German Traces in Alberta
The Victoria Soccer Club in Edmonton

​Soccer is a sport that brings people together all over the world, so it’s not surprising that German immigrants to Edmonton decided to found "Victoria Edmonton", the city’s first German soccer club, back in the 1950s. 

The club’s original name was “Victoria Edmonton, 1st DFC” (“DFC” stood for “Deutscher Fußball Club”, meaning “German Soccer Club”), or “Victoria Soccer Club” for short. It’s not known exactly where this name comes from, but the name “Victoria” supposedly refers to “FC Viktoria Köln”, a soccer club in Cologne, Germany.
Victoria Soccer Club originated in 1951, when German immigrants in Edmonton met up to play soccer together. After all, they didn’t want to abandon the ‘best sport in the world’ in their new home. The first official game took place in 1952, and in the following years the newly founded club won several local and provincial championships.

For over 10 years, the club didn’t have its own clubhouse or grounds. Finally, in 1964, a conveniently located plot of land was found in the north of the city. The terrain was suitable for games, so it could serve as a location for both the soccer fields and a clubhouse. In order to finance the acquisition, club members bought share certificates and took out a loan. For the next two years, club members worked on overhauling the grounds in addition to their regular jobs. They drained the swampy land for the pitch and built a clubhouse that opened in 1966. Of course, they also continued to play soccer while the construction was ongoing. Today, a commemorative plaque in the clubhouse foyer prominently displays the names of the members who helped with the financing and with building the clubhouse and grounds.
Once the soccer fields were completed, the various teams belonging to the club could all train and play in one place. Different age groups played in different leagues. While the first-string team adopted the name “Victoria Soccer Club”, the veterans’ team continued to play under the original name “Erster Deutscher Fußballklub” (1st DFC). This name can still be seen on the emblem in the clubhouse entranceway. In the years following the construction, the club’s training grounds were used not only by Edmonton-based teams, but also by international teams who came to train on the pitch or play friendly games against the club. Even the Canadian national team has played on these fields.

The various soccer teams and tournaments are not Victoria Soccer Club’s only attractions, however – the clubhouse has also always been a location for cultural events. Even before its completion, dances were regularly held in the clubhouse, and today the rooms are still used for larger events like weddings. Victoria Soccer Club membership has also come with other advantages; the club organized chartered flights to Germany in the 70s and 80s, offering its members a reasonably priced option for visiting their home country.
 

In its heyday, the club had more than 500 German-speaking members, but unfortunately, they now number less than 70. The club’s profile has also changed in other ways; although women weren’t allowed to play soccer for the club back in the 1970s, today Victoria FC’s women’s teams are the club’s greatest success story. The women of Victoria Soccer Club have won the Jubilee Trophy – the Canadian national championship for women’s amateur soccer – seven times since 2004. Their jerseys are based on the German national jerseys, and the club emblem is adorned with German flags and a reference to 1951, the year of the club’s foundation.

Victoria Soccer Club
14020 142 St NW
Edmonton, AB T6V 1H9