All sports inspire passion—particularly when a team is winning. But soccer is different. The support is a commitment, win or lose. It’s different from other professional sports because its roots aren’t in a corporate experience. It is a working class game that anyone can play—all you need is a ball or, failing that, something to kick. Unlike hockey and Canadian football, it doesn’t require expensive equipment or a special place to play—just that ball, and a clear area, preferably (but not necessarily) a field.
Although soccer is now the world’s game, it traces its origins to England where it began as a contest between neighbouring villages and, later, between teams of factory workers. Its roots are local. It’s based on clubs that supporters joined because of their community.
Today, major teams are often owned by large business interests but they remain rooted in their communities. Teams in a professional league are not franchises, free to move at the whim...
David Miller, an immigrant from East Anglia in England, was mayor of Toronto from 2003 to 2010. He has held private, public, and academic positions and is the North American regional director for the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group. He kicked a soccer ball the day he started to walk, and celebrates the 1978 FA Cup victory of his local team, Ipswich Town, every year. He’s seen almost every Toronto FC game.
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