They will be honoured for their success on the pitch, but for the Zenetti Fur Town Merchants soccer team in the 80’s, it was much more than that.
The Kamloops Sports Hall of Fame will honour the powerhouse club that competed and won against the top BC Premier League soccer teams.
“It was the best of times,” said team member Kelly Shantz who’s been busy spreading the word to old teammates while trying to gather the group together for Saturday’s KSHOF induction ceremony at the Columbo Lodge. “How it evolved and how the people came together and became such good friends, so competitive and winning… it just turned into an era.”
The 1980-1984 Zenetti Fur town Merchants was mostly filled with players who came from the North Kam Saints soccer program. The team originally started in the Men’s Division 2 in Kamloops and quickly was promoted and became a powerhouse in the division, being on the top of the division for almost a decade. They would go on the represent the rest of BC when competing against the Coast teams in the BC Premier Soccer Championships, where they reached the finals on many occasions.
“It was a simpler time. No cell phones, no distractions. We were just happy to have a place to practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays and play games or tournaments on the weekend. It was all pretty innocent and genuine,” said Shantz who played as a goalkeeper and also in the field.
The team captain for several years and inspirational leader was Nick DeCicco. “I think our success came from the effort and work we put in but we also had a lot of fun. A close-knit team, the fun that we had, that’s why we were successful.” Said DeCicco to Radio NL Sports.
The team was coached by the late Mike Bartram – a soccer legend in Kamloops. He was inducted into the KSHOF in 2021. “He was a pretty powerful influence in my life in that era along with several others. I know how he would have reacted to (KSHOF induction). He was straight talking and no-nonsense. It was always about the team. He would have absolutely cherished this moment,” continued Shantz.
DeCicco agrees. “I commend Mike. He drew us all together and kept it going. He also made sure any players we brought in that they would fit in to what we have going.”
Shantz may be one of the speakers at the ceremony Saturday. What message would he like to get across? “The family that it created and the impact on so many lives. To have this induction 40-45 years later, I hope I would convey that it was all about family and friends as most important. Hopefully that rubs off on others in the room who feel the same way about the relationships they built as a bunch of guys in their 60’s and 70’s now.
The Zenetti Fur Town Merchants will be inducted into the Team Category. The Class of 2025 includes Olympian Catharine Pendrel, former Kamloops Blazers / Junior Oiler great Greg Hawgood and the late Gary Oakden – a boxing coach and mentor.
Tickets for the event are still available at ykanow.ca
