Toronto, ON – (October 10, 2023) – Dutch Connections Football Club have successfully acquired a League1 Ontario Men’s League2 division license, and plan to create a new Scarborough-based club that will take to the field for the first time in 2024.
Dutch Connections were founded in 2011 by former footballers Jörg van Nieuwenhuijzen and Andrew Ornoch, who is the club owner, and have more than 900 registered players across their academy age groups.
The DCFC Academy is split into three developmental stages that provide opportunities for soccer players in Scarborough, catering for children at U5 through to U18 level, with the U15 boys’ squad attending 2023 Toyota National Championships this past week.
Joining the club to support the expansion to League2 is Rob Jenkins, who was Manager of Football Operations at Cavalry FC in the Canadian Premier League between 2018 and 2020, and President of L1O’s Electric City for the following two years.
Dutch Connections have joined L1O to provide their players with a direct pathway to pro-am soccer, and aspire to create a club that all of Scarborough can get behind. To help achieve this goal, Dutch Connections will unite with other local clubs and companies, as well as stage a community event in late November that will announce the team’s identity and more information about the project.
The club will also field a Men’s Reserve team next year, with a longer-term ambition of creating an L1O women’s team.
Ornoch said: “We are very excited to have created another opportunity for our DCFC players, and players throughout Scarborough, to continue on their careers after youth soccer to compete against the best in Ontario without leaving their community.
“There are so many talented players in Scarborough that just need an opportunity to showcase what they can do; we hope this provides them with that opportunity.”
Jenkins, L1O Project Lead at Dutch Connections, said: “We are working to create a club and an amazing gameday experience that is for everyone to enjoy, and be a place for the community to gather to support a united cause while providing opportunities for Scarborough’s youth to flourish.
“But we can’t do this alone, this is Scarborough’s club and we are going to need the entire community to get involved in this exciting project in order for it to be a success.”
Matthew Braithwaite, Managing Director of League1 Ontario, said: “We’d like to wish Dutch Connections a warm welcome to League1 Ontario.
“Dutch Connections came to us with lots of ambition and enthusiasm to own an L1O team, as well as solid groundwork on which to build a new club for the community.
“Scarborough has produced some great talents that have gone on to play at high levels and for the Canadian Men’s National Team, and we are excited that League1 Ontario can provide a platform for the city’s up-and-coming soccer players.”