Nathan Ingham - 2025 Golden Scarf Nominee
North American sports have their fair share of oddities and traditions, and when that mixes with soccer, it can create some mixed opinions. Off-season draft? I love it and want to see it expanded. Playoffs? I get why we have them. Theme days? I've come around. But my favourite of these traditions is the retired jersey number. There's something special about having a legacy summed up entirely by the number you wore on your shirt. Atlético Ottawa is still a young club, and we’re some time away from even thinking about putting a number in our upper North Stands. But when we do, I hope to see Nathan Ingham’s number 29 be the first.
Nate holds a special place in the hearts and minds of Ottawa fans. He came to us in 2022 from our Ontario rivals, York United – with whom he appeared in the Canadian Premier League’s inaugural match – and made an impact right away. He featured a total of 29 times for CarGo’s league-winning side, and was pivotal to the club lifting its first piece of silverware. His individual contributions were recognized when Ingham was named the winner of the All-State Good Hands Award that season. This, along with his innumerable All State Save of the Match titles have led to his nickname All-State Nate.
Over the next few seasons, he continued to be an anchored piece of assurance for fans to cling to over as the club faced changes, from the leadership on the pitch, to the leadership of the club. In fact, when it comes to cornerstones of the League itself, Nate has outlasted even some of its highest-level executives. Like a steady light in the storm, Ingham has risen from the guy tasked with replacing Dylan Powley to the backfield general leading the team from the locker room to the pitch.
This season, Nate has stepped up to make some astonishing clutch saves. After years of being a club known for its reputation of steady, defensive football, 2025 introduced a new, revamped ATO that – as of writing has just set the league record for goals scored in a season. As is often the case, a new type of tactics means a new type of squad. Nate’s defenders, once the star-studded veteran backbone of our team, now features nothing but young talent. That's not to say that's a negative since they have been key to our push for first place, but it is certainly something new for the keeper. Despite the whiplash change, Ingham has remained as steady as ever. He's won three Goalkeeper of the Month awards, including twice in a row in August and September, and has made the Team of the Week an astonishing 11 times.
While it would be easy for a keeper to be caught in some slack and deflect their frustrations onto their defenders, Nate has taken everything in stride. Time and again, he has made saves that shock and stun not just the fans, but players and on at least one occasion, the score keepers at SofaScore. His reflexes and decision-making are in their prime, and his bravery and boldness in the box are second to none.
Outside of his talent as a keeper and captain, Nate is always, always, the first player to come over to the Dub after a match, regardless of the result. His honesty and openness with us in the Pit is quite refreshing. In fact, Nate's after-match debriefs have quickly become one of my favourite parts of the ATO experience. Plus, he's always good for a quick joke. On a personal note, no matter how quick, or dumb, the question or comment I have is, Nate has a quicker, smarter response. Ingham has also fully embraced Ottawa as a home city. He regularly shows new players around the city and helps them to learn the landmarks and directions, and he attends events and other sports in the city that would be easy for a professional athlete to skip.
Nate has been a part of the CPL since the very beginning, and a part of Ottawa’s biggest moments. It's time to honour the man with the biggest, shiniest award we as a group can give him: the 2025 CCSG Golden Scarf.
