FC LONDON TO TRAVEL TO THUNDER BAY FOR CENTRAL CONFERENCE PLAYOFFS

FC LONDON will participate in the first round of the post-season at the Central Conference tournament this weekend in Thunder Bay, ON.

 

"It's disappointing for the fans that we will not be hosting in the first round of playoffs," says Ian Campbell, President of FC LONDON about the league's decision to hold the Central Conference Championship in Thunder Bay. "However, we avoid a wildcard game. We are only 4 games away from repeating last year's success, so we're in for some exciting football."

The squad will be travelling on WestJet Airlines leaving on Friday and returning on Monday afternoon, hopefully with two wins and a second Conference title under their belts. FC LONDON will be joined by hosts Thunder Bay Chill, the Real Colorado Foxes, and the winner of a wildcard game this Tuesday between the Great Lakes Division's Michigan Bucks and Chicago Fire. The Fire managed to squeak into playoff contention on tie-breaker rules, edging out K-W United FC for the 3rd position based on total wins in league games.

Chapples Park will be the venue for the Central Conference tournament for the second time in three years. The winner of the Great Lakes wildcard game will face the Chill in an afternoon match on Saturday July 27, at 3pm. FC LONDON takes on the Real Colorado Foxes in the evening with a 6pm kickoff. Winners of Saturday's matches will play in the final game on Sunday night at 6pm.

The Real Colorado Foxes who are based in Douglas County, Colorado. The Foxes finished comfortably in second place in the Heartland Division with a 9-3-2 record for 29 points, 9 points ahead of the next team. One of Colorado's greatest weapons will likely be their number 14, forward Oliver Gore. Gore was the 2nd leading goal scorer in North America through the 2013 PDL regular season with 15 goals, sitting just ahead of FC LONDON's power forwards Boyd (5th) and Ayris (7th).

FC LONDON is on a high after earning their first divisional title as well as winning the UMBRO Cup, a home-and-home series challenge against KW-United FC. Head coach Martin Painter has a positive outlook on his team's chances in the Conference tournament. "We have a strong and healthy roster going into the weekend," says Painter. "With the potential for a 2nd game within 24 hours, effective substitutions will make the difference. With our strong bench, I'm confident that we'll be a challenge for any team." Painter has his pick of players for the upcoming road trip as FC LONDON has avoided late-season injuries that often plague teams heading into the playoffs. Only Sanchez will be out on suspension following a red card in the last game.

Fans will be able to follow the game on the @FCLONDON Twitter feed which plays via both the Twitter website and through a panel on the www.FCLONDON.ca website.