FC Tulsa

FC Tulsa is an American professional soccer team based in Tulsa, Oklahoma which competes in the USL Championship, the second tier of the American soccer pyramid.

Not to be confused with FC Tulsa (NPSL), the fourth-division soccer team that played in the 2010 NPSL season.

FC Tulsa
FoundedDecember 18, 2013 (2013-12-18), as Tulsa Roughnecks FC
StadiumONEOK Field
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Capacity7,833
OwnersRyan, J.W. and Kyle Craft
Head coachMichael Nsien
LeagueUSL Championship
201916th, Western Conference
Playoffs: DNQ
WebsiteClub website
City Kit colors
State Kit colors

History

The club was founded as Tulsa Roughnecks FC by Jeff and Dale Hubbard, brothers and co-owners of the Tulsa Drillers minor league baseball franchise. The Hubbards were announced as co-owners and co-chairs on December 18, 2013.[1][2] Prodigal, LLC., owner of Oklahoma City Energy FC, another USL club, served as a minority owner.[3][4]

On February 26, 2014, it was announced that the team would be known as Tulsa Roughnecks FC, paying homage to the original Roughnecks which played in the original North American Soccer League from 1978 until the league folded in 1984 (and were best known for winning Soccer Bowl '83).[5] The name received nearly 50% of the votes in a "name the team" contest held in February 2014.

The club's original logo used from 2014 to 2019

The team logo, colors and uniforms were introduced on September 2, 2014.[6] The oil derrick in the logo, as well as the name of the team, is a reference to Tulsa's "Oil Capitol" heritage; the dictionary definition of a "roughneck" is a worker in an oil-well drilling crew.[7] The team colors are Orange and Navy Blue with all kits supplied by Adidas.[8]

On August 20, 2019, it was announced that the Craft family, composed of Tulsa natives and brothers JW, Ryan, and Kyle Craft, had acquired the club from the Drillers and Prodigal Soccer.[9]

On December 4, 2019, the club announced that it would be renamed as FC Tulsa beginning with the 2020 season.[10]

Stadium
Entrance to ONEOK Field, home to FC Tulsa

The team plays at ONEOK Field, a 7,833 seat stadium that is also home to the Drillers. ONEOK Field is located in the Greenwood District of Downtown Tulsa. The baseball field opened in 2010 to the Tulsa Drillers but was made the Roughnecks' home in 2015. In order to transform the field from a baseball field to a soccer field, sod is laid down to cover the first and second base while using the rest of the baseball field's outfield for the soccer field, with one goal on the East side of the pitch and the other on the West side.[11]

Club culture

FC Tulsa's main rivals are Oklahoma City Energy FC in the Black Gold Derby, with both teams being located in Oklahoma. The supporters group of both teams established a trophy, a four-foot wrench painted with the colors of each team on either side, which is awarded to the regular season winner of the derby. 83UNITED are the main supporters group.

Sponsorship
Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor
2015–2016 Admiral Oculto
2017–2018 New Balance Osage Casino
2019 Adidas
2020–present —

Year-by-year
Year Division League Regular Season Playoffs U.S. Open Cup Avg. Attendance
2015 3 USL 7th, Western did not qualify Third Round 4,714
2016 3 USL 15th, Western did not qualify Second Round 3,950
2017 2 USL 7th, Western Conference Quarterfinals Fourth Round 3,851
2018 2 USL 17th, Western did not qualify Second Round 3,094
2019 2 USLC 16th, Western did not qualify Second Round 2,031

Players and staff

Current roster
As of March 3, 2020[12]
No. Position Player Nation
1 Goalkeeper Sean Lewis  United States
2 Goalkeeper Bryan Byars  United States
3 Defender Vangjel Zguro  Albania
4 Defender Cyprian Hedrick  Cameroon
5 Defender Callum Chapman-Page  England
6 Forward Ariel Martínez  Cuba
7 Forward Panin Boakye  Ghana
8 Midfielder Eric Bird  United States
9 Forward Toby Uzo  Nigeria
10 Forward Marlon  Brazil
11 Midfielder Christian Altamirano  Honduras
12 Goalkeeper Andrew MacRae  Canada
13 Defender Matthew Sheldon  United States
14 Midfielder Brayan Reyes  Honduras
15 Defender Kevin Garcia  United States
16 Midfielder Rodrigo da Costa  Brazil
17 Forward Mfon Udoh  Nigeria
18 Defender Solomon Kwambe  Nigeria
22 Defender Bradley Bourgeois  United States
23 Defender Maicon  Brazil
24 Midfielder Raphael Ayagwa  Nigeria
29 Midfielder Ciaran Winters  United States
30 Midfielder Lebo Moloto  South Africa
92 Forward Darío Suárez  Cuba

Staff

Head coaching history

Affiliations

During the 2017 and 2018 seasons, Tulsa Roughnecks had an MLS affiliation with the Chicago Fire. The Roughnecks' head coach at the time, David Vaudreuil, had made 26 appearances for Chicago during the 2001-2002 MLS season.[16] The Roughnecks' affiliation with the Chicago Fire was dissolved as of January 2019.[17]

The Roughnecks have also produced affiliations with Tulsa's Academy team, TSC Hurricane, which plays in the Elite Clubs National League and the Super Y League, the Youth League for the USL. This affiliation offers resources to coaching staff and players as well as a direct path to the minor and major league soccer as well as introducing Tulsa's academy team into the Super Y League.[18]

On February 11, 2020, Tulsa formed a partnership with EFL Championship side Wigan Athletic after tweeting about a possible friendship with a Championship side, which Wigan responded to.[19]

References
  1. "Tulsa to Join USL PRO in 2015" (Press release). United Soccer Leagues. December 18, 2013. Archived from the original on January 21, 2014. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
  2. "Tulsa USL PRO soccer franchise holds contest to name team". Tulsa World. January 26, 2014. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
  3. Moss, John (December 18, 2013). "Professional Soccer Is Returning To Tulsa". Tulsa, Oklahoma: KTUL-TV. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
  4. Brown, Mike (December 19, 2013). "Pro soccer headed to ONEOK Field in 2015". Tulsa World. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
  5. Bailey, Eric (February 26, 2014). "Fans vote to resurrect Roughnecks name for new Tulsa pro soccer team". Tulsa World. Retrieved February 27, 2014.
  6. "Roughnecks Unveil Logo, Uniforms" (Press release). United Soccer Leagues. September 2, 2014. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved September 2, 2014.
  7. "Roughneck". Merriam-Webster. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
  8. Eckert, T. J. (March 3, 2019). "Tulsa Roughnecks Announce Two New Changes". KTUL. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  9. "Tulsa Roughnecks Enter New Era Under Craft Family Ownership". Tulsa Roughnecks FC. August 20, 2019. Retrieved August 20, 2019.
  10. "FC Tulsa Unveils New Name, Colors and Crest". USL Championship. December 4, 2019. Retrieved December 4, 2019.
  11. "ONEOK Field". MiLB.com. Retrieved April 1, 2019.
  12. "2020 Roster". fctulsa.com. Retrieved February 7, 2020.
  13. "David Vaudreuil Named Roughnecks Head Coach". Tulsa Roughnecks FC. Retrieved December 6, 2016.
  14. "Roughnecks Appoint Tulsan Michael Nsien as Head Coach". Tulsa Roughnecks FC. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
  15. "Roughnecks Introduce Nsien as Head Coach". USL Championship. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
  16. Gordon, Bridget (March 16, 2018). "5 Things You Should Know About The Tulsa Roughnecks". Hot Time In Old Town. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  17. Apostol, Ruel (January 16, 2019). "A Look At The Fire's New Affiliate Teams". Hot Time in Old Town. Retrieved September 11, 2019.
  18. "Tulsa Roughnecks FC & TSC Hurricane | Tulsa Soccer Club Hurricane". www.tschurricane.com. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  19. https://twitter.com/laticsofficial/status/1235969600686350336?s=21. Missing or empty |title= (help)
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