Community reigns supreme within Canada's unique supporter-owned soccer club
TSS Rovers have reopened their share program, providing fresh ownership opportunities to investors. I speak to Robbie Grenda, co-founder of Spirit of the Rovers, to see what's been achieved so far.
Of all the soccer clubs across Canada, TSS Rovers of British Columbia are particularly unique. They are the only club nationwide that is partly owned by their own supporters—over 450 of them.
In addition, they also possess one of Canada’s most passionate supporter groups, most of whom are owners themselves.
The Swanguardians supporters group can be found at all TSS Rovers matches, both home and away, rain or shine. You’ll find them in their usual spot behind the south goal at the aptly named Swangard Stadium.
The group was formed in 2017 when a couple of Vancouver Whitecaps supporters caught wind that this new club would be playing out of Swangard Stadium, the original home of the Whitecaps. Many followed, and the Swanguardians quickly took off.
‘The supporters that transitioned away from the Whitecaps fell out of love with it.’ said Robbie Grenda, a founding member of the supporters trust at TSS Rovers.
‘My reasons were the politics surrounding the club, but there's multiple reasons for multiple different people.’
TSS Rovers was founded as Total Soccer Systems Inc. in July 1997 with a goal to push local soccer and aid player development in the Metro Vancouver area.
‘Their ultimate aim was to improve the game here in BC, improve the game in Canada. And have a Canadian national team that was filled with BC players.’ said Grenda.
In 2016, the academy purchased the rights to a Washington State-based PDL (now USL League Two) franchise team, moving them north of the U.S. border and bringing senior men’s soccer to Swangard Stadium. The following year, a women’s senior team was also formed, playing their first season in the 2018 WPSL.
In 2021, the club was announced as a member of the new League1 British Columbia, a league branded as semi-professional, featuring both men’s and women’s teams representing eight different clubs. The men won the inaugural championship in 2022, as well as another in 2024. Qualification to the Canadian Championship (Canada’s FA Cup) was gained as a result of finishing top of regular league standings.
TSS Rovers ownership model launched at the same time as the League1 BC season was announced. “The journey to ownership was interesting," said Grenda. “It started with a conversation in a pub after a Rovers game. We spoke of our dreams for a community, supporter-owned club.”
“It could very well have not been Rovers, except for the fact that someone overheard us and pointed us in the direction of two of the owners, Colin Elmes and Willie Cromack. They both supported the idea.” From then on, the ownership dream soon became reality.
Along with fellow members of the Swanguardians, Grenda formed The Spirit of the Rovers, an ownership group that now represents over 450 minority owners. For the most part, the ownership group respects the decisions made by the original owners, all of whom have varying experiences within coaching.
“Ownership can be different from operations. You don't need to get involved in day-to-day stuff. All of a sudden, you could have 400 people telling you which team to select. That doesn't work. We trust the people in place to run the club,” said Grenda.
The club raised $234,000 thanks to the new ownership model. Each share cost $265 and gave every new owner voting rights plus a renewed annual season ticket. Grenda says community and development run deeper than any profit. “My return is seeing the football and making sure our players move on to something bigger and better. I don’t expect anything back; I get to support the players while enjoying a few beers and having a good time.”
TSS Rovers ownership model is an unusual feature of North American soccer. It is more prevalent in the European game, where supporters have either come together to save their club from financial ruin or a mandated system like that that exists in the Bundesliga has been implemented to keep fans at the heart of their clubs.
While other teams in Canada could follow TSS Rovers lead, Grenda feels it would require a unique set of circumstances to make it happen.
“You would need original owners who are ok with losing some money. It needs to be a passion for the supporters-owned aspect to work. You need people who can offer their time to make the club better. It will likely not end with profits, but that should never be the aim”.
Since its inception in 2019, the Canadian Premier League (CPL) has served as an additional professional platform outside of the MLS for male soccer players in Canada. In 2025, the Northern Super League will become Canada’s first professional women’s league.
There is no current pathway for TSS Rovers to progress further up the Canadian soccer pyramid. Grenda believes there should be a way in the future, especially with the CPL now well-established.
“I think we should advocate for promotion/relegation so that we have a chance of getting there. But not only us, for the other clubs as well. We're nothing without the other teams in the league. We need everyone to be viable, sustainable, and have supportership within each club in order for us to exist. Then those things can come.”
Regardless of where TSS Rovers are playing in the future, you can guarantee that Grenda and his fellow Swanguardians will be there to support their beloved soccer team.
“We've always joked that whatever we've written down on a napkin at the pub has come true for us so far. We wanted to win the league, the championship, and play in the Canadian Championship, and we’ve done those things. Now it has become a little bit different. You want to be humble, but we've already done so many amazing things.”
TSS Rovers will return to the Canadian Championship in 2025 and will be hoping to make another good impression. With all the success that has come their way so far, who knows where this story will go next?
Oh, I wish I was in Swangard now!