Brooklyn FC (USL)

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Brooklyn FC
The letter B, stylized to resemble the arches of the Brooklyn Bridge
FoundedJune 8, 2023; 10 months ago (2023-06-08)
GroundMaimonides Park
Capacity7,000
Coordinates40°34′28″N 73°59′03″W / 40.57444°N 73.98417°W / 40.57444; -73.98417 (Maimonides Park)
OwnerNorth Sixth Group
ChairmanMatt Rizzetta
LeagueUSL Super League (women)
USL Championship (men)
WebsiteClub website

Brooklyn Football Club is a planned American professional soccer club based in Brooklyn, New York. First announced in 2023, the club will field a women's team in USL Super League in 2024 and a men's team in USL Championship beginning in 2025.

History[edit]

On June 8, 2023, the United Soccer League announced that North Sixth Group had been granted a USL League One expansion team in Brooklyn, to start play in the 2025 season.[1][2][3]

North Sixth Group specializes in purchasing and developing lower-tier soccer clubs. In addition to Brooklyn FC, it owns sixth-tier Swiss club FC Locarno, Serie D side ASD Campobasso 1919, and a stake in Serie B club Ascoli Calcio.[4][5] Among the minority owners in North Sixth Group are television personality Kelly Ripa and actor Mark Consuelos.[6]

Colors and badge[edit]

The club's name and logo, designed by British-based designer Christopher Payne, were unveiled on November 9, 2023. The limestone color is a reference to the Brooklyn Bridge which is represented in the logo, and the brown color reflects the brownstone buildings seen across the borough.[7][8]

The badge and identity will be used by all Brooklyn FC teams.[9]

Men's team[edit]

The men's team was announced to begin in the third division USL League One in 2025, with an option to move up to the second-division USL Championship by 2028, if certain benchmarks were met.[2][3] On March 7, 2024, New York City-based soccer outlet Hudson River Blue reported that the team would, in a change of plans, begin directly in the USL Championship for the 2025 season,[10] which was confirmed by USL a week later.[11]

Women's team[edit]

At its founding, the club also announced that it intended to field a women's team in the USL Super League in 2024.[2] The Super League is a Division One league, representing the top level of women's soccer in the United States.

On February 9, 2024, the Super League confirmed Brooklyn FC's team would be one of its inaugural eight teams.[12]

Academy[edit]

On December 7, 2023, Brooklyn FC announced that Two Bridges Football Club, a New York City-based youth soccer organization, would become the club's official youth academy and would start playing in the USL Academy League in 2024. Maximilian Mansfield, the executive director of Two Bridges, was named President and CEO of Brooklyn FC.[3]

Stadium[edit]

On January 19, 2024, it was reported that Brooklyn FC plan to play their matches at Maimonides Park in the Coney Island neighborhood of Brooklyn.[13] That was confirmed by the league on January 31, announcing that the team had signed a multi-year deal.[14]

Maimonides Park is a 7,000 seat stadium on the Coney Island Boardwalk. It had briefly been the home of the second New York Cosmos in 2017, prior to that club going on hiatus. Brooklyn FC intends to use a different field orientation than the Cosmos previously used, leaving the pitcher's mound intact and "maximiz(ing) a lot of the space around the field".[15]

Club chairman Matt Rizzetta has indicated that the club has had preliminary conversations with city officials and private developers on a location for a permanent stadium, one of the required benchmarks before the club can move up to the second division.[15][2]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Brooklyn, N.Y. awarded USL League One franchise". Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d Proch, Daniele (June 8, 2023). "Professional Soccer Is Coming To Brooklyn With Big Goals Ahead Of 2026 FIFA World Cup". Forbes. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c "Maximilian Mansfield named Brooklyn FC President and CEO". uslleagueone.com. United Soccer League. December 7, 2023. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
  4. ^ Anderson, Jason (November 9, 2023). "USL sets up shop in New York City, with Brooklyn Football Club set for 2025 debut". Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  5. ^ Greenberg, Doug (November 2, 2023). "Investors Dive Into Soccer's Lower Tiers, Eye Untapped Market Potential". Front Office Sports. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  6. ^ Speakman, Kimberlee (November 10, 2022). "Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos Are Now Co-Owners of Italian Soccer Team Campobasso 1919". People Magazine. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  7. ^ "Brooklyn Football Club reveals club identity ahead of 2025 kickoff". uslleagueone.com. United Soccer League. November 9, 2023. Retrieved December 15, 2023.
  8. ^ Payne, Christopher. "Brooklyn Football Club". footballbranddesigner.com. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
  9. ^ "Brooklyn FC reveal "shared identity" for USL Super League brand". uslsuperleague.com. United Soccer League. April 12, 2024. Retrieved April 15, 2024.
  10. ^ Leigh, Andrew (March 7, 2024). "Exclusive: Brooklyn Football Club will join USL Championship". Hudson River Blue. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  11. ^ "Brooklyn FC Moves to USL Championship Ahead of Men's 2025 Inaugural Season". USL Championship. March 14, 2024. Retrieved March 14, 2024.
  12. ^ "USL Super League Receives Division One Sanctioning from U.S. Soccer and Confirms Field of Teams for Inaugural Season". uslsuperleague.com. United Soccer League. February 9, 2024. Retrieved March 4, 2024.
  13. ^ Nalton, James (January 19, 2024). "New York Pro Soccer Club Brooklyn FC To Play At Maimonides Park, Coney Island". Forbes. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
  14. ^ "Brooklyn FC to play at Maimonides Park in historic Coney Island". uslleagueone.com. United Soccer League. January 31, 2024. Retrieved February 1, 2024.
  15. ^ a b Leigh, Andrew (January 31, 2024). "Brooklyn Football Club to call Coney Island home". Hudson River Blue. Retrieved February 1, 2024.

External links[edit]

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