Q4: Season 8 Year in Review

A team with a sub-par record of 13-2-11 sat in 11th place after two thirds of the season. The fans and media alike were already making excuses that it was a rebuilding year and that there was nothing left to salvage. Big name acquisitions from the off-season were sold in hopes that the team could bring in new talent next year. Then it happened.

The team began to click, as if it were magic. The Lions got their roars back and became a force to reckon with in Q4. They finished with a Q4 record just 2 points (1 draw) shy of being absolutely perfect. They went 11-1-0, acquiring 34 points out of a possible 36, and cruised up the standings to finish 24-3-11 in sixth place, the same position as last year.

Jamison Bault who is set to be an unrestricted free agent in the off-season commented on his year in Winnipeg by saying "It was great. We had a fantastic run at the end of the season and sort of proved to everyone we still were a good team despite our troubles. I am going to be a free agent yes, but I will definitely consider coming back to the Royal Lions if they put in an offer".

"This is a team, that went through another whirlwind this season", said young all-star goalkeeper Martha. "It makes it hard on the players. But really, by the end of the season, the pressure was off, we just wanted to prove we knew how to play despite the distractions. We did just that". 20 year old Boudewijn Martha played in 34 games for the FCW Lions this season, and will be back next year. He signed a five-year contract extension for $230,000 p/y.

The top three scorers at the end of the season are:
Trevion Collins - 17
Jamison Bault - 10
Pemton Florent - 9

Despite only playing in 26 games this year, Collins led the team once again with 17 goals. He started as a backup/assistant coach, however was needed after the team parted ways with Barry and Klein.

"I was overjoyed to be back on the field as a starter", said 34 year-old Collins, "I'm getting older but I still love to play. I thought coaching off the bench would satisfy me but it was a rough start, and I felt more in control when I played. This team did something fantastic in the last third of the season, and I am grateful I was a part of it".

The FC Winnipeg Royal Lions managed to find a great amount of heart to play with and led to a positive relationship with the fans.

"It is pretty passionate out there now. There has been a lot of emotion and drama flying around which turns off some fans, but how the team united through the distractions is amazing. Everyone hopes the stadium expands. Everyone wants a ticket" - quote from "Ted", FCW Lions fanatic

Season 8 Results:

World 90 Canada - 24-3-11, +43, Sixth Place

World 90 Champions Tournament - 2-4-0, -1, 3rd Group B

On a side note, the FCW Lions would like to offer their congratulations to Dominicus Florinus Ownership Group member FCS Birds on their World 90 Championship Title!

Stay tuned for the following upcoming articles:
Cheating Champions: Lambeth FC Abuses the System
An Interview With Trevion Collins
Q1 Article: Season 9 Preview, which will list the FCW Lion's off-season acquisitions.

Q3: Looking to the Future

With only twelve games remaining in the regular season, the FCW Lions have begun looking to the future. Over the past week the Royal Lions transferred out Barry, Klein, and most recently, Giovanny Church. 31 year old Giovanny Church played in 95 games for the FCW Lions as a midfielder and picked up 11 goals. He was transferred to Great Plains FC for approximately $140,000. The FC Winnipeg Royal Lions had a Q2 record of 6-1-6, and are now 13-2-11 falling to 11th place.

Captain Trevion Collins who has regained his full-time starting position stated "We have accepted that we will finish as a middle of the pack team. The management have set up well for next off-season, and hope to try once again to build up what I would consider as a successful franchise".

The top three scorers at Q3 are:
Trevion Collins - 7
Pemton Florent - 6
Gerald King - 4

Midfielder Gerald King who is third on the team in scoring said "It's tough to take a season like this. We have been a very competitive team the last few years, to have a rebuilding year, it's weird". The rest of the team seemed to agree with this statement

The owner of the FC Winnipeg Royal Lions said that he was "happy off-loading three heavy contracts, and getting the bonus of a transfer fee for players that he probably would not have had the funds to re-sign". He expects to be a big threat in the free agency market next year, and hopes he can build his team up the right way this time.

We hope to see you at the MTS Centre for the FCW Lions next game on 3/14 Vs #6 SSP (16-2-8).

Don't forget to set your clocks ahead one hour!

FCW Lions Transfer Window Sellers; Barry, Klein Shipped Out

Just three weeks into the transfer window, the FC Winnipeg Royal Lions decided not to salvage the season, and look forward to next year. The Royal Lions transferred out their two top forwards. Elijah Barry who scored 2 goals in 14 games for the Lions was bought by Flying Goat FC of the USA for $660,000. The Royal Lions will also be reimbursed the $200,000 remaining on Barry's salary. The other top forward shipped out who will be missed for his production was Christian Klein. Klein who has 12 goals in 19 games for the Lions was bought by MaltonHG of the Netherlands for $325,000. The Royal Lions also will be reimbursed the $317,460 remaining on Klein's salary.

Boudewijn Martha who just came off a 16 save performance in a 2-2 draw commented on the matter. "We'll miss those guys. It's always rough to see good players go, but management figured we could not afford them for where we are in the standings and stuff like that happens". When asked on whether or not he was close to coming to a contract extension that needs to be signed in the next 5 weeks he stated "There is no doubt in my mind I will re-sign here. Money will not be an issue as we have off-loaded some high salaries. I won a world championship as an 18-year old here, I love the city and want to stay".

Only Klein was available to reach about leaving the city. "It was a nice short stint", he said. "Unfortunately I came in at a time where the team was in a rough patch. Transfers are a part of the sport. I look forward to competing with MaltonHG".

Jannigjen Bujis was transferred to the Royal Lions from MaltonHG in order to make space for Klein. The abysmal goalkeeper will polish shoes for the team before his contract expires in the off-season. The FCW Lions also acquired Yacine Daniel from free agency to be a back-up forward. They signed him for $24,651 for the remainder of the season.