TFC Republic celebrates its four-year anniversary

It’s a decision that I still look back upon with amazement.

In late March of 2021, I handed in my resignation as editor-in-chief of the Canadian Premier League's official website, a questionable career move considering we were in the middle of a global pandemic.

It’s easier and far less stressful to quit your full-time job when you have another one lined up, especially when the economic climate was shrouded in doubt as it was back then due to what was going on in the world.

But that’s not what I did. I left the security of my full-time position at the CPL to strike out on my own to pursue a bold venture. I wanted to get back to covering Toronto FC on a full-time basis, and I had this silly notion of launching a paid subscription website. Quitting my job to chase this idea during such uncertain times was a gamble. It was even more risky considering I had been away from the TFC beat for a year and a half. 

I had covered Toronto FC since Day 1 during my time as a reporter at CBC Sports and Sportsnet, and had earned a decent following of readers who enjoyed and respected my work over the years. But I had doubts about the project I was planning to launch. Would people want to read my coverage of Toronto FC after my lengthy absence from the beat? Would they be willing to pay for it? Would they even remember me? I asked myself all these questions. 

It turns out I was worried over nothing. TFC Republic officially launched four years ago today and is still going strong, and I have to say that the response from subscribers and readers has been tremendous. I've been truly humbled by all the wonderful support. 

The growth of the website has been unreal over the past 48 months, catching me totally by surprise. Honestly, I didn't think we would have this large of a paid readership after four years, and it means so much to me that you have enjoyed the in-depth coverage of the club found here at TFC Republic. 

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. No hot takes. No click bait. Just honest, balanced, straight-forward, credible and critical coverage. This is something I have tried to keep doing with TFC Republic. 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 at the CPL to start this website. 

What’s been especially gratifying about the response to TFC Republic is that it’s come during a difficult time for soccer journalism in Canada. 

TSN is no longer the main rights holder for MLS in Canada, which means it isn't covering Toronto FC and the two other Canadian clubs to the extent that it once did. Sportsnet pretty much ignores Toronto FC. OneSoccer does the odd online piece and TV segment on TFC, but its focus is on the CPL and Canadian national teams. The Toronto Star doesn’t have a dedicated beat reporter covering TFC. Neither does the Toronto Sun. There are fewer options you can turn to when it comes to regular media coverage of Toronto FC. 

As major media outlets continue to scale back on covering Toronto FC, TFC Republic has tried to fill the void by providing daily and in-depth coverage of the team. It'll continue to 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 by purchasing a subscription. That’s something I truly appreciate and will never take for granted. 

Always wanting to give subscribers more bang for their buck, I decided to hit the road this year and cover some of TFC's away games. I was in Washington for the club's season opener vs. D.C. United in February, and last month I was in Ohio for the match vs. FC Cincinnati. The plan is to go to 10 to 12 more road games this season. I anticipate being the only reporter who'll be regularly on site for the club's road games, providing TFC Republic subscribers insight they can't get anywhere else. 

As one of only two reporters who covers Toronto FC's training sessions on a regular basis, I've also been able to write several stories for TFC Republic based on my one-on-one interviews with players this season. I've been a part of private chats with coach Robin Fraser and written stories, such as his thoughts on Lorenzo Insigne and the team being in talks with transfer targets, that are exclusive to TFC Republic. These discussions with Fraser have been conducted off-camera, so you won't find videos of them on the team's website or be able read about them on TFC news aggregator websites or social media platforms. 

I want to make sure readers are getting more than money's worth as I continue to strive to give you more value for their subscriptions. 

Once again, I just want to say thanks to everyone for their support of TFC Republic over the last four years. It has meant the world to me. If you value independent coverage of Toronto FC and the Canadian national teams, please consider subscribing. 

Warmest regards, 

John Molinaro 
Founder, TFC Republic 

(Top photo courtesy of Toronto FC)

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