Halifax Wanderers set to make history and show everyone how far they’ve come

A sell-out crowd will march into Wanderers Grounds on Saturday as the Halifax Wanderers host their first-ever Canadian Premier League playoff match on home soil.

Nearly five years since Halifax’s professional soccer team first took the pitch, there’s little doubt that the city is quickly becoming a soccer capital.

As the Halifax Wanderers gear up to host their first playoff game on home soil in franchise history, an already sold-out crowd of 6,500 fans are set to march into Wanderers Grounds on Saturday afternoon to see their Boys in Blue take on Victoria’s Pacific FC.

Win, and the Wanderers will see themselves qualify for the Canadian Premier League (CPL) semi-final match and face the loser of Saturday’s other playoff clash between Calgary’s Cavalry FC and Hamilton’s Forge FC.

Derek Martin, the club’s founder and president, described the excitement around Saturday’s events as a full-circle moment that gives the club an opportunity to acknowledge the work of both current and former staff members.

“It’s really a great chance to reflect on everything that’s gone into this project to date and show some appreciation for not only the people behind the scenes that have helped make it happen but the fans that have supported us through thick and thin,” Martin said.

Since their inaugural season in 2019, the Wanderers have continuously topped the league’s attendance charts and built a formidable reputation as a team with some of the most devoted supporters in the Canadian topflight.

“The fans are everything,” Martin said.

“It’s not professional soccer if you don’t have fans and you don’t have people who are encouraging you, who are demanding of you, who are holding you accountable. It’s what gives life to this entire project, it’s what spurs our players on, it’s what drives them to get that final goal.”