The Vandals are looking to bring more awareness and people to the AFL football team in the Border City.
The Vandals have been in Lloydminster for 15 years and once had 1,200 in attendance when hosting a national championship game. The stands now are filled with mostly friends and family of the team. President of the Vandals Glen Dembicki says the want for attendance is not about finances and more about the awareness of the team which hasn’t been as good in recent years.
“We’ve been in a recession for a few years. We are usually out and about getting a little bit of sponsorship from companies in town but its been tougher the past few years for sure.”
Dembicki is also a wide receiver for the team and adds that being a player with fans around you is a good feeling.
“Everybody loves to hear the crowd roaring when you’re making plays or whatever. It definitely helps to see people on the sidelines, it gets your juices flowing.”
The Vandals President says the football community has grown a lot in the city. A year after the inception of the Vandals a minor program team started up and Dembicki says these different avenues for players helps Lloydminster football for years to come.
“The players that we have are coming out and they don’t just have three years of high school now, these young guys are coming out and they’ve played for ten years. It definitely helps in a lot of aspects of the game.
The Lloydminster Vandals are currently 2-2-1 in the AFL with three games left on the season and a playoff spot in their sight. Dembicki says the team is still rebuilding from their glory days five years ago but he believes the talented team they have now has a bright future. The last home game of 2018 will be against the Fort Mac Monarchs on July 28th.