AFC Cleveland
| |
Full name | AFC Cleveland |
---|---|
Nickname(s) | Royals |
Founded | November 11, 2011 |
Dissolved | December 12, 2017 |
Ground | Stan Skoczen Stadium, Independence, OH |
Capacity | 2,200[1] |
Website | Club website |
AFC Cleveland was an American semi-professional soccer club based in the Cleveland suburb of Independence, Ohio. Founded in 2011 and playing its first season in 2012, the team spent six years in the fourth-tier National Premier Soccer League.[2] After being expelled from the NPSL at the end of the 2017 season,[3] AFC Cleveland folded and was replaced by Cleveland SC, who began play in the NPSL in 2018.[4]
History
Following the folding of the Cleveland Internationals in 2010, the city of Cleveland was without a soccer team.[5] On November 11, 2011, AFC Cleveland announced that they would join the National Premier Soccer League.[6]
AFC stands for A Fans' Club, signifying that the organization is for the fans and created by the fans.[6]
Stadium
Period | Stadium | Location |
---|---|---|
2012 | Byers Field | Parma, Ohio |
2013 | Krenzler Field | Cleveland, Ohio |
2014 | DiSanto Field | |
2015 | Rocky River HS Stadium | Rocky River, Ohio |
2016–2017 | Stan Skoczen Stadium | Independence, Ohio |
Kit supplier and sponsorship
From 2012–13, the kit sponsor of the club was Admiral Sportswear.[7] Beginning with the 2014 season, Givova took over as the kit sponsor.[8]
Period | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
---|---|---|
2012–2013 | Admiral Sportswear | AdmiralSoccer.com |
2014–2015 | Givova | Rocky River Urgent Care |
2016–2017 | Joma | NovaCare |
Club culture
Supporters
6th City Syndicate is the supporters' group for Cleveland soccer.[9]
Rivalries
- Supporters of AFC Cleveland, Detroit City FC, and FC Buffalo formed the Rust Belt Derby, modeled after the Cascadia Cup. The winner of the Derby was based on the head to head record of the Midwestern clubs during regular season NPSL matches. Cleveland won the initial Rust Belt Derby on June 23, 2012 following a 1–1 draw with Detroit.[10]
- AFC Cleveland also participated in in-state rivalry matches against Zanesville Athletic FC, with whom they contested the Presidential Cup,[11] and Dayton Dynamo.[12] Prior to the Cincinnati Saints relocating to Dayton to become the Dynamo, they and AFC Cleveland played for the I-71 Cup.[13]
Players and staff
Notable former players
This list of notable former players comprises players who went on to play professional soccer after playing for the team in the NPSL, or those who previously played professionally before joining the team.
Head coach history
Name | Nationality | Tenure |
---|---|---|
Andy Hoggarth | 2012–2014 | |
Aaron McGuiness | 2014 | |
Carter Poe | 2015–2017 | |
Mike Sesar | 2017 |
Honors
National | ||
---|---|---|
Competitions | Titles | Seasons |
National Premier Soccer League | 1 | 2016 |
Midwest Region (Playoffs) | 1 | 2016 |
Great Lakes Conference (Playoffs) | 2 | 2012, 2016 |
Great Lakes Conference (Regular Season) | 1 | 2016 |
- Minor Trophies
- Rust Belt Derby Champions: 2012
- Presidential Cup Champions: 2013
- I-71 Cup Champions: 2015
Year-by-year
Season | Division | League | Regular Season | Playoffs | U.S. Open Cup |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2012 | 4 | NPSL | 3rd, Midwest-Great Lakes | Regional Finals | Did not qualify |
2013 | 4 | NPSL | 4th, Midwest-Great Lakes | Conference Semi-Finals | Declined Entry[14] |
2014 | 4 | NPSL | 3rd, Midwest-Great Lakes East | Did not qualify | Did not qualify |
2015 | 4 | NPSL | 2nd, Midwest Conference | Regional Finals | Did not qualify |
2016 | 4 | NPSL | 1st, Midwest-Great Lakes East | Champions | 2nd Round |
2017 | 4 | NPSL | 4th Midwest - East | Did not qualify | 2nd Round |
References
- ↑ "STAN SKOCZEN STADIUM AT INDEPENDENCE HIGH SCHOOL". AFCCleveland.com. Retrieved 5 January 2018.
- ↑ "Cleveland join revamped Midwestern NPSL". TheSoccerRoom.com. Archived from the original on 22 April 2012. Retrieved 27 December 2011.
- ↑ @NPSLSoccer (12 December 2017). "NEWS: The #NPSL today announced the termination of the memberships of AFC Cleveland (@AFCCleveland) and Sports Club Corinthians USA (@SCorinthiansUSA) in line with the NPSL Bylaws for teams not in good financial standing with the league" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
- ↑ "New Cleveland semipro soccer team is off to a hot start". CrainsCleveland.com. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
- ↑ "History of Soccer in Cleveland". Homepages.Sover.net. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
...folding after a last-place finish. Cleveland fans were again left pining, and things looked rather bleak as the first decade of the 21st century ended. Outside of the local amateur leagues, the only soccer in the city was provided by the amateur USL-PDL's Internationals...
- 1 2 "HISTORY – AFC Cleveland". AFCCleveland.com. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
- ↑ "AFC Cleveland Begins with Admiral". AFCCleveland.com. Archived from the original on 14 July 2014.
- ↑ О футболе в Америке в одном видео [About football in America in one video]. Givova-Sport.com (in Russian). Retrieved 28 June 2018.
- ↑ "6th City Syndicate". 6CSCleveland.com. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
- ↑ "The Rust Belt Derby". SoccerNewsDay.com. Retrieved 26 June 2012.
- ↑ "The Battle for Ohio Begins with a Bang". ISNSoccer.com. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
- ↑ "Dynamo realigns with NPSL Midwest East". DaytonDailyNews.com. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
- ↑ "BATTLE FOR OHIO: THE I-71 CUP". AFCCleveland.com. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
- ↑ "Great Lakes Division teams decline 2013 US Open Cup berths as NPSL entries finalized". TheCup.us. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to AFC Cleveland. |