TFC Republic celebrates its 1 year anniversary

Last March, I handed in my resignation as editor-in-chief of the Canadian Premier League's website, a bold move considering we were in the middle of a global pandemic.

I wanted to get back to covering Toronto FC again on a full-time basis , and I had this silly idea of launching a paid subscription website. Quitting my job to strike out on my own 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 TFC since Day 1 during my time 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 TFC after my lengthy absence from the beat? Would they be willing to pay for it? Would they even remember me? I asked myself all of these questions.

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

The growth of the website has been unreal over the past 12 months, catching me totally by surprise. Honestly, I didn't think we would have this large of a paid readership after a year, and it means so much to me that you have enjoyed the in-depth coverage of the club found here at TFC Republic.

Of course, TFC Republic goes beyond covering Toronto FC. Since the website's launch, I’ve also written extensively about both the Canadian men’s and women’s teams, as well as the battle between the CPL and its players as they attempt to form a players’ union.

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 the industry. Soccer journalism in Canada has seen better days. Both TSN and Sportsnet have cut back on their soccer coverage, while there are only a small handful of reporters at other media outlets across the country who are writing about soccer on a regular basis.

Canadian soccer needs all the full-time media coverage it can get if it’s going to continue to grow. As more and more major outlets scale back on covering the sport, it'll 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. That’s something I truly appreciate, and will never take for granted.

I want to thank those subscribers who have signed up for the free weekly newsletter, but who haven’t yet opted to buy a subscription. You might want to think about becoming a paid subscriber, especially when you consider TFC Republic's reasonable and affordable pricing scheme.

A yearly subscription to TFC Republic costs just $50, while a one-month subscription will only set you back $8. Both monthly and yearly subscriptions include 13% GST/HST, which makes it an even better deal. Just go to the homepage and click on the subscribe button to get started, or you can click here.

And for those of you who have subscriptions that are about to end, I want to say an extra thank you for everything, and I hope I can continue to rely on your support and that you decided to keep subscribing.

Warmest regards,

John Molinaro
Founder, TFC Republic

(Top photo courtesy of torontofc.ca)

TFC Republic is a paid-subscription website. All of the content at TFC Republic is behind a paywall, and you need to be a subscriber to access it. It costs only $8 for a one-month subscription, or $50 for a full year (prices include 13% GST/HST). What a great deal, eh?  Don't miss out, and order your TFC Republic subscription today!