Waterloo, ON - As the K-W United FC PDL team warms up for the leagues fourth season, they will be joined by a new head coach: Martin Painter.

Painter comes to the K-W United on the footsteps of a seven season coaching gig with the Uniteds biggest rival: Forest City London. With the dismantling of the London team at the end of last season, Painter is eager to bring his expertise and long-time experience a little further east to Kitchener-Waterloo (and permanently squash the rivalry in the process).

With the K-W United's exciting PDL Championship win in 2015, Painter undoubtedly has big shoes to fill and big expectations to meet but his professional track-record has him in a more-than-up-for-it standing.

Leading the Forest City London club to 6 play-off appearances and a PDL Championship in 2012, Painter is a National B licensed coach and currently works with Toronto FC in a scouting capacity. He has lead the University of Western Ontarios women's soccer team as their head coach for the past four years, securing two divisional titles and qualifying twice for National Championships. Further, in 2013, Martin Painter was named coach of the year and from 2009 - 2014, acted as the head coach at the Northern London Soccer club.

"I am very excited and honoured to be coaching K-W United in 2016. Since joining the League, K-W has been a first class organization and their 2015 PDL Championship is testament to that", expresses Painter. "I am looking forward to working with a very talented group of players that will include a good core of returnees as well as some exciting new additions. We will work to play exciting, attacking soccer and to continue to provide an environment that will prepare players for the step to the professional game."

From winning a national championship at Western himself in 1999 to leading countless players down the same winning path, Painter is a welcomed addition to the K-W United FC for the 2016 PDL season.