Mayor Miller On Pregame Chat

Twenty minutes before kickoff on Tuesday night, Toronto FC’s social network page on Twitter relayed, “And in important local news: TFC warming up, just about ready for kick off with CD Motagua.”

That was courtesy of @mayormiller, a steadfast supporter of Toronto’s Major League Soccer team from its inception and an ongoing promoter of the world’s game in the city. He is known more commonly as Toronto Mayor David Miller.

Mayor Miller will be my guest in the Pregame Lunch Hour Chat on Friday from 12-1 p.m., which will primarily preview the Kansas City clash on Saturday (8:30 p.m., Rogers Sportsnet).

We will have news and updates from training as usual, but fans will also get a chance to pick the mayor’s football brain. Other guests such as players, coaches and club executives will feature each week as we get deeper into Toronto’s ever-important fourth season. 

Timing has been one of the factors that played into Toronto FC’s success on and off the pitch, in that the club could hardly ask for a bigger supporter of its ambitions than its current mayor.

Recently he communicated to me that “he is incredibly proud of TFC and the fact it was he who led the political will to get BMO Field built” for not just the club, but for Toronto as the centerpiece of the 2007 FIFA U20 World Cup.  That tournament was a record breaking success but his heart belongs to the Reds.

The mayor views Toronto FC as a success for not just football in Canada, but in the area of cooperation between the three levels of government – which also led to natural grass being laid on the pitch. 

On the subject of the sport itself, Mayor Miller understands the importance of changing demographics in Toronto and its demands on recreation.

“Football is accessible to all because (all) you really need to play is a ball,” he said recently of Canada’s biggest participation sport.  The fact that Toronto FC provides a professional outlet for soccer, the mayor feels “will allow the sport to grow” far beyond the recreation level.

Stadium and natural grass secured, Toronto FC still faces challenges that will require civic participation. The Reds seek to build state-of-the-art training facilities and academy grounds that will serve to improve Canada’s young players as the country longs for a return to the World Cup.

The matter of BMO Field being used for community purposes rather than the hallowed grounds a top tier football team deserves is another subject of debate in a municipal election year.

And of course, MLS Cup Final is being hosted at BMO Field on November 21. That places added pressure for the squad to succeed, the stadium to be made immaculate, and the city to prepare for a massive event with an increasingly global audience with its eyes on Toronto.

We will discuss these issue, the matter of Kansas City on Saturday, our Champions League plight and more (if there is time) tomorrow at noon.

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