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The General Manager has announced he will be leaving his current role in Pro-Am soccer.

Vancouver, BC – (August 29, 2024) – Stuart Neely, the League1 BC General Manager, has advised the L1BC Board of Directors and license holders that he will be stepping down from his role now that the 2024 season has concluded.

Neely was appointed as General Manager earlier this year, following Sian Bagshawe’s decision to step away from the role having overseen the first two seasons of British Columbia’s standards-based Pro-Am soccer leagues.

The League1 BC Board of Directors will meet in the near future to determine the strategy for filling this open position.

John Gibson, Interim General Manager of League1 Canada, said: “Stuart has been a very valuable asset to the League1 Canada team since Sian’s departure. He joined two months before the League1 BC campaign kicked off, and was very successful in providing stability and structure during the league’s third season.

“He oversaw an exciting six months and leaves having helped to elevate the standards of L1BC. He has diligently overseen a process to add two new clubs to League1 BC ahead of the 2025 season, and after spending a lot of time with members of the League1 BC family, has shared plenty of positives and learning points that will inspire our preparations for 2025 and beyond.

“We would like to thank Stuart for all his time and effort as General Manager, and wish him all the best in his future endeavours.”

Neely said, “The League1 environment is an ongoing pathway that must continue to improve standards across the board for everyone involved. The existing clubs put their best foot forward and made it a successful season, making myself and the league better at what we did.

“L1BC continues to grow not only in numbers but also in quality, no matter how small the improvement. The clubs are committed to providing their communities with opportunities to play at the Pro-Am level and I was happy to be a part of that and to help bridge the gap.

“My transition out of L1BC will be smooth as plans have been put in place for next season, with respect to new faces and a schedule that requires some quick work to make sure next season is a successful one.

“It’s important to wish all the clubs well as they prepare for next season and to meet not only the league’s expectations, but also their own.”