Well, the leaves are falling, there's a crisp chill in the air, and the playoffs have begun in the Canadian Premier League.
It's that time of year when five clubs and their supporter groups are gearing up for playoff matches, while the other three clubs and their supporters are tucking their scarves away for the winter.
Every club in this sport has its casual fans, and then there are its supporters who go even further to make the game day experience special and unforgettable.
Across the CPL, the supporter groups have good camaraderie and are welcoming to opposing fans. We dislike each other for 90 minutes, and we will share a couple of pints afterward.
From CCSG welcoming members from the Battalion to the Glebe pub pre/post-match for a pint, to the Battalion hosting supporters from Mexican clubs Cruz Azul, Monterrey & Chivas in their home pub Wingporium. Privateers1882 have always been welcoming to away fans, showing tremendous hospitality, and so on...
All supporter groups, countrywide, continent-wide, share a lot of similarities. From capos to tifos, drums to banners, megaphones to flares/smoke grenades, to marching to the stadium from the pub. That's not all, though, is it?
In North American supporters culture, player of the year awards are a common theme, and that's no different across the Canadian Premier League clubs' groups.
From coast to coast:
Pacific FC (Langford, BC)
Lakeside Buoys SG
"Lake Side Buoys Supporter's Choice Player of the Year"
2025 winner: Aly Ndom
Vancouver FC (Langley, BC)
Fraser Valley Fanatics
"Fanatics Player of the Year Award"
2025 winner: Thierno Bah
Cavalry FC (Calgary, AB)
Foot Soldiers
"Dylan Powley Memorial Trophy (POTY)"
2024 winner: Tobias Warchewski
2025 winner to be awarded in January
Valour FC (Winnipeg, MB)
Red River Rising
"RRR Player of the Year Award"
2023 winner: Matteo De Brienne
2024 and 2025 not awarded
Forge FC (Hamilton, ON)
Barton Street Battalion
"BSB Player of the Year Award"
2025 winner: Jassem Koleilat
York United (Toronto, ON)
Northern Corridor
"York Supporters Player of the Year Award"
2025 winner: Julian Altobelli
Atlético Ottawa (Ottawa, ON)
Capital City Supporters' Group
"The Golden Scarf" (Award is presented by the winner of the CCSG Supporter of the Year Award – Gen Latour in 2025)
2025 winner: Sam Salter
Bytown Bhoys
"Terry Merrick Player of the Year Award" (Award renamed by BBSC in memory of a member of the SG who passed away)
2025 winner: Sam Salter
Halifax Wanderers (Halifax, NS)
Privateers1882
"Privateers1882 Player of the Year Award"
2023 winner: Dan Nimick
2024 and 2025 not awarded
