The days of vying for the best playing fields and times between Golden Ears United and Pitt Meadows soccer clubs are soon to be a thing of the past.

The two clubs are amalgamating into one, known as West Coast Auto Group Football Club.

Chris Begg, president of the Pitt Meadows Soccer Club (PMSC), said the merger will happen at the end of the season in April.

Four soccer clubs started up in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows in the 1966-67 season. Three were based in Maple Ridge and one in Pitt Meadows. By 1969, a fifth club - River Road Soccer Club - was added.

According to Begg, over the years the Maple Ridge-based clubs merged together becoming Golden Ears United Soccer Club by the early 1980s.

"Now this will be the last step in the consolidation process," explained Begg.

"All other major sports groups encompass both communities, and the two executives have been working together on a couple of big projects over the past two years," he said.

Those joint projects have included working with the Mission soccer club for the District Select Program, for highlevel teams, and bidding on a B.C. premier league franchise.

"The bid was unsuccessful, but a foundation was built between the two clubs to be able to work together. There was recognition by the two executives that together, we are stronger," said Begg.

Another important aspect to collaboration is when dealing with the Field Users Association, which identifies the needs of all the field users throughout both communities.

"Instead of focussing on what Golden Ears United [Soccer Club] needs or what Pitt Meadows [Soccer Club] needs, we can focus on what soccer needs," he said.

Soccer players make up more than half of all field users, in all sports, combined - winter and summer, Begg explained.

One of the reasons why the organization wanted to have a large sponsor was because they intend to hire a paid club director to handle the day-to-day operations of the 330 teams and 4,200 members collectively.

"It is very exciting and overdue," said Kim Reading, GEUSC vice-president and member of the merger committee.

"We do what we do as volunteers for the kids, this merger is all about the kids. I am very excited to be a part of it and am confident that this will be something amazing," Reading added.

West Coast Auto Group has sponsored GEUSC in a smaller capacity in the past, but now will donate one vehicle each year for the club to raffle.

"Many people don't recognize the scope of the popularity of soccer. As extracurricular sports in schools decrease the demand on community sports increases," Begg said.

On Thursday, Nov. 24 at 2 p.m. West Coast Auto Group Football Club will unveil the new club name and logo at West Coast Nissan, 19625 Lougheed Hwy. in Pitt Meadows.

. Tryouts for next season will be held together in February.

smclaren@mrtimes.com