The mood was hopeful, the tone promising when the new London City Soccer Club was unveiled at the John Labatt Centre in the presence of Joe Fontana, community members and the new coaching staff on May 10.

The man of the day was team buyer Andrew Crowe, a business owner from Hamilton who jumped at the news that City was up for sale. The new management brought in nine European players to round out the 2012 roster and give team captain Nenad “Bega” Begovic more options to work with. Returning club member Mike Marcoccia spoke briefly at the meeting and promised an improvement on last season's result. He also alluded to the club's plans for community involvement, which includes giving local youth teams more opportunities to participate and using local talent for half-time entertainment.

The new owner, Andrew Crowe, described the club as one that focused on the players' improvement in past years but explained that, going forward, the LSC plays to win. A new owner means a new direction, new sponsors and a new venue. While the league's mandate is player improvement, management doesn't see this as an excuse for not performing. Several speakers including the new owner, coach and captain all spoke in anticipation of a playoff run at the end of the season and the determination is apparent. This year, half of the club's home games will be played at the TD Waterhouse stadium at UWO while the remainder will be held at the club's original field on Cove Road.

In anticipation of an exciting new season, City is offering fans a chance to win a trip to Los Angeles for a match between Toronto FC and Galaxy. Fans must attend the season opener at TD Waterhouse stadium on May 18 for an opportunity to win - admission is $10. For more information, check out londoncity.ca.