Toronto Fc

Toronto FC
Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club located in Toronto, Ontario. The club participates in Major League Soccer. It is the first non-US team in MLS. Its first regular season match was April 7, 2007 at Home Depot Center in Los Angeles versus Chivas USA, and suffered a 0-2 loss. Their first home match was on April 28, 2007 at BMO Field against the Kansas City Wizards. Toronto FC lost to the Kansas City Wizards 0-1, on an 80th minute goal by Eddie Johnson.

History
The team's owner, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd. (MLSE), officially announced the name of the club on May 11, 2006. The "FC" is the conventional initials for Football Club, but officially it has only been referred as Toronto FC, never Toronto Football Club. Larry Tannenbaum, chairman of MLSE, stated at the team name's presentation "I think the way we spell it is 'futbol'." It was later made clear through the voting on websites that "FC" stood for "Football Club."

Ownership and management
Toronto FC are owned and managed by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd., who are also the operators of the Toronto Maple Leafs National Hockey League team, the Toronto Raptors National Basketball Association team, and the Toronto Marlies American Hockey League team. The company is also involved in real estate and property management, owning sports venues such as the Air Canada Centre and the General Motors Centre. Tom Anselmi, the COO and executive vice-president of MLSE, is regarded as the team's "de facto president". The duties of general manager are held by both the coach Mo Johnston and the team's business operations manager Paul Beirne.

Television and radio
Toronto FC's opening match was broadcast on Rogers Sportsnet. On April 11, 2007 the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) stated they had secured the team's broadcast rights. The CBC will show 14 regular-season games in 2007, including the home opener. In addition, Rogers Sportsnet and The Score will televise matches. Flag of Scotland Mo Johnston (2006)

Stadium
Before the 2007 season started, construction was completed on a new stadium at Exhibition Place in Toronto called BMO Field where Toronto FC plays now. The stadium holds 20,148 people and is the largest soccer-specific stadium in Canada. It will serve as a major venue for the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup. The stadium is owned by the City of Toronto, while MLSE, the team's owner, operates it. The cost of the stadium is estimated at $62.5 million. MLS Commissioner Don Garber has stated that the 2008 MLS All-Star Game will take place at BMO Field, as will an MLS Cup by the year 2012.

On September 20, 2006, the official MLS website announced that BMO Financial Group had officially bought the naming rights for the new stadium.

Toronto FC Fans
Richard Peddie, CEO of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd has stated that he and the ownership would be satisfied with between 13,000-15,000 fans per game at Toronto FC home games, though, this is very likely to be exceeded. The club capped their season tickets sales at 14,000 on March 15, 2007, setting a league record.

Toronto FC currently has many supporters groups throughout the stadium. Two groups are recognized by the club on their official website. These are known as U-Sector and the Red Patch Boys.

U-Sector
The U-Sector sits in section 113 of BMO Field. The group was created in 2000 as a group for the Toronto Lynx. Known as the Toronto Ultras, the U-Sector got its name because it was always in Section 'U' at the old Varsity Stadium during Lynx matches. The group also has ambitions of providing travelling support for the team to nearby MLS cities such as Boston, Chicago, New York and Columbus. It also made its presence felt at a friendly match between the U20 teams of Canada and the United States at Rogers Centre on July 7, 2006.

The Red Patch Boys
The Red Patch Boys are a fan-based organization based in sections 112 and 111 of BMO Field that they have termed the "The Bunker." The mandate of the Red Patch Boys (RPBs) is to sustain and promote Toronto FC throughout Canada and to help contribute to the atmosphere at all TFC home games. The group's name is based on the Canadian Maple Leaf and is derived from "Red Patch Devils", a nickname for the 1st Canadian Infantry Division mobilized at the outbreak of World War II. The name was modified because "Red Devils" was closely associated with English club Manchester United to be appropriate for a multicultural fan group.

GoTFC
GoTFC is a volunteer coordinated website of Toronto FC fans, not associated with any supporters group. On February 11, 2007, GoTFC donated a trophy to the winners of the initial Toronto FC Supporters' Cup tournament.