Hoping there’s strength in numbers, Bedford and Halifax County United soccer clubs are proposing to merge their two programs.

Phil Swinney, president of the 1,200-member Bedford Soccer Association, said he believes each group will benefit from joining forces as it allows them to expand and hire a general manager.

"As a combined club there would be a sizeable registration base that would help us hire more staff and provide better programs and services for our members," he said. "We saw that benefit and thought we’d look at ways to bring it to our members."

The clubs recently held information sessions about the proposed change and will put it to a vote on May 13.

Bedford players or their parents will vote at Basinview Drive Community School while Halifax County members will cast ballots at the St. Margaret’s Centre in Upper Tantallon. Voting begins at 7 p.m.

Seventy-five per cent of members must approve the plan for it to proceed.

Halifax County United will bring about 1,600 members to the table, with a new combined club having about 2,800 players. Michael Maddalena, president of the larger Halifax County club, broached the subject of a merger with Bedford back in March.

He said it makes a lot of sense.

"We have an overlapping geography," said Maddalena, who has headed the Halifax County Club for seven years.

"The Hammonds Plains area has grown up quite a bit and we’re serving soccer players in the same community."

Like Swinney, he believes a united club will allow them to improve and expand their programs.

"Our members want better service and consistently quality programs," he said. "And consistency and quality are difficult things to ensure in a large volunteer operation. We need to have some paid staff to make that happen."

Without the merger, both presidents said registration fees would have to be increased significantly to hire additional staff to help expand programs for players.

The challenge is to grow, but still retain community identities, particularly for younger players, Maddalena said.

He expects to achieve that by having community representatives sit on the new club’s board of directors.

"Having that spot at the table really ties it back into the community," he said, envisioning representatives for Bedford, Tantallon, Hammonds Plains, Timberlea and Brookside participating.

For the older, more competitive players it won’t be as much of an issue as Soccer Nova Scotia is proposing moving to a more regional approach at the elite levels.

Maddalena said his club has been through a merger before with Head of St. Margarets Bay, Timberlea and Brookside joining forces a decade ago to become Halifax County United.

Swinney, who has three kids playing soccer and a wife, Darlene, who coaches, said one of the more touchy subjects will be rebranding a new club as players retire their Halifax County United or Bedford jerseys.

"If the memberships vote in favour of forming a new club, we’ll form a committee to come up with an appropriate name and colours," he said.

Changes would be implemented this fall and include new bylaws, policies and the election of a new board.

Maddalena, who has had four kids enrolled in soccer for more than 20 years, said the two clubs are committed to providing the best possible programs for all players in a new, expanded district.

"We really want this to be a partnership of equals."

Courtesy By PAT LEE The Bedford/Sackville Community Herald