Caribbean Stars Soccer Club is a professional soccer club in the Greater Toronto Arena, Canada, who currently operate as an indoor team as Caribbean Stars AC in the Arena Premier League. Founded in 1995, they play their home matches at the Canlan Sportsplex in Mississauga, Ontario. Its inception was in 1995 as a founding member of the Canadian International Soccer League. The club ceased operations in 1997 after the merger of the CISL with the Canadian National Soccer League. The team was a part of the larger Caribbean Stars multi-sport organisation, created by and for members of the Caribbean community in Greater Toronto. In 2006, Caribbean Stars promotions returned to the professional scene with the launching of the Caribbean Selects franchise which competed in the Canadian Soccer League (CSL. The team played their home games at Birchmount Stadium in Toronto, Ontario. After one season in the CSL, and finishing in the bottom half of the International Division the team ceased operations at the professional level.
History
The club was formed in 1995 and went by the name of the Caribbean Stars Soccer Club. The founders were Aldwyn McGill, and Noel Denny. The Caribbean Stars became one of the founding members of the Canadian International Soccer League. Aldwyn McGill also served in the capacity of head coach for the club's inaugural run. The team's home venue was located at Lamport Stadium. Notable alumni that featured in the club's early history were Chris Handsor, Elvis Thomas, Bayete Smith, Anton Skerritt, Cameron Walker, Rennie Martin, and St. Lucian internationals Éric Fanis, and Edwin Ferdinand. In their debut season in the CISL the club reached the playoffs semifinals, but were defeated by Toronto Italia. At the conclusion of the regular season the Caribbean Stars participated in the indoor winter season, where the team reached the semifinals again. The organization's most successful tenure was the following indoor winter season winning the 1996/1997 CISL Indoor Championship. Though the club found success during the 1997 season the club withdrew from the Puma League as the league folded and the remaining teams joined the Canadian National Soccer League. Following the demise of the Puma League the Caribbean Stars Soccer Club was renamed the Caribbean Stars Community Promotions. The change converted the soccer club into a Sport and Cultural promotional team. The organization became involved in promoting international matches, local tournaments, annual cultural events, and launching their own Online News and Sports Portal website and Stars Soccer Review magazine. On March 16, 2006 the Caribbean Stars along with former Brampton Stallions manager Neil Palmer announced plans to field a team in the Canadian Soccer League for the 2006 season. Aldwyn McGill was appointed Director of Operations while Corcel Blair Jr. was named technical director. On March 20, 2006 the team changed its name to the Caribbean Selects, due to a conflict with the Windsor Border Stars over the similarity of the teams name which would have caused media confusion. They announced Birchmount Stadium as their home venue, and were placed in the International Division. The Selects made their CSL debut on May 28, 2006 in a match against the North York Astros, and the match concluded in a draw. Their first victory came on June 17, 2006 in a 2-1 victory over Windsor. Unfortunately in their debut season the team struggled to achieve results, and as a result finished last in the International Division. At the conclusion of the season the league awarded the Selects with the CSL Fair Play award as the most disciplined team throughout the season. After one season in the CSL the Caribbean Selects franchise was revoked. In 2017, the Arena Premier League was formed with the Caribbean Stars returning to the professional indoor soccer scene as an inaugural member. The management team consisted of Pernell Mason, and Rick Titus as head coaches, while John Williams, and Linford Reid were the team's managers.
