Grand Rapids FC
File:Grand Rapids FC.jpg | |||
Full name | Grand Rapids Football Club | ||
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Nickname(s) | The Blues, GRFC | ||
Founded | 2014 | ||
Ground | Houseman Field Grand Rapids, MI |
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Capacity | 8,000 | ||
Owners | Matt Roberts, Chris Deiss | ||
Manager | George Moni | ||
League | National Premier Soccer League | ||
Website | Club home page | ||
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Grand Rapids FC is an American soccer club based in Grand Rapids, Michigan that plays in the National Premier Soccer League. The team was founded in 2014 and its first season is in 2015. It is funded by a group of supporters who purchase memberships to cover the operating expenses, as well as by local sponsors.[1]
Contents
History
Grand Rapids FC was started by a group of Grand Rapids residents as a community-funded project along the lines of Nashville FC.[2] Fundraising began on February 14, 2014 by word of mouth and was opened to the public a month later. The team had applied to the National Premier Soccer League for the 2015 season but their application was declined.[3] Instead, GRFC and AFC Ann Arbor, another team denied by the NPSL, decided to start a league of their own called the Great Lakes Premier League.[4] The new league held its inaugural league meetings on January 17, 2015.
Following a successful 2015 season where Grand Rapids FC finished the season in second place while averaging 4,509 fans per game, the team announced on September 25, 2015 that they would be leaving the Great Lakes Premier League to join the National Premier Soccer League.[5]
Stadium
Houseman Field in the Midtown neighborhood of Grand Rapids is the club's home field.[6] Initially, only the south side of the stadium was opened for spectators, but on July 17, 2015 the latest record attendance forced the club to move some spectators at half-time. For the final home match on July 31, spectators were admitted to the north side right away to accommodate the expected record crowd.
Record Attendance
6,651 - July 31, 2015 vs Muskegon Risers SC
Current Roster
[7] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Head Coaches
Year-by-year
Year | Tier | League | Regular Season | U.S. Open Cup | Average Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2015 | 5 | GLPL | 2nd of 5 (3-3-2) | Ineligible | 4,509 |
2016 | 4 | NPSL | In progress | Ineligible |
Current Season
2016 NPSL Great Lakes West Conference Standings
Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | T | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | AFC Ann Arbor | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 4 | +4 | 10 |
2 | Kalamazoo FC | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 5 | +2 | 7 |
3 | Michigan Stars FC | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
4 | Lansing United | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 3 | +1 | 5 |
5 | Detroit City FC | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 8 | +1 | 5 |
6 | Grand Rapids FC | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | −1 | 4 |
7 | Dayton Dynamo | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 11 | −7 | 0 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head to head; 3) goal differential in head to head results; 4) wins; 5) total goal differential; 6) fewest losses; 7) coin toss
Historic Record vs Opponents
Legend | |
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0-0-0 | Win-Loss-Draw |
0-0 | Win-Loss |
* | No games played |
Opponent | League | U.S. Open | Total | Played | Win % |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
AFC Ann Arbor | 1-1-1 | * | 1-1-1 | 3 | 0.500 |
Croatian Eagles | 1-0-1 | * | 1-0-1 | 2 | 0.750 |
Michigan Stars FC | 1-0-1 | * | 1-0-1 | 2 | 0.750 |
Oakland United | 1-1-0 | * | 1-1-0 | 2 | 0.500 |
RWB Adria | 0-2-0 | * | 0-2-0 | 2 | 0.000 |
Total | 4-4-3 | * | 4-4-3 | 11 | 0.500 |
- Note: Table includes all competitive matches and does not include friendlies.
- Updated to May 30, 2016 vs Ann Arbor
Club Culture
Supporters
The Grand Army is the supporters group for Grand Rapids FC, largely but not exclusively made up of club members. In 2015, pre-game festivities were held at Bob's Bar and a march led through the Midtown neighborhood. In June 2015 a fanzine entitled "What if it Rains" started publication. The name of the magazine referred to one of the reasons the NPSL originally declined the club's application and celebrated the club's massive support.
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ http://www.grbj.com/articles/79703-many-pitch-in-for-hometown-soccer-franchise
- ↑ http://sports.yahoo.com/news/meet-grand-rapids-fc-americas-134029221--mls.html
- ↑ http://www.mlive.com/sports/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2014/12/npsl_denies_ann_arbor_semi-pro.html#incart_related_stories
- ↑ http://grandrapidsfc.com/grand-rapids-football-club-joins-the-npsl/
- ↑ http://www.mlive.com/sports/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2014/07/houseman_field_agrees_to_becom.html
- ↑ http://grandrapidsfc.com/team/grand-rapids-fc/