HFX Wanderers FC

Halifax Wanderers FC, also written as HFX Wanderers FC, is a Canadian professional soccer club in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The club competes in the Canadian Premier League (CPL) at the top of the Canadian soccer league system, and play their home matches at Wanderers Grounds.

Foundation
In December 2016, Sports & Entertainment Atlantic owner Derek Martin met with Canadian Premier League officials to discuss launching a franchise in Halifax. Martin pitched the idea of a pop-up stadium to Halifax City Councillors in March 2017, and approval was given three months later. On May 5, 2018, Halifax was one of four groups accepted by the Canadian Soccer Association for professional club membership.

HFX Wanderers Football Club was officially unveiled on May 25, 2018, as the third team to join the Canadian Premier League. As well as confirming their place in the league for the 2019 launch season, the club also revealed their crest, colours and branding. Stephen Hart was also announced as the club's inaugural manager.

On July 28, 2018, HFX Wanderers FC fielded an Atlantic Selects team to play a friendly against Fortuna Düsseldorf's under-21 squad at Wanderers Grounds. The Atlantic Selects won on penalties after a 2–2 score in regulation time. The official attendance was 4,809.

First seasons
The club played its first league match on April 28, 2019, a 0–1 away loss to Pacific FC. On May 4, 2019, the team defeated Forge FC 2–1 for its first-ever league victory. Trinidadian international Akeem Garcia opened the scoring and became the first league goal scorer in club history.

The 2020 season was shortened and modified because of the COVID-19 pandemic and branded as The Island Games because all matches were held on Prince Edward Island. The Wanderers advanced to the final, falling 0–2 to Forge FC in the final match. Akeem Garcia won the Golden Boot with six goals and Stephen Hart won the CPL's Coach of the Year award.

The 2021 season was also modified due to COVID-19 health restrictions, and the first portion of the season was held entirely at IG Field in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Upon returning to Halifax, the Wanderers were only able to play in front of season ticket holders in order to limit crowd sizes. Finally, the public was once again allowed to purchase tickets to the Canadian Championship game against CF Montréal, and the 6,413 spectators set a new attendance record. Although the Wanderers finished the season in 6th place, João Morelli won the league's Golden Boot by scoring 14 goals, a CPL record at the time, and the CPL Player of the Year award.

In April 2022 in the second match of the season, star striker Morelli suffered a season-ending ACL injury in a match against Atlético Ottawa. After the disappointing 2022 campaign, Stephen Hart was relieved as team manager, and Patrice Gheisar was brought in to replace him. It was announced in March 2023 that Morelli would miss at least the first half of the 2023 season as he recovered from the previous year's surgery.

Stadium
The club plays their home games at Wanderers Grounds. The modular stadium opened with a capacity of 6,500 spectators. The main grandstand (Sections 101–107) is along the north edge of the pitch, and the stands in the east end (Sections 108–111) are general admission seating, intended for the supporters groups. The general admission stands are commonly known as The Kitchen, a reference to "kitchen party", which is a common term in the region for an informal and well-attended house party.

The stadium's design allows for it to be expanded as required for future growth. Many structures are built out of shipping containers, which is an economical and flexible building option, but it also demonstrates a connection with Halifax's history as a port city. Past modifications include the addition of a patio area below The Kitchen, a premium cornerside area in the southwest portion, the installation of 18 separate entry points to maintain health protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic, a new media room installed to replace the camera platforms which were damaged in Hurricane Fiona, and a deployable giant screen.

The Wanderers Grounds is city property, and was leased to the Wanderers for a three-year test project in 2018, with the club's intention being to create a permanent stadium, should the club and league prove to be a fitting primary tenant for the site. The lease was renewed for another two years in 2021, to expire in April 2024. In September 2023, Derek Martin formally presented to Halifax city council, detailing a plan for the city to build a permanent stadium at the Wanderers Grounds. The proposed stadium would have a modular design, an initial capacity of 8,500 people, and an artificial turf which would increase its usability for other events. Including renovations to the surrounding landscape, the estimated cost to the city would be $40 million, and the Halifax Wanderers offered to sign a 30-year lease as a means of repayment. The proposal is under consideration.

Crest and colours
The shape of the crest takes inspiration from the Halifax Citadel, located near the club's stadium. The crest includes the Angus L. Macdonald Bridge, which connects the Halifax Peninsula with Dartmouth, and an anchor to represent the Atlantic Ocean and Halifax Harbour.

Underneath the club's name reads the Scottish Gaelic motto, Ar Cala, Ar Dachaigh, Ar n-Anam, which translates to Our Harbour, Our Home, Our Soul. Scottish Gaelic is used to signify that Nova Scotia is one of the few places remaining where the language is still spoken.

The crest was created by Canadian graphic designer Mark Guilherme based on consultation and feedback from meetings with supporters, Halifax city leaders and local residents.

The official club colours are navy, grey, and cyan (branded by the club as "harbour blue", "naval grey", and "aqua ocean"). These colours symbolize the night sky, the Royal Canadian Navy, and the Atlantic Ocean.

Club culture
The Wanderers are one of the most popular CPL teams, with great support within Halifax. The team recurrently tops the attendance charts, with frequent sellouts at the Wanderers Grounds, and local businesses often fly their flags of support on game day.

Supporters
The first supporters group to lobby for a Halifax team to join the Canadian Premier League was founded in September 2016 under the name Wanderers SG. At the launch event to unveil HFX Wanderers' identity, supporters announced they were changing their name to Privateers 1882 in order for the club to continue the Wanderers name. The 1882 signifies the year of formation for the Wanderers Amateur Athletic Club, who previously competed at the Wanderers Grounds. 'Privateers' refers to the history of privateering in the region, as well as the popular regional song "Barrett's Privateers". Other supporters groups affiliated with the Wanderers include the "Block 108 Ultras", the "Stonewall Pirates", and the "One Ten Den".

Another unique aspect of Wanderers supporter culture is "The Cookbook", a paper fanzine written, published, and sold by the Privateers 1882 to function as a game-day programme.

Social media
There are several long-running fan-based websites which cover the Wanderers, including "The Wanderers Notebook" and The Merchant Sailor. The Coast hosts the Wanderer Grounds (sic) podcast in addition to regular sports coverage. Most notable is the Down The Pub podcast, whose hosts have interviewed dozens of players and coaches, reviewed almost every game, and also worked with the club to co-host events. At the end of each season, the hosts award the "Pubbies" to notable players and events.

Travel
Given Halifax's distance from the other teams in the league, fan travel to away games is a relatively uncommon occurrence, although trips to Ontario are the most feasible. In 2023, Wanderers president Derek Martin queried the fans about possibly chartering a plane to a mid-week game in Toronto, and the response was so overwhelming that a plane was able to be booked almost exclusively for the use of Wanderers fans, until Porter discontinued that flight's service to Halifax.

Honours

 * Canadian Premier League
 * Runners-up: 2020

Head coaches
Record includes matches in the Canadian Championship and CPL playoffs.

Year-by-year
1. Average attendance include statistics from league matches only. 2. Top goalscorer(s) includes all goals scored in league season, league playoffs, Canadian Championship, CONCACAF League, and other competitive continental matches.