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Frick
02-03-2009, 11:06 AM
Dichio happy to finally call Toronto home;
'My Future Is Here'; Hopes to coach in North America when he retires
Joe O'Connor

Those "ice-hockey guys" really know how to skate. Danny Dichio understands that now. He did not always. Really, how hard could it be?

"I think the term is Bambi on ice," Toronto FC's veteran striker says with a smile, recalling his initial effort. "It is a lot harder than I thought, and I give a lot of credit to those ice guys -- them ice-hockey guys -- the way they skate around on the rink."

To be truthful, Dichio is not all that crazy about hockey. He does not watch it on television. Being from England, he does not get it the way most Canadians do.

He and his wife, Claire, and their three kids have been skiing at Blue Mountain near Collingwood. They have embraced most things Canadian. Dichio even bought himself a proper winter coat -- something he did not do last winter -- plus boots and a toque, because Toronto is not just the place where he works: It's home now. Dichio hopes it will be for a long time yet.

"My future is here," the TFC forward said yesterday at the first day of training camp at BMO Field. "We got our Permanent Residence [application] accepted, and as a family, we were really happy with that. We have done all our medicals, so we can't be kicked out of the country."

John Carver, TFC's coach, duly noted the change in his fellow Brit and started "taking the Mick" out of Dichio, and calling him a "proper Canadian" when he saw the 6-foot-5 soccer giant clad in full winter garb.

"That's one of the reasons we came over as a family," Dichio says. "It wasn't only just for the soccer, it was a new life."

It was a family adventure with a soccer theme. Major League Soccer is often where European playing careers come to die. Superstars do not move to North America in their prime. They come to play out the string, and Dichio, who started his time with Queens Park Rangers in England's Premier League in 1993, was no different than the rest when he showed up at TFC's maiden training camp in 2007.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the scrap heap. On May 12, 2007, Dichio scored the first goal in TFC franchise history. Ever since then, the team's boisterously vocal fans have been serenading him with the Danny Dichio Song at the 23:13 mark of every game.

Dichio, like Doug Ault, the late Toronto Blue Jays first baseman who swatted the first two home runs in franchise history, etched his name in TFC lore with one swift kick. And no matter what the future holds, the 34-year-old Londoner will always be TFC's first true hero.

Dichio says coming to Toronto has been like a "second breath" to his career. But now, coming off a season where he suffered a concussion and seriously contemplated retirement, Dichio may be down to his last gasp.

"I spoke to players and I spoke to coaches back home in England, and they said you will regret when you retire too young," he said. "While you still got a bit of life in your legs, you got to keep on playing."

Dichio hopes to coach in North America after his playing days are over. Maybe even in Toronto. It is not the English Premiership. But it is home.

"We have family coming over from England, and they say what a wonderful life we have got over here, and we appreciate that we have got this now, and we don't want to take it for granted," Dichio says. "My family keep calling me back home, and they'll say, 'You're an immigrant!' and there is nothing wrong with being an immigrant, nothing wrong with it."

joconnor@nationalpost.com


So does this mean he counts as a domestic?

ExiledRed
02-03-2009, 11:08 AM
Does this make him a 'domestic' and free up an international spot?

ACSertL
02-03-2009, 11:10 AM
I do believe it does. I remember Andrew Boyens was in the process of becoming a citizen before his departure.

BuSaPuNk
02-03-2009, 11:10 AM
Great to hear!! Always new that he was happy here but that is great!! Who says we don't have enough Canadians on the roster??

flatpicker
02-03-2009, 11:11 AM
that story leaves me with a warm fuzzy feeling!

:)

T_Mizz
02-03-2009, 11:12 AM
Hey we might as well cap him too

torfchamilton
02-03-2009, 11:13 AM
Does this make him a 'domestic' and free up an international spot?

That's what I was thinking.

James17930
02-03-2009, 11:34 AM
Hey we might as well cap him too

Can we?

T_Mizz
02-03-2009, 11:48 AM
^not sure its not like he's cap tied to england though

C.Ronaldo
02-03-2009, 11:48 AM
Dichio -------- I dream of him to be my first born child's GODFATHER!

T_Mizz
02-03-2009, 11:50 AM
so does anyone know definitively whether he still counts as an international?

Oblio2
02-03-2009, 11:52 AM
There is a difference between Resident and Citizen...

TFC_Chris
02-03-2009, 11:54 AM
^not sure its not like he's cap tied to england though

He's cap tied to England's U-21 team. Played one game.

Oldtimer
02-03-2009, 11:54 AM
US green card holders qualify as domestic for US-based teams.
A US green card = Canadian permanent resident.

T_Mizz
02-03-2009, 11:54 AM
ok so he can't play for our U-20 team then?

Oldtimer
02-03-2009, 11:57 AM
Here's the info from the MLS site:




DOMESTIC PLAYERS
A domestic player is either a U.S. citizen, a permanent resident (green card holder) or the holder of other special status (e.g., has been granted refugee or asylum status).
* For Toronto FC, players with the legal right to work in Canada are considered domestic players (Canadian citizen, permanent resident, part of a protected class).



http://web.mlsnet.com/about/league.jsp?section=regulations&content=overview

devioustrevor
02-03-2009, 12:05 PM
^not sure its not like he's cap tied to england though


I believe he's played for England at the U-20 Level. He's also a little older than 21 to switch his nationality.

Super
02-03-2009, 12:06 PM
^ Great stuff about Dichio now counting as a domestic player!!!!!

Detroit_TFC
02-03-2009, 12:15 PM
Good story.

dupont
02-03-2009, 12:42 PM
Congrats to the newest Canadian! :canada:

Lucky Strike
02-03-2009, 12:55 PM
Excellent news, it warms the cockles of your heart doesn't it?

deltox
02-03-2009, 01:03 PM
he's not CDN yet.


he will have to wait a few yrs then go for his citizenship.

Wooster_TFC
02-03-2009, 01:21 PM
he's not CDN yet.


he will have to wait a few yrs then go for his citizenship.

But with respect to TFC roster regulations, he's a domestic player.

rocker
02-03-2009, 01:25 PM
good news.. one more international spot available :) (don't tell the voyageurs ;)
this could help him stick around an extra season too... as backup striker/coach at a lower price.

Hitcho
02-03-2009, 01:35 PM
Dichio - love him. I hope he coaches at TFC when he stops playing. The man's a legend here, and he has loads of experience in England and Italy to pass on as a coach. That could be pricless to the likes of OBW, for example.

I can't imagine not going to a game and singing the Dichio song. It would be great if he still heard it every week on the sidelines as a coach!

canadian_bhoy
02-03-2009, 01:37 PM
http://i41.tinypic.com/2lcpdmp.jpg

Hitcho
02-03-2009, 01:41 PM
^ Aw come on Mike, you could have added his signature from a piece of signed memorabilia or something. What a hack job!!! :D:D:D

trane
02-03-2009, 01:49 PM
Not to be an ass. But he is not a Permanent Resident yet. Accoridng to what he says in the article his application has been approved in principal, and they have asked that he and his family undergo a medical examination which he has. Now assuming that he is not found inadmisible ( on medical/criminal/security grouds), he shuold be landed( i.e. become a permanent resident) in the near future. Only after that will he be able to apply for citizenship ( to cut a story short he should be able to apply for citizeship in two years -one year shorter then ussual because he has already resided here for two years).

Just to put in perspective.

canadian_bhoy
02-03-2009, 01:58 PM
Not to be an ass. But he is not a Permanent Resident yet. Accoridng to what he says in the article his application has been approved in principal, and they have asked that he and his family undergo a medical examination which he has. Now assuming that he is not found inadmisible ( on medical/criminal/security grouds), he shuold be landed( i.e. become a permanent resident) in the near future. Only after that will he be able to apply for citizenship ( to cut a story short he should be able to apply for citizeship in two years -one year shorter then ussual because he has already resided here for two years).

Just to put in perspective.

Ah shut up! What are you...some sort of high priced immigration lawyer!!!! :p

scooter
02-03-2009, 02:01 PM
thats great news the big man is staying

rocker
02-03-2009, 02:05 PM
Not to be an ass. But he is not a Permanent Resident yet. Accoridng to what he says in the article his application has been approved in principal, and they have asked that he and his family undergo a medical examination which he has. Now assuming that he is not found inadmisible ( on medical/criminal/security grouds), he shuold be landed( i.e. become a permanent resident) in the near future. Only after that will he be able to apply for citizenship ( to cut a story short he should be able to apply for citizeship in two years -one year shorter then ussual because he has already resided here for two years).

Just to put in perspective.

thanks... but all that matters to me is that he now doesn't take up an international spot. So it would seem he now, or soon, will qualify as a domestic. :)

Marco2K
02-03-2009, 03:02 PM
Great Article.

I would love to see him coach TFC one day!

trane
02-03-2009, 03:29 PM
Ah shut up! What are you...some sort of high priced immigration lawyer!!!! :p



Would that be a bad thing?;)

Jack
02-03-2009, 03:34 PM
thanks... but all that matters to me is that he now doesn't take up an international spot. So it would seem he now, or soon, will qualify as a domestic. :)
To give you an idea of timing, my wife's Permanent Resident status was given about a year and two months after the medicals were submitted.

Especially since Danny lived in both Italy and England, it will take longer for them to investigate his background. My wife had also lived in two countries and that definitely made our process longer.

I'd say we're looking at anywhere from 8-10 months for Danny D, unless he gets some sort of rush job for being a pro athlete.

Roogsy
02-03-2009, 04:00 PM
A couple of things Frick.

1) We don't post entire articles here, only summaries or blurbs followed by links. Copyright issues and stuff...

2) We don't like the National Post... :D

Jack
02-03-2009, 04:04 PM
No links to the Canada Post.

We'll gladly remove their entire article if they ask :D

rocker
02-03-2009, 04:18 PM
To give you an idea of timing, my wife's Permanent Resident status was given about a year and two months after the medicals were submitted.
I'd say we're looking at anywhere from 8-10 months for Danny D, unless he gets some sort of rush job for being a pro athlete.

But there's no indication in the article when his application was accepted and when the medicals were done. Coulda been last July.

Jack
02-03-2009, 04:21 PM
But there's no indication in the article when his application was accepted and when the medicals were done. Coulda been last July.
That would be good! :p

BritSOL
02-03-2009, 07:58 PM
To give you an idea of timing, my wife's Permanent Resident status was given about a year and two months after the medicals were submitted.

Especially since Danny lived in both Italy and England, it will take longer for them to investigate his background. My wife had also lived in two countries and that definitely made our process longer.

I'd say we're looking at anywhere from 8-10 months for Danny D, unless he gets some sort of rush job for being a pro athlete.


My permament resident application took 5-6 months to complete, that included my background checks from England and Germany. ( Basically I started filling out the forms in August 1998 and had my residency confirmed in February 1999.

Jack
02-03-2009, 11:56 PM
My permament resident application took 5-6 months to complete, that included my background checks from England and Germany. ( Basically I started filling out the forms in August 1998 and had my residency confirmed in February 1999.
That was quite a while ago. This was last year.

Anyway, we'll find out soon enough :)

Super
02-04-2009, 12:48 AM
I got my PR 2 years ago. Took me about 16 months total from submitting my application to actually getting the PR.

Keystone FC
02-04-2009, 06:28 AM
Great Article.

I would love to see him coach TFC one day!

How about the Canadian National squad?:canada:

trane
02-04-2009, 10:44 AM
I got my PR 2 years ago. Took me about 16 months total from submitting my application to actually getting the PR.

Time frames vary greatly, depending what type of application, what visa post, ect. 16 months is an ok time frame, from submission to landing.

Inklink
02-04-2009, 11:15 PM
How about the Canadian National squad?:canada:

Anyone is better than Dalton McGuinty .. errr. Dale Mitchell. :canada: