This past September Ryan Gauss thought it was time to entertain the idea of selling the family businesses.

Ryan was thinking that business – London City Soccer Club – might move forward with an infusion of new passion. And then, the passion that had created and cultivated professional soccer in London – Harry Gauss – passed away from a brain tumour.

With no offer that blew him away and the idea of further celebrating his father's legacy, Ryan, the team's general manager, took London City off the market and began preparing for what he fully expects will be a season to remember.

"We thought we should give it at least one more year for dad and his legacy. Really put together a tribute season for him. And that's what this season will be; it will be dedicated to his legacy for the professional soccer community. And not just in London, but for Canada for that matter," Ryan says. "We really have been preaching that with our sponsors, and with the players were going after. Everyone that is involved in our organization knows it will be a tribute season we hope will bring London City back to a predominant state in the soccer community in Canada."

Achieving that goal won't be easy Ryan admits, but it is one just a few months ago he didn't think he would be making either.

"I was kind of reserved to the sale. But once the smoke cleared after dad had passed away, after the whirlwind cleared, I asked myself if this was the right time to sell. At that time I came to the conclusion after talking to many people, family, advisors, I don't think it was," Ryan says. "We did come close to selling. Unfortunately the terms and conditions of the offer were too long. My lawyer said there were too many risks in accepting the offer. We tried to renegotiate, but it wasn't there. We had some other legitimate offers, but the closest was to relocate out of the city. And I always said that if they wanted to relocate out of the city it would have to be a really darn sweet deal. But, it wasn't sweet enough to do that."

Selling the franchise for the best price possible might have been an option to some people, but Ryan says he simply couldn't disrespect his father's legacy that way.

"Did I take a hit by not selling to an out-of-town group, I definitely did. How big a hypocrite would I have been to say I want to keep it in London, I want to keep it in London, only to sell it for a good price, but not enough to warrant moving the team and washing all the history down the drain," Ryan says. "That wouldn't have been a tribute to my father at all. That would have been like throwing away everything he had done and I didn't want to do that."

The idea of making this year a tribute season to Harry Gauss is one Ryan says Londoners have really been responding to.

"The communications we are having with people are extraordinary. A lot of people are saying they want to play for the tribute season. They want to honour my dad anyway they can. A lot of them got their start with my dad. Either they got their start with my dad or he helped them develop into the people they are today," Ryan says. "People have come to me and said my dad was the reason they became this or that; that dad made them a better player and a better person. And you sit there and go wow; at the visitation it was unbelievable. I knew my dad had a big impact on the community, the soccer community in particular. But I don't think I understood the impact he had on so many people, that was a little surprising to me."

Making this season a tribute may engage those who knew about Harry Gauss or were directly affected by them, however, it won't necessarily make the team better on the field.

That change is one Ryan admits will take a great deal of work.

"It's not as simple as a snap of the fingers and I can say it will be a championship year. But I can say with pretty good confidence we are the furthest along we have ever been since I have been old enough to remember. We have signed three young, top players who played in the Western Ontario Soccer League last year; three very influential signings that I really think will show people how serious we are. We are working towards six other signings for real veteran leadership in this city," Ryan says. "We are really trying to push forward, really show this year is going to be different. I know people have heard that before. But if any year was going to be, I think the motivation is there this year."

Ryan says fixing London City isn't just about getting good players on the field, but also about correcting the team's reputation in the community.

"The reputation of being the oldest, of developing young players, of being a breeding ground for top talent will never change. The results on the field, the reputation isn't great and I am the first to say that. I know exactly where we stand; my head isn't in the clouds. We need to fix a little bit of every area," Ryan says. "But we need support to do so. People always tell me they want professional soccer in London. The biggest plea I have thought, the biggest request I could ask, is to companies out there, the true, loyal soccer fans out there, we need support. Whether it is buying season tickets. Whether it's by sponsorship, which has kept professional soccer in London for nearly 40 years. For 37 years now we will be on the field because of our loyal fans and sponsors."

Ryan is already excited about the results of the sponsorship campaign the team began last month. He is also quick to show his typical enthusiasm for a soon to kick off season-ticket drive.

We are unveiling a huge season ticket push in the coming month. My goal is between 1,000 and 2,000 season tickets. Some may say that is ludicrous, but I don't think so," Ryan says. "The biggest sponsors we look for are not the multi-national corporations, but the local businesses that are tried and tested like we are tried and tested in our field. We are having a lot of progress this year. We have signed sponsors, but we are still not where we need to be. I am looking to bring in $50,000 in sponsorship this year, up about 25 per cent from what we normally tend to bring in. The word of mouth is really positive. We are really seeing that, hearing that. The wind of change is coming. And now there is really the push towards that with this tribute season."

For more information on the London City Soccer Club visit www.londoncity.ca.