Official WFF and GTBFC Merger Announcement

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Greater Tampa Bay F.C. and West Florida Flames agree to merge organizations to better serve the Greater Tampa Bay Area


Tampa Bay, FL - The Board of Directors for both West Florida Flames Soccer Club and Greater Tampa Bay Football Club approved a merger of the two clubs which will operate as the West Florida Flames. The two organizations will begin to transition activities to combine organizations beginning in May 2015 for tryouts of the 2015 seasonal year. The West Florida Flames will serve the Greater Tampa Bay Area with quality youth to adult soccer programming and integrated player development.

The West Florida Flames will represent approximately 140 plus youth competitive teams comprised of multiple teams and skill levels in every age group, supporting the development of over 1,800 players. The club will continue to offer four location-based recreational programs for over 4,000 players. In addition, the West Florida Flames will operate an adult league with over 400 players and a TopSoccer (special needs) program serving 150 players. Operation of these programs serves approximately 6,000 players, making West Florida Flames the largest Soccer Club in Florida and one of the largest in the southeastern United States.


West Florida Flames will continue to offer programs at all existing locations, as well as combining resources for elite and national competition. The primary objective of the West Florida Flames is to provide quality soccer programs for the youth and adult players in the Greater Tampa Bay Area at all levels of play: local, regional, state-wide and nationally.

For updated merger information, please watch the following web sites: flamesfc.com and gtbfc.com

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Largest club in Florida and still no DA?

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This is fantastic news for the players of pasco county. Well done MR and DV.gold

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This is fantastic news for the players of pasco county. Well done MR and DV.gold

For those who are patient, good things happen. ECNL has DV back.

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Largest club in Florida and still no DA?

Clearwater has been on the clock for too long. Maybe there's a club that can take it from them now...

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Smart move for WFF!
WFF will be reaching markets much further north and can call Tampa home. ECNL and all teams will be stronger over time.

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Smart move for WFF!
WFF will be reaching markets much further north and can call Tampa home. ECNL and all teams will be stronger over time.

Another pointless merger. Who's in control of this now? WFF BOD or GTBFC BOD?

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Let's see them name the high quality staff at every age group. Sounds good but who will end up being your kids coach?

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Another pointless merger. Who's in control of this now? WFF BOD or GTBFC BOD?

Team effort. It will change the future of West Florida soccer.

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Another pointless merger. Who's in control of this now? WFF BOD or GTBFC BOD?

"which will operate as the West Florida Flames". What about that statement gives you any idea that GTBFC will have any control of anything? It's not GTBWFF now, is it?

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"which will operate as the West Florida Flames". What about that statement gives you any idea that GTBFC will have any control of anything? It's not GTBWFF now, is it?

It is not about war but acceptance in a name and partnership with more Fire.

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Team effort. It will change the future of West Florida soccer.

Won't change a thing. The BOD at WFF has failed in several "mergers" and affiliations, failed with hiring the right people, and will fail again. The track record gives a 0% chance of changing anything other than a temporary size of the club.

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Another pointless merger. Who's in control of this now? WFF BOD or GTBFC BOD?

WFF owns this merger

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Another pointless merger. Who's in control of this now? WFF BOD or GTBFC BOD?

All done. MR remains the Executive Director. DV will be the DOC of both the west campus and the and the Pasco campus that includes Zephryhills and he will have FC as the girls DOC and NM as the boys DOC. Pay increase for FC and NM. All other DOC positions in other campuses remain the same. There are going to be a lot of coaching changes on both campuses.
The goal is to squash WC and Lutz Rangers and to provide the elite players the opportunity to play ECNL, NPL. So for those that always say the GTB is only a USA league club, that will change from the coming year and no more Pasco exodus for the elite pasco kids.

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The #1 Goal of WFF is to become a Recreational league. The BOD only cares about rec soccer.
The talent is only getting weaker at WFF. When they lose ECNL, their competitive teams will be a distant memory.