsed, finishing sixteenth in 2005; this sent them to the D3 Relegation Play-offs, in which they lost 0:1 in the quarter-finals to Golden, and were once again relegated from the Football League. The U's have qualified for the D3 Qualification Competition eight times since then - most recently in 2020 - but have been eliminated in the D3 Relegation Play-offs each time.

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

FA Cup
As Anahim Lake FC, the club first qualified for the FA Cup First Round proper in 1954 and were eliminated in the first round by Invermere & Athalmer United; they returned the following year, forcing a replay of the First Round fixture after drawing Skaha Rovers of Penticton 1:1 at home. They came close to success, but unfortunately lost 1:2 in extra time and were again eliminated. The club didn't reach the First Round proper again until after the renaming, reaching the First Round in 1974. This time they won their first-ever Cup match, an upset win via a penalty shootout against South Hazelton of Division Three after playing to a 0:0 draw after ninety minutes; in the second round the faced D2 Ashcroft United, and were defeated 0:2 at home. They qualified again in 1975, but were again eliminated in the first round. After another first-round exit in 1978, the U's won their first-round tie with Division Three side New Aiyansh 2:1 away to advance to the Second Round for the second time; once again they had the misfortune of being drawn with a Division Two team, losing 1:3 away to Fort St John.

The 1980s started with another first-round exit in 1980, and in 1981 they again advanced to the Second Round, this time dropping a 1:4 decision at home against Grand Forks; they reached the second round again the following year, and were once again eliminated. They finally advanced past the second round in 1983 by defeating Silver King on penalties, then heartbreakingly losing 5:6 on penalties after a fine performance in drawing 1:1 through 120 minutes against D2 side Prince George City. They went well beyond that in 1984: they defeated Golden 1:0 away in the first round, crushed Aberystwyth 6:2 in the second, then emerged on top of a wild seven-goal cracker to defeat Courtenay Athletic 4:3 after extra time in the third, to advance to the fourth round for the first time ever. They travelled to Blaenau to face Division One side Llangefni and played one of the best games in club history, defeating the title-hunting Cymru Newydd side 2:0 at Stadiwm Ylesylywêt in a remarkable upset victory. The U's, however, weren't yet done, and in the fifth round they manhandled another Division One side, defeating Quesnel United 3:0 before a small but raucous crowd at Hudson Road to reach rarefied atmosphere of the quarter-finals - the only Division Three side to do so that year, earning their Cup campaign official recognition as a Cinderella run. Of the eight teams in the quarter-finals, six were from Division One; the U's drew the only Division Two side left, Nanaimo Thistle; Thistle were in fine form at the time, sitting comfortably atop the D2 table, and were too much for the U's, who were eliminated after a 0:2 home loss. Even so, the supporters were jubilant after a monumental and improbable run.

Almost as if to prove something, the U's put in another great run in 1985, though with a relatively easier path in facing - and defeating - only non-league and Division Three opposition in the first three rounds. They were drawn with Merritt City in the fourth round, beating them 1:0 at home; in the fifth round, however, Division One's Vancouver United were a step too far for Ulh’katcho, who lost 0:2 at home.

The next significant Cup run made by the U's came in 1993, the year after they were relegated from Division Three as they overcame two Division Two sides, defeating Kitsilano 2:1 at home in the third round before dismissing Yellowhead with a 3:2 win at Hudson Road in the fourth; unfortunately, Sooyoos United, also in Division Two at the time, outclassed the U's and won easily with a 4:2 final score. Since then, they have reached the fourth round only twice, in 2002 and 2010.

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

Honours and records

 * Division Three
 * Winners: 1985, 1996, 2000


 * Regional Northwest Division One:
 * Runners-up: 1979, 1995, 2010, 2011
 * Third-placed: 2007, 2013, 2020


 * Highest league position: 12th
 * D2 (1986)


 * Lowest league position: 14th
 * D3 (1992)


 * Most points in a season: 71
 * D3, 1985


 * Fewest points in a season: 21
 * D2, 1999


 * Most goals scored in a season: 60
 * D3, 1983


 * Fewest goals scored in a season: 31
 * D2, 1999


 * Most goals conceded in a season: 76
 * D2, 1988


 * Fewest goals conceded in a season: 19
 * D3, 2004


 * Most wins in a season: 22
 * D3, 1985


 * Fewest wins in a season: 4
 * D2, 1988


 * Most draws in a season: 11
 * D2, 1987


 * Fewest draws in a season: 2
 * D3, 1983
 * D3, 1995


 * Most losses in a season: 23
 * D2, 1999


 * Fewest losses in a season: 3
 * D3, 1985


 * Most games won in a row (1974–2001): 9
 * D3, 1985


 * Most games lost in a row (1974–2001): 6
 * D2, 1988


 * Most games without losing (1974–2001): 14
 * D3, 1985


 * Most games without winning (to 2001): 18
 * D2, 1988


 * Biggest win: 5 goals
 * 6:1 v Aberystwyth, D3, 1987


 * Biggest league win (to 2001): 5 goals
 * 6:1 v Aberystwyth, D3, 1987


 * Biggest defeat: 5 goals
 * 0:5 v Port Edward, D3, 1982
 * 0:5 v Victoria Athletic, D2, 1988


 * Highest scoring game: 10 goals
 * 4:6 v Queensborough DHBC, D3, 1992


 * Highest scoring league game (to 2001): 10 goals
 * 4:6 v Queensborough DHBC, D3, 1992


 * Deepest cup run: Quarter-finals - 1984