Petition calls for Richmond youth soccer club membership to be reinstated

A petition is trying to save a youth soccer club in Richmond from losing its district membership.

According to BC Soccer, the Richmond Soccer Association is cancelling Fusion FC’s district membership on Monday.

Albert, whose daughter plays at the club, says he and many other parents are frustrated by the district’s decision. Albert provided only his first name as he is concerned about possible retaliation against his daughter by speaking out.

“For me as a parent, I would like to be able to go to the club that I prefer, but it feels like I’m not allowed to do that, and it just sucks,” he told 1130 NewsRadio.

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Albert says his daughter has been playing at the club since September last year.

“Since that time, she’s had so much fun. She actually likes to play the game. She’s re-engaged in playing soccer. She loves her coaches,” he explained.

Last week, BC Soccer said it was advised of the Richmond Soccer Association’s decision “not to approve active membership for Fusion FC with the district association.”

“The decision issued and communicated to the Club, followed a process initiated in 2023, and was reviewed and upheld by an Appeal Arbitrator assigned by the BC Soccer Judicial Body. The Richmond Soccer Association, in consideration of the ongoing playing season at that time, granted Associate Membership to the Club until the end of the Winter Playing Season, terminating on March 31^st, 2025,” the provincial soccer body stated.

In a letter sent to parents from the club this week, the Fusion president and board claimed that the Richmond Soccer Association acted “with bias” to keep the club out of the district.

“Despite this, our application was rejected in October, based on a false claim that we took 100% of a team from another club. That never happened. Players and families who joined Fusion did so of their own choosing, looking for a better, safer, and more supportive soccer experience. And we gave it to them,” the letter stated.

“We appealed. Denied. No opportunity to present our side. We reached out to Canada Soccer. Again—no response. No due process. No accountability,” it continued.

“In my 45 years as a player, coach, board member, and father, I have never been more disheartened. The system is broken. The structure is backwards. Districts hold power over BC Soccer and even Canada Soccer—when it should be the other way around. The game has become about control and politics—not about the kids, and not about the sport we love.”

The change.org petition initiated by Wei Ma states that the “sudden decision” by the RSA has left approximately 700 children without their soccer program and has “created a significant crisis for these young athletes and their families.”

“Fusion FC has provided a supportive, developmental, and positive environment for hundreds of young soccer players in our community. For many of these children, Fusion FC was the ideal fit after trying multiple programs, offering the right balance of skill development, positive coaching, and appropriate competitive level,” Wei stated in the petition.

“There are concerning reports that this decision may have been influenced by conflicts of interest, with allegations that RUFC, which stands to benefit from Fusion FC’s removal, has connections with decision-makers at the district level.”

Wei’s petition and its signatories are demanding an immediate review into the decision to cancel Fusion FC’s membership, an investigation into the decision-making process, and the implementation of proper procedures in the Richmond district.

“Our children have worked incredibly hard to develop their soccer skills. This isn’t just about sports—it’s about community, fairness, and doing what’s right for hundreds of kids who simply want to play the game they love,” the petition stated.

Albert tells 1130 NewsRadio that his daughter loves soccer and feels like she’s being driven out of the sport. The petition, which has already garnered over 1,400 signatures, calls for the association to reverse its decision.

If his daughter can no longer play for the club, Albert worries his daughter will not want to play at all.

“Some of them are really stuck because they have to be able to play games, and they cannot find a club at this late time of the season,” he said.

Fusion FC said in its letter that it is “not giving up. … We are committed to fighting for the next three months with everything we have. Our mission is to ensure that we are back where we belong — within the Richmond district and BC Soccer — by the fall season.”

In an email, the Richmond Soccer Association declined an interview; however, it said it would be issuing a statement.

RSA refutes Fusion FC’s understanding of events, claims club did not adhere to bylaws, rules, regulations

In a follow-up on Monday evening, Barry Wosk issued a statement on behalf of the RSA.

“The Richmond Soccer Association (RSA) has become aware of information being circulated in relation to its denial of Active Membership for Fusion FC in the District. The purpose of this public statement is to correct inaccurate and misleading information being circulated,” it said.

Namely, the RSA refutes that Fusion FC was made aware of the district’s decision “recently.” It says Fusion FC was notified about its membership on Nov. 29, 2024.

According to the RSA, in November 2023, Fusion FC was granted an associate membership with the district for a one-year term, with the possibility of the club being promoted to an active membership subject to the club’s compliance with the district’s rules, regulations, and bylaws of BC Soccer and the RSA.

The RSA says in October and November of last year, the RSA notified Fusion FC that it had concerns that the club was not in compliance and requested information from the club related to the concerns.

On Nov. 15, “the RSA provided Fusion FC with details as to the RSA’s concerns that the RSA had that Fusion FC had acted in non-compliance with certain bylaws,
policies, and rules of BC Soccer and the RSA,” the associated stated.

“On November 29, 2024, the RSA advised Fusion FC that its application for Active Membership in the RSA was denied on the basis that Fusion FC had acted in non-compliance with certain bylaws, policies, and rules of BC Soccer and the RSA. Fusion FC’s application for Active Membership in the RSA included a commitment by Fusion FC to not ‘accept entire teams moving from any other club member (NOTE: an entire team is 50% or more of the team’s registered players)’.

“The RSA’s policy requirement of this commitment from Fusion was mandated by BC Soccer policy requirements (i.e., BC Soccer’s Youth District Association Standards for New Club Membership Applications), which impose the following as ‘Minimum Mandatory Application Requirements in relation to new club applications for membership in a District.”

According to the RSA, during its associate membership, Fusion FC registered a total of 12 teams across two different leagues, with 50 per cent or more of the players having previously been members of the Richmond United Football Club team. The RSA says Fusion “did not communicate this information to the RSA.”

The RSA says that in spite of the non-compliance, it granted the club associate status for the remainder of the 2024/2025 season, “including the Coastal Cup and Provincial tournaments for all Fusion FC teams that qualify for them. This was done to ensure that Fusion FC players were not negatively affected by the RSA’s decision and to provide Fusion FC with time to make alternate arrangements.”

“The RSA empathizes with the position that players and parents now find themselves in as a result of the RSA’s decision to deny Fusion FC Active Membership in the RSA,” the statement from Wosk said.

“The RSA had intended to avoid that position by providing a transition period from December 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025, for Fusion FC to communicate the decision to players and parents and to assist them with ensuring the players had a place to play.”