June 22 Pregame Report: Second Leg of the Reid Davidson Shield

It’s the weekend we’ve all been waiting for! The teams are off to Kamloops for their final battle against Kamloops FC for the Reid Davidson Shield. After the first leg in Nanaimo, the clubs are tied on points at 3 each, but Kamloops leads on aggregate score 6 goals to 3. So both teams have all to play for and the competition will be fierce - we can feel it!

Ruby Nicholas vs. a Kamloops defender at NUFC's last home game against KFC.

It’s a special weekend of remembrance and celebration of Reid. Reid’s girlfriend at the time of the accident, Georgia Nicholls, is heading to the game with her family: 

The Reid Davidson Shield means so much to me and our families. We are so lucky to have two great clubs that work so hard to keep Reid’s memory alive, especially now that the two Nanaimo United teams have such different rosters. It means a lot getting to share stories of Reid with people who never met him. I am excited to be able to attend the games in Kamloops and watch these two clubs play with some of Reid’s closest friends even playing in the games. It should be a great weekend!

Declan Brown taking on a Kamloops attacker.

Shea Battie, one of Reid’s close friends and a League1 player returning from injury, also shared what this weekend means to her - her words sum up the weekend perfectly:

It’s hard to believe we’re heading into the second year of the RD13 Shield. In some ways it still feels like Reid was just here cheering us on from the sidelines. Reid was a best friend of mine, and I remember playing against Altitude just a few days after we lost him in the car accident. Many of our players were quite close with Reid but as a team we decided to play for him. It was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done trying to step onto the field when our whole community felt broken.

This tournament is so much more than just a few matches. It is to remember Reid and to remember the huge impact he left - not just on our men's and women's teams, but across Nanaimo United, Kamloops United, and both cities. The Shield gives us a moment to come together, to honour who Reid was, and to play for something bigger than ourselves. 

This weekend, we play for Reid. We remember his energy, his love for soccer, and his love for his people. And we remind ourselves how important it is to drive safe, to cherish the ones we love, and to never take a single moment for granted. We are so lucky to play a sport in a supportive community that Reid was once so involved in. 

Ella Ashfield defending a Kamloops midfielder.

And with that, we look forward to hearing your cheers from Nanaimo or from right in Kamloops as the teams suit up and put their best boot forward for Reid. The livestream will be available here. It’s going to be a weekend to remember.