Commissioner David Clanachan Awarded Exclusive CPL Rights to Windsor/Essex County and to Step Down as First CPL Commissioner
Excerpt of this story courtesy of Canpl.ca by Canpl staff originally posted January 10, 2022: https://canpl.ca/article/commissioner-david-clanachan-awarded-exclusive-cpl-rights-to-windsoressex-county-and-to-step-down-as-first-cpl-commissioner.
Toronto, ON (January 10, 2022) – The Canadian Premier League (CPL) announced today that Commissioner David Clanachan has been awarded the exclusive rights for a CPL expansion club in Windsor/Essex County. The launch of an expansion club is contingent upon delivering a soccer-specific stadium and other expansion criteria to League standards. Subsequently, Clanachan will step down as the first Canadian Premier League Commissioner to focus on bringing professional sports and the first ever professional soccer club to his hometown.
“Everybody involved with the CPL and Canadian Soccer Business would like to thank David for his contributions to this incredible project,” said Scott Mitchell, CPL and CSB Co-founder. “Very few thought we could pull this off when we started talking about this with David five years ago, and yet here we sit with a league that is clearly been a great success despite the obstacles and that is destined to establish itself as one of the more important leagues in the world. We want to also express our appreciation to David for his commitment in helping us with a seamless transition to our next leader.”
Clanachan was appointed the first Commissioner of the CPL in 2018 and oversaw the successful launch of the League and expansion to eight Canadian markets. The CPL concluded its third season in December with Pacific FC winning its first CPL Final. The League has also distinguished itself on the international stage with impressive performances in Concacaf earning a Champions League spot (Forge FC) in 2022.
“Windsor’s passionate sports community has always inspired me and fueled my love of soccer. It has been a dream of mine to bring professional soccer to the amazing people of Windsor /Essex County and I am looking forward to this next chapter and beginning the work necessary to bring a club to my hometown,” said Commissioner Clanachan. “After an exhilarating and rewarding four years as Canadian Premier League Commissioner, now is the right time for new leadership. We have built something truly special that has captured the imagination of soccer fans across the country. The CPL is now firmly established as a key pillar in Canada’s sports landscape and will be at the centre of soccer’s remarkable growth in the coming years. Having a successful club in Windsor will only make us stronger.”
“We want to thank Commissioner Clanachan for his dedication to this growing league, his leadership and vision that were instrumental in seeing our Atlético de Madrid group join as owners of the Atlético Ottawa franchise,” said Fernando López, Chief Executive Officer, Atlético Ottawa. “We look forward to building on the solid foundation he has established and continue developing professional soccer in Canada.”
For more on the details and the rest of the story on Commissioner David Clanachan has been awarded the exclusive rights for a CPL expansion club in Windsor/Essex County, please go to https://canpl.ca/article/commissioner-david-clanachan-awarded-exclusive-cpl-rights-to-windsoressex-county-and-to-step-down-as-first-cpl-commissioner.