Brooklyn FC
FoundedJune 8, 2023; 7 months ago (2023-06-08)
GroundMaimonides Park
Capacity7,000
OwnerNorth Sixth Group
ChairmanMatt Rizzetta
LeagueUSL League One
WebsiteClub website

Brooklyn Football Club is a planned American professional soccer team based in Brooklyn, New York. First announced in 2023, the team plans to play in USL League One beginning in 2025.

History

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] The club will begin in the third division with an option to move up to the second-division USL Championship by 2028, if certain benchmarks are met. The club's youth academy team will begin play in 2024, and the club also intends to field a women's team in the USL Super League.[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]

The club's name and logo were unveiled on November 9, 2023.[7]

Academy

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

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.[8] That was confirmed by the league on January 31, announcing that the team had signed a multi-year deal.[9]

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".[10]

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.[10][2]

References

  1. ^ "Brooklyn, N.Y. awarded USL League One franchise". Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  2. ^ a b c Proch, Daniele (8 June 2023). "Professional Soccer Is Coming To Brooklyn With Big Goals Ahead Of 2026 FIFA World Cup". Forbes. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Maximilian Mansfield named Brooklyn FC President and CEO". uslleagueone.com. United Soccer League. 7 December 2023. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  4. ^ Anderson, Jason (9 November 2023). "USL sets up shop in New York City, with Brooklyn Football Club set for 2025 debut". Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  5. ^ Greenberg, Doug (2 November 2023). "Investors Dive Into Soccer's Lower Tiers, Eye Untapped Market Potential". Front Office Sports. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  6. ^ Speakman, Kimberlee (10 November 2022). "Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos Are Now Co-Owners of Italian Soccer Team Campobasso 1919". People Magazine. Retrieved 17 January 2024.
  7. ^ "Brooklyn Football Club reveals club identity ahead of 2025 kickoff". uslleagueone.com. United Soccer League. 9 November 2023. Retrieved 15 December 2023.
  8. ^ Nalton, James. "New York Pro Soccer Club Brooklyn FC To Play At Maimonides Park, Coney Island". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
  9. ^ "Brooklyn FC to play at Maimonides Park in historic Coney Island". uslleagueone.com. United Soccer League. 31 January 2024. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  10. ^ a b Leigh, Andrew (31 January 2024). "Brooklyn Football Club to call Coney Island home". Hudson River Blue. Retrieved 1 February 2024.

External links

USL League One
Sport teams based in the New York metropolitan area
Sports teams based in New York State
Soccer in the New York metropolitan area
Categories