The event is a celebration of the early history of British Columbia, and of the role of the Royal Engineers in building and surveying the Province and of the important significance of New Westminster, the former Provincial capital city.   The first soccer game in BC was played 146 years ago in New Westminster on Victoria Day, May 24, 1862, in the Woodlands/Victoria Hill area.  The old Royal Columbian newspaper reported that the Victoria Day celebration included several sporting and cultural events, including a ‘football”(soccer) match between the Royal Engineers and the townsfolk. Since a record of the actual outcome no longer exists, both teams are able to claim they won in a hard fought match.    The Royal Engineers came to New Westminster in 1858, with a Detachment of around 200 men under the command of Colonel Richard Moody. They set up camp in the current Sapperton neighbourhood of New Westminster.  By 1862, the Royal Engineers had a high level soccer team in England who a few years later were competing for the English Football Association championship.  Soccer rules were different in 1862, as were the uniforms. The Royal Engineers soccer uniform consisted of black knickerbockers and red and blue striped wool jerseys and socks.     The Royal Engineers in New Westminster played soccer regularly and took their first soccer trip in 1865 when they travelled to Victoria to play a game.  When the Royal Engineers detachment in New Westminster disbanded, their direct involvement in soccer ended but they created a tradition which has lived until this day, with New Westminster teams having a history of success on the soccer field.   *Information courtesy of the Sapperton Rovers