It simply had to happen.
That was the overriding sentiment shared by community soccer club chairs Richard Wang and Chris Parry.
Up until very recently, the pair was at either side of a youth soccer divide – Wang at the head of Richmond United and Parry leading Richmond FC.
However, after a year or so of behind-the-scenes discussions an historic vote took place almost two weeks ago that fused the two clubs together as “Richmond United FC,” finally uniting around 2,000 local soccer families.
“We see, especially at older age groups, splitting kids between two clubs means both teams struggle,” said Wang, who pointed to squad depth being a big reason to work on the merger.
“Better players often don’t have enough teammates at their level to play in the higher divisions they’re ready for, and more casual players are sometimes dragged into teams they may struggle in.
“To get this merger passed means we can really begin growing the program so that every child is better served.”
Change had to happen after clubs offered programs to all genders
Historically, the two clubs happily co-existed for decades, with Richmond FC (RFC) catering for boys soccer and United for the girls.
However, when both clubs started offering programs for all genders a few years ago, it became obvious that a sea change needed to happen, with families and friends often having to choose between the two organizations.
Prior to the merger vote, both boards had made it clear they supported the move, yet there were still a few doubts as to whether it would go through.
“You never really know with something like this whether you’ve got support or not,” said Parry.
“Every family has their own wants and needs and these discussions have been so delicate that even the fact they were taking place was kept quiet until we had broad acceptance.
“But realistically, the vast majority of parents in Richmond’s soccer community, I think, see the value in competing not against friends and neighbours, but against other teams from other places.”
In the end, a total of 103 members voted for the merger, 14 were against and two abstained.
An interim board for the new club has been formed and it’s already working on pushing the City of Richmond for better facilities at Hugh Boyd.
The transition from the two clubs to one will take place over the course of the coming season, added Parry and Wang, noting that there is a lot to sort out before the organizations wear the same colours.
