PRO SOCCER COMES TO THE PENINSULA FOR THE FIRST TIME
Mark your calendars for a historic occasion! Lionsbridge FC will welcome the Richmond Kickers, the longest continuously running professional soccer club in the United States, to Pomoco Stadium on the campus of Christopher Newport University for a friendly on Tuesday, July 9.
The event will mark the first-ever game on the Peninsula involving a professional soccer team, and the first game involving a professional team in any sport since 1996, according to the Daily Press.
PRO SOCCER COMES TO THE PENINSULA FOR THE FIRST TIME
- Lionsbridge FC to welcome the Richmond Kickers for July 9 friendly
- Kickers are the longest continuously running professional soccer club in America
- First game on the Peninsula involving any pro team in any sport since 1996
- Season ticket jerseys and wristbands are on sale at LionsbridgeFC.com
Mark your calendars for a historic occasion! Lionsbridge FC will welcome the Richmond Kickers, the longest continuously running professional soccer club in the United States, to Pomoco Stadium on the campus of Christopher Newport University for a friendly on Tuesday, July 9.
The event will mark the first-ever game on the Peninsula involving a professional soccer team, and the first game involving a professional team in any sport since 1996, according to the Daily Press.
Founded in 1993, the Richmond Kickers are a three-time United Soccer League champion. They also won the 1995 U.S. Open Cup, the biggest and most prestigious soccer tournament in America. The Kickers play their home games at City Stadium in the River City and have averaged nearly 4,000 fans per game the past three seasons.
The Kickers are members of USL League One, a professional league one level of competition above Lionsbridge FC's USL League Two, the top amateur league in North America.
“This will be a landmark occasion for our community. To experience a professional soccer game here in our backyard will be special. It’s never happened before, and hopefully this will be a springboard for our community, club and players,” Lionsbridge FC co-founder Mike Vest said. “The Kickers have been a true flag bearer for American soccer for more than 25 years and we’re honored to host them on the Peninsula.”
“It’s very exciting for the club to invite the Richmond Kickers down to play in our home stadium,” head coach Chris Whalley said. “The opportunity for our fans to see a full-time professional club at Pomoco Stadium is great. And it’s a great opportunity for our guys to showcase their talent against professional players and to use it as a shop window to help themselves.”
“We are very excited to partner with Mike, Chris, and Lionsbridge FC to enjoy a match in Newport News,” said Richmond Kickers President & General Manager Matt Spear. “For the teams, it adds another competitive opportunity and we will be able to evaluate their players. Plus, it allows us to get in front of the passionate soccer fans on the Peninsula and extend an invitation for them join us in Richmond on a different date for a USL League One match.”
Gates will open at 5 p.m. with the Lionsbridge FC pre-game festival with food trucks, a beer garden, bounce houses and other family-friendly activities. The game will begin at 7 p.m. The Kickers will have a marketing presence at the game and fans will have the opportunity to win tickets to a Kickers game at City Stadium in Richmond.
Anticipation for Lionsbridge FC’s 2019 season has reached a fever pitch as the club’s season ticket sales have doubled compared to this time last year. Season Ticket Jerseys and Season Ticket Wristbands are on sale now via the team’s website, LionsbridgeFC.com. Group tickets (20 or more) may be purchased by calling 757-656-9659. Single game tickets will go on sale in April.
Additional home dates are set for May 22 (Virginia Beach United), May 25 (Wake FC), June 1 (North Carolina FC U23), June 15 (Tobacco Road FC), June 19 (D.C. United U23), June 22 (Carolina Dynamo), June 26 (Virginia Beach United), July 3 (Tri-Cities FC) and July 13 (to be announced).
Lionsbridge FC will play in the highly-competitive, seven-team South Atlantic Division of USL League Two. Last year, the Lions finished in third place and took points off every opponent except one in a division that featured a combined 121 NCAA Division I players and 4 MLS draft picks.
Every home Lionsbridge FC game at Pomoco Stadium will receive live, statewide television coverage from Cox Cable and stream live on the club’s Facebook page. Cox YurView is channel 11 (SD) and 1011 (HD) in Hampton Roads, 74 (SD) and 1074 (HD) in Fairfax County, 77 (SD) and 1077 (HD) in Fredericksburg, and 9 (SD) and 1009 (HD) in Roanoke.
According to the Daily Press, the last sporting event on the Peninsula involving a pro sports team happened 23 years ago -- an NBA exhibition game at the Hampton Coliseum in 1996 between the Golden State Warriors and New Jersey Nets. No professional sports team has called the Peninsula home since 1982 when the Peninsula Pilots, then a minor league affiliate of MLB's Seattle Mariners, played their home games at War Memorial Stadium in Hampton. Hampton Coliseum previously served as the home for multiple minor league hockey teams (1971-81) and the part-time home of the fabled Virginia Squires of the American Basketball Association (1970-76).
2019 LIONSBRIDGE FC SCHEDULE
(as of February 13)
All Games at 7pm
Festival Begins at 5pm
Home Games in Bold
Sat, Apr 13 / Spring Festival: Chowan University (Preseason)
Fri, May 10 / at North Carolina FC U23
Tue, May 14 / at Virginia Beach United
Fri, May 17 / at Tobacco Road FC
Wed, May 22 / Virginia Beach United
Sat, May 25 / Wake FC
Tue, May 28 / at Tri-Cities FC
Sat, June 1 / North Carolina FC U23
Fri, June 7 / at North Carolina FC U23
Sat, June 15 / Tobacco Road FC
Wed, June 19 / D.C. United U23
Sat, June 22 / Carolina Dynamo
Wed, June 26 / Virginia Beach United
Sat, June 29 / at Wake FC
Wed, July 3 / Tri-Cities FC
Sat, July 6 / at Carolina Dynamo
Tue, July 9 / Richmond Kickers (Friendly)
Sat, July 13 / Opponent TBA (Friendly)