Montreal Supra

History

Montreal Supra joined the Canadian Soccer League as an expansion franchise for the league's second season in 1988. They were Montreal's first professional soccer team, since the NASL's Montreal Manic and CPSL's FC Inter-Montréal folded in 1983. It was created by an investment by O'Keefe Brewery, one of Canada's three largest breweries, as the main sponsor. The club was to be a community property as a non-profit corporation

Supra had a difficult inaugural season, finishing last in the East Division with a record of 8-8-12 and failing to make the playoffs. The team also struggled in their second season winning only 3 of their 26 matches, once again failing to make the playoffs. The team struggled financially, with the players agreeing to play without pay in 1989, later being paid with Ultramar gas coupons. In 1990, they greatly improved to a record of 13–11–2, qualifying for the playoffs for the first time, but lost in the first round to Hamilton. In 1991, they finished 5th out of 8 teams, qualifying for the playoffs for the second year in a row, where they were once again defeated by Hamilton in the first round.

The team underwent severe financial difficulty in the early 1990s, ultimately with a Florida-based Spanish businessman named Frank Aliaga, who had ties to Canada, purchased the club in 1990 to keep the club in operation, as the previous season the players had not received a salary. In addition, over the club's three seasons owned by Aliaga, the club went through six coaches. After the 1991 season, the team's main sponsors - Ultramar, Molson O'Keefe and Saputo - indicated that they were no longer interested in sponsoring the team.

After the 1992 season the league was set to fold, and Aliaga approached Asaro to inquire into the possibility of the club joining the US-based American Professional Soccer League. as Supra's budget was only one-third of the APSL's minimum requirement. APSL commissioner Bill Sage inquired to Asaro if there was any interest from another party about operating a Montreal APSL team and Asaro immediately called Joey Saputo, who was able to arrange a meeting with Lino Saputo, owner of Saputo Inc., one of Supra's four main sponsors about taking over the team.

The Saputos purchased the club from Aliaga, and wanted the club to be the successor to Supra, maintaining much of the team's organizational staff and players for the new team. Supra was dissolved and a new club called the Montreal Impact formed as a new APSL club. Many of Montreal Supra's best players would join the expansion Impact, winning the league championship in 1994, during the team's second season.

In 2025, a new Montreal-area club playing in Laval was founded in the Canadian Premier League, who selected the name FC Supra du Québec to pay homage to the former Montreal Supra.

Seasons

Notable players

• RSA Michael Araujo
• CAN Mauro Biello
• CAN Alex Bunbury
• CAN Nick De Santis
• CAN Patrick Diotte
• CAN Rudy Doliscat
• CRC Leonidas Flores
• CAN Iain Fraser
• FRA Christian Gourcuff
• CAN Pat Harrington
• SCO Ronnie Hildersley
• CAN Lyndon Hooper
• ENGCAN Simon Keith
• CAN Tasso Koutsoukos
• CAN Tom Kouzmanis
• CAN Grant Needham
• CAN Marco Rizi
• CAN Jean Robert Toussaint
• CAN Cameron Walker
• CAN Mark Watson

Head coaches

• CAN Andy Onorato (1988–1989)
• ROU CAN Pierre Mindru (1989–1990 and 1991–1992)
• SAF Roy Wiggemansen (1990–1991)
• ITA SAF Eddie Firmani (1991)
• CAN Paolo Ferrante (1991)
• NED Bobby Vosmaer (1992)
• CAN Pino Asaro (1992)

References

References

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4. Bérube, Martin. (October 18, 2009). "Du Manic à L'Impact". Propos Montreal.
5. Parisis, Quentin. (March 2021}} The club's goal when it was founded was to provide a platform for local players, with 13 of the 18 players in their inaugural seasoncoming from the Quebec Semi-Professional League.{{Cite web). "Le Supra de 1988-92 : L’histoire d’une communauté déterminée à faire vivre le soccer à Montréal". [[Canadian Premier League]].
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11. (February 8, 1991). "Sports People: Soccer; Firmani Named". [[New York Times]].
12. Trudelle, Jean. (August 13, 1992). "Le F.C. Supra dans un creux de vague...". [[La Presse (Canadian newspaper).
13. Tougas, Marc. (May 18, 2017). "D’une ligue canadienne à l’autre". Capitaine Soccer.
14. Trudelle, Jean. (August 13, 1992). "Vosmaer s'en remet à Aliaga". [[La Presse (Canadian newspaper).
15. Intravaia, Fabrizio. (January 16, 2018). "L’Impact festeggia 25 anni di storia". [[Corriere Italiano]].
16. Tougas, Marc. (February 3, 2012). "Le Fonds de solidarité FTQ investit 7,5 millions $ dans l'Impact de Montréal". Huffington Post.
17. Milano, Pascal. (May 12, 2018). "Le Début d'une Grande Aventure". [[La Presse (Canadian newspaper).
18. Cohen, Mike. (June 15, 2016). "Robert Tanguay makes "Impact" as public address announcer". [[The Suburban]].
19. Alarcón, Sebastián. (December 26, 2019). "Impact de Montréal:Identidad Francófona en la MLS". El 9 y Medio.
20. (December 1, 2020). "Montreal Impact could be changing its name to Montréal FC". [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
21. (December 16, 1992). "Three from here get U.S. invitations". [[The Baltimore Sun]].
22. (December 10, 2017). "25 years ago: the Montreal Impact was born". [[CF Montreal]].
23. "History in the Second Division". [[CF Montreal]].
24. Tierney, Mitchell. (24 September 2025). "5 things to know about FC Supra du Quebec". [[Canadian Premier League]].
25. "Canadian Soccer League Standings Archive". Canada Soccer History Archives.