Victoria United FC

Victoria United FC is a professional association football club based in Victoria, British Columbia and presently playing in the BC Football League's Division Two.

Rivalries
Although rivalry with all clubs in the greater Victoria area is strong, Victoria United's greatest rivals are Langford Highlanders and Victoria West. Langford and Vic United's predecessor First Victoria FC were established two months apart in 1889, making them the oldest association football clubs in BC; consequently, matches between the two are known as the First Derby. Matches between United and Victoria West are known as the Capital Derby.

History
The First Victoria Football Club was established in March 1889 (two months before Langford Highlanders), playing the first official association football match in BC against a squad assembled from members of the BC Garrison Artillery on 17 April 1889. Victoria City FC was founded in 1891, and joined First Victoria and other clubs in the new Vancouver Island Football League when that was formed in 1899. Financial difficulties at both clubs led to their merger into a single club, the Victoria United Football Club, in 1903, taking over Victoria City's Grant Street grounds. The Vics, as they soon became known, became a founding member of the BC Football League in 1929, and were placed into Division Two.

League competition
In the years prior to the outbreak of the Pacific War, Vic United were a solid Division Two side, generally finishing in the middle of the table. In 1932 and 1937 they won the division and earned promotion to Division One, but in both seasons in the top flight the Vics finished last and were immediately relegated. Play restarted in 1946, and in 1947 United finished 14th and were relegated to Division Three for the first time. The next several years saw the Vics move up and back down, winning promotion from Division Three in 1949 and 1951, only to be relegated again in 1950 and 1952. The 1953 season saw them earn promotion again, and the cycle was broken in 1954, the 13th place finish that season being sufficient to retain Division Two status; however, they were again relegated in 1956. They remained in Division Three for a few more seasons until, in 1959 - the 30th anniversary year of the league they helped found - the Vics finished last in Division Three and dropped out of the Football League.

The Vics didn't stay down long, successfully winning the Regional Southwest Division One title and earning promotion to Division Three in the D3 Qualification Competition in 1962, followed by a Division Three championship in 1964 to bring the club back to Division Two, successfully maintaining that status through 1972. In preparation for expansion of the League, the 1973 season saw no relegation in any of the three divisions; instead, the top six finishers in Division Two would earn promotion to Division One, with the rest remaining in Division Two; United finished 14th, thus remaining in D2. In the first season of play in the restructured, expanded league, they finished 16th of 18, entering them into the semi-finals of the Division 2 Promotion Play-offs, where they lost 1:2 on aggregate to Port Moody and were thus relegated to Division Three. A 15th place finish in 1978 meant the Vics dropped out of the Football League once again.

From 1979, United played in the Regional Southwest Division One. A second place finish in 1985 earned them a spot in the D3 Qualification Competition; however, they failed to earn direct promotion and entered the D3 Relegation Play-offs, where they successfully defeated non-league Líl’wat United 2:0 in the first round and D3 side Cranbrook City 2:1 after extra time in the quarter-final, but lost 0:1 - after extra time - to Skwxwú7mesh in the semi-final, missing out on promotion. In 1987 the Vics won the Regional Southwest championship, and in the subsequent D3 Qualification Competition they earned direct promotion to Division Three, returning Vic United to the Football League after a nine-year absence. Their stay in Division Three was short, however, being relegated again after finishing 15th in 1989. A third-place finish in Regional Southwest Division One in 2003 brought the Vics' their next chance to return to the League, but lost in the quarter-final 2:3 away at Spallumcheen Utd. They finished fourth in Southwest D1 in 2005, and though they failed to achieve direct promotion in the D3 Qualification Competition, they did successfully secure a League spot via the D3 Relegation Play-offs, a 2:1 away win over Tsawwassen Town in the semi-final clinching the spot.

The 2006 season proved a remarkable success - their first season back in the League saw the Vics finish first in Division Three A, meeting Group B winner Dawson Creek in the Division Three Final. Each team won 1:0 at home to finish with a 1:1 aggregate score, and the Vics won the penalty shoot-out 5:4 to clinch the Division Three championship. The success continued in 2007, winning the Division Two championship in their first year back and achieving promotion to Division One for only the third time in club history, and in the following season successfully retained their top-flight status for the first time ever by finishing fifteenth, six points clear of relegation. The 2009 season saw an intense battle for survival between Vic United and Cranbrook North Side at the end of the season. On the next to last matchday, the Vics were in New Westminster to play Royal City, who were in a tight battle of their own for the League title; a win for the Vics would mean survival. United held a surprising 1:0 lead against the Hyacks until the 83rd minute, when Vics' defender Mark Archer put the ball into his own goal, and the match ended 1:1. The loss of the two points was a serious setback for Victoria, as the win would have meant successfully avoiding relegation, as Cranbrook lost 0:1 at Burnaby Albion, meaning survival as a D1 side would come down to the last day. Cranbrook folded, losing 0:2 at home to Grand Forks, whilst the Vics pulled off a come-from-behind 2:1 win away at Wellington, securing sixteenth place, and survival. United remained a lower-table Division One side over the next several seasons, managing a somewhat surprising fifth place finish in 2014, but in 2017 they finished last and were relegated, ending a respectable ten-year stay in the top level. Since then, they have been playing in Division Two.

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

FA Cup
Victoria United have taken part in the BC FA Cup since their founding in 1903. Their first great success was a surprise run to the semi-finals in 1946, in which they overcame Division One powerhouse Port Alberni Athletic in the quarter-finals, holding them to a draw in the first match, and winning 1:0 away to advance to the semis; however, Burnaby Albion dominated the Vics, eliminating them with a 5:3 aggregate score. The next successful run came in 1962, when, as a non-league side, the Vics reached the quarter-finals, ultimately losing 0:2 at home to Kitimat & Kemano United. Since then, they have reached the quarter-finals on three other occasions, losing to Vancouver City 0:2 in 1971 and 1:3 in 2010, and suffering another 1:3 defeat at home to fierce rivals Vic West in 2014.

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

Honours and records

 * Division Two
 * Winners: 2007
 * Runners-up: 1932, 1937
 * Third placed: 1971


 * Division Three
 * Winners: 1949, 2006
 * Runners-up: 1951, 1953, 1964


 * Regional Southwest Division One
 * Winners: 1962, 1987
 * Runners-up: 1979
 * Third placed: 2003


 * Highest league position: 5th
 * D1 (2014)


 * Lowest league position: 16th
 * D3 (1959, 1974)


 * Most points in a season: 69
 * D3, 2006


 * Fewest points in a season: 14
 * D1, 1938


 * Most goals scored in a season: 66
 * D2, 1931


 * Fewest goals scored in a season: 18
 * D3, 1959


 * Most goals conceded in a season: 75
 * D1, 1938


 * Fewest goals conceded in a season: 18
 * D3, 2006


 * Most wins in a season: 21
 * D3, 2006


 * Fewest wins in a season: 3
 * D1, 1938
 * D2, 1952


 * Most draws in a season: 15
 * D2, 2019


 * Fewest draws in a season: 3
 * D3, 1957
 * D2, 1971


 * Most losses in a season: 25
 * D1, 1938


 * Fewest losses in a season: 3
 * D3, 1949
 * D3, 2006


 * Most games won in a row (to 2001): 4
 * D3, 1975


 * Most games lost in a row (to 2001): 5
 * D2, 1974


 * Most games without losing (to 2001): 5
 * D3, 1977


 * Most games without winning (to 2001): 18
 * D3, 1978


 * Biggest win: 5 goals
 * 7:2 v Vancouver City, D2, 1931
 * 5:0 v Burnaby Albion, D2, 1936
 * 6:1 v Quatsino Navy, 1946 FA Cup 2nd Round
 * 5:0 v Quatsino Navy, D3, 1948
 * 5:0 v Shaughnessy Shamrocks, D3, 1951
 * 5:0 v Parksville, D2, 1956
 * 5:0 v Terrace, D2, 1965
 * 5:0 v Grand Forks, 1967 FA Cup 2nd Round
 * 6:1 v Yellowhead, 1976 FA Cup 1st Round


 * Biggest league win (to 2001): 5 goals
 * 7:2 v Vancouver City, D2, 1931
 * 5:0 v Burnaby Albion, D2, 1936
 * 5:0 v Quatsino Navy, D3, 1948
 * 5:0 v Shaughnessy Shamrocks, D3, 1951
 * 5:0 v Parksville, D2, 1956
 * 5:0 v Terrace, D2, 1965


 * Biggest defeat: 5 goals
 * 0:5 v Burnaby Albion, D2, 1956
 * 0:5 v Kitsilano, D2, 1970
 * 0:5 v Kitsilano, D2, 1973


 * Highest scoring game: 9 goals
 * 7:2 v Vancouver City, D2, 1931
 * 5:4 v Cranbrook City, D2, 1967
 * 4:5 v Rowing Club, D2, 1968


 * Highest scoring league game (to 2001): 9 goals
 * 7:2 v Vancouver City, D2, 1931
 * 5:4 v Cranbrook City, D2, 1967
 * 4:5 v Rowing Club, D2, 1968


 * Deepest cup run: Semi-finals - 1946