Editor's message: A big thanks for the response to TFC Republic

I’ve been meaning to send a note out to TFC Republic subscribers for several weeks now, but things continued to get away from me, so I apologize for not doing this sooner.

I just wanted to say a heartfelt thank you for the overwhelming response to TFC Republic since the launch of this website back in April. I’ve truly been humbled that so many people decided to support me in this venture, especially after I took the bold step of quitting my full-time job at the Canadian Premier League in order to focus all of my energy into TFC Republic.

I know that the MLS season hasn’t gone quite how TFC fans would have expected or wanted. But despite the team’s poor performance in 2021, I still think it’s vitally important that Toronto FC be covered in an in-depth fashion, with critical analysis given to what’s gone wrong and what lies ahead for the club. Hopefully you all feel that I have done that so far with TFC Republic, and you can rest assured I will continue to do that in the future as the team enters what will easily be the most interesting and important off-season in franchise history.

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Of course, readers of TFC Republic know that the website goes beyond simply covering Toronto FC. Since the website's launch, I’ve covered both the Canadian men’s and women’s teams in an in-depth fashion, as well as the brewing battle between the CPL and its players as they attempt to form a players’ union. You can rest easy that I will continue to produce regular content on all three of those fronts, as well as other issues in Canadian soccer, for the foreseeable future.

The main selling point about TFC Republic has been its feature articles and its focus on storytelling and analysis, as it takes a different approach to beat reporting on Canada's oldest MLS club. The feedback I have received from readers has been overwhelmingly positive, and that makes me feel even better about my decision to quit my gig (in the middle of a global pandemic, no less!) to start this project.

When I previously worked at Sportsnet and CBC Sports, I tried to provide thoughtful, nuanced coverage of Toronto FC, as well as the Canadian men’s and women’s teams. It was something I was determined to keep doing when I launched TFC Republic. No hot takes. No click bait. Just honest, balanced, straight-forward, credible and critical coverage - what you've come to expect from me over the years.

What’s been especially gratifying about your support is that it’s come during a difficult time for the industry. I think it’s safe to say that soccer journalism in Canada has seen much better days. The “Big Two” (TSN and Sportsnet) have substantially cut back on their soccer coverage in the past two years, while there are only a small handful of reporters at other media outlets across the country who are writing about soccer on a regular basis.

Canadian soccer needs all the full-time media coverage it can get if it’s going to continue to grow. As more and more major outlets scale back on covering soccer, it'll be up to independent websites such as this one to pick up the slack and lead the way. Many of you have recognized that and have graciously backed TFC Republic. That’s something I truly appreciate, and will never take for granted.

So, all of this is my way of saying a big thank you for your support. Whether you are a monthly or yearly subscriber, it means a lot to me, and I hope you continue to enjoy TFC Republic and give me your support.

I also want to thank those subscribers who signed up for the free weekly newsletter, but who haven’t yet opted to buy a subscription. With the team about to head into a hugely important off-season, you might want to think about becoming a paid subscriber, especially when you consider TFC Republic's reasonable and affordable pricing scheme.

A yearly subscription to TFC Republic costs just $50 (which averages out to a mere $4.17 a month). That's a year's worth of in-depth coverage of  Toronto FC and the Canadian soccer scene for roughly the price of buying a medium latte at Starbucks once a month. If you purchase a year's subscription, you'll save 48%!

Want to check out TFC Republic on a trial basis before committing for a full year? No problem. A one-month subscription will only set you back $8. Both monthly and yearly subscriptions include 13% GST/HST, which makes it an even better deal. Just go the homepage and click on the subscribe button to get started.

If you’re only getting the free newsletter, you’re really missing out on a lot of in-depth coverage of the Canadian soccer scene, so you might want to think about a monthly or yearly subscription.

Anyway, that’s all I wanted to say. One again, a big thank you to all!

(Top photo courtesy of torontofc.ca)

TFC Republic is a paid-subscription website. All of the content at TFC Republic is behind a paywall, and you need to be a subscriber to access it. It costs only $8 for a one-month subscription, or $50 for a full year (prices include 13% GST/HST). What a great deal, eh?  Don't miss out, and order your TFC Republic subscription today!