MLS in Charlotte - 2021

[Niner National]

Hot Damn!!!

Does that mean the team will finally not be a religious (snicker) soccer team, and sell beer? If so this is the best random news story I've heard in awhile. I also will go to some games if they don't try and convert me.

Pretty sure beer is sold at Hounds games, so I can't imagine it wouldn't be sold at Eagles games with the same ownership group.

[MilZ]

Hot Damn!  

Question for people who know Memorial Stadium. surrounding buildings/lots, and MLS requirements:  

 

Is there room/ability to expand Memorial stadium to eventually fit MLS or would it be a tear down and rebuild?

Here is a link to a PDF of renovation options previously laid out.  The soccer expansion is listed as option 3, towards the end. However, I remember seeing somewhere a while back that the soccer renovation would only allow for a capacity of around 15-16k, rather than the 18-22k desired by most MLS teams.

 

http://charmeck.org/mecklenburg/county/ParkandRec/Athletics/YouthAthletics/golf/Documents/Workshop%20-%20November%2017,%202011%20(rev%201).pdf

 

Edit: After another glance, I just noticed this PDF list option 3 as a "new stadium" solution, but uses the diagrams and renderings I've seen in the past for a soccer renovation. 

Edited January 16, 2014 by MilZ

[ah59396]

Here is a link to a PDF of renovation options previously laid out.  The soccer expansion is listed as option 3, towards the end. However, I remember seeing somewhere a while back that the soccer renovation would only allow for a capacity of around 15-16k, rather than the 18-22k desired by most MLS teams.

 

http://charmeck.org/mecklenburg/county/ParkandRec/Athletics/YouthAthletics/golf/Documents/Workshop%20-%20November%2017,%202011%20(rev%201).pdf

 

 

Maybe they could pitch it as a "unique" and "intimate" MLS stadium.  I mean, there are teams in England's second division "The Champsionship" with very comparable stadiums.

 

Blackpool : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloomfield_Road,

Doncaster:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keepmoat_Stadium

And QPR - played in the Premier League last season:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loftus_Road_Stadium

 

And all three of those teams would likely win the MLS in their first year.  So it's definitely do-able.

Edited January 16, 2014 by ah59396

[Madison Parkitect]

At the end of the PDF it looks like a reconstruction of the stadium, with an expanded field for soccer, would only hold 10k. That's definitely not enough for MLs. Would option 2, the major repair, have enough room for a soccer field? The grass looks too narrow to me.

[MilZ]

As a side note, I would love if this could eventually lead to a local strip of bars/shops such as Latta Arcade.  Me n' buds often will hang out at Crown Pub on Elizabeth just before or after Hounds games, which for lack of a better word feels "appropriate".

 

At the end of the PDF it looks like a reconstruction of the stadium, with an expanded field for soccer, would only hold 10k. That's definitely not enough for MLs. Would option 2, the major repair, have enough room for a soccer field? The grass looks too narrow to me.

Yeah if capacity was actually that low, it wouldn't do. I know I found a more detailed PDF (I think it also had a charmeck.org address) about a month ago when this subject was brought up, but I can't find it now.

 

My other issue with the renovation was the fact that it looks like the front row is elevated about 8-10 feet above the field after pushing back the stands...

Edited January 16, 2014 by MilZ

[Madison Parkitect]

My other issue with the renovation was the fact that it looks like the front row is elevated about 8-10 feet above the field after pushing back the stands...

 

8-10 feet above the field wouldn't do, how will the players run to the fans in the corner after a goal?

[MilZ]

8-10 feet above the field wouldn't do, how will the players run to the fans in the corner after a goal?

Haha even worse, have you seen the height of the front row in the corners of the stadium (in option 3)? Due to the curve of the current stands, the corners are twice as high!

Edited January 16, 2014 by MilZ

[Madison Parkitect]

Man, those corners are high! Honestly, to get an MLS stadium on that site, even at 15k, they'd have to expand the actual footprint of it. There might or might not be room on the site for that, but it would definitely involve some reconfiguration.

 

As long as they go with an actual soccer name like Charlotte FC and don't try to give it an "American" name like the older MLS teams have (Columbus Crew, New England Revolution, etc.)... It needs to just be City Name FC.

[RVA2CLT]

Read from QCO post that a couple names floating around where 'Independents' and 'Royals'....
'Queen City Royals' wouldn't be too bad...

But I agree it should something along the lines of Charlotte FC...    (just not based on an animal like the NASL Carolina Railhawks)

perhaps.. Queen City FC (QCFC)    or dare I say Queen City Utd.  

[atlrvr]

I was just thinking QCFC and then saw you already typed it...I like that a lot.

[ah59396]

A while back some friends and I were throwing around name ideas related to Charlotte's Scottish and German heritage.  Stuff like FC 2014 Mecklenburg (kinda a play on TSV 1860 Munchen) would work well with a German flare.  Their logo would even work well with other Charlotte sports teams:

 

Or you could also do something like Queen City Argyll or Charlotte Hebridian  (basically something Charlotte followed by a region of the Scottish highlands) would be really cool.  QC Caledonia could also be cool, that's the latin name of Scotland.  Inverness Caledonian Thistle is a team in the Scottish Premier League.

[Madison Parkitect]

Read from QCO post that a couple names floating around where 'Independents' and 'Royals'....

'Queen City Royals' wouldn't be too bad...

But I agree it should something along the lines of Charlotte FC...    (just not based on an animal like the NASL Carolina Railhawks)

perhaps.. Queen City FC (QCFC)    or dare I say Queen City Utd.  

 

I like United, except since MLS already has a United with a strong identity, I don't know if it would work to have another one. The BPL has multiple Uniteds, but I think DC United has such a strong history that it wouldn't work in MLS.

I saw that QCO post too, but I thought "Independents" and "Royals" were names being floated for a supporters group, not the team itself. I would think, based on the hardcore soccer interest of the QCO, that they wouldn't want a Charlotte ________ name.

I do like the QCFC initials quite a bit. And actually, Charlotte would be the only team that might be able to make an argument for having Real in their name, if they want to go in that direction.

A while back some friends and I were throwing around name ideas related to Charlotte's Scottish and German heritage.  Stuff like FC 2014 Mecklenburg (kinda a play on TSV 1860 Munchen) would work well with a German flare.  Their logo would even work well with other Charlotte sports teams:

 

Or you could also do something like Queen City Argyll or Charlotte Hebridian  (basically something Charlotte followed by a region of the Scottish highlands) would be really cool.  QC Caledonia could also be cool, that's the latin name of Scotland.  Inverness Caledonian Thistle is a team in the Scottish Premier League.

 

I was playing around with taking the griffin from Queen Charlotte's coat of arms and doing something with that. I'll try to post a mockup tonight.

[15895]

Something involving Strelitz or Mecklenburg Would be cool.

[Madison Parkitect]

Didn't get a chance to make a mockup, but I'm thinking a shield made up of the Scottish cross from Charlotte's city flag, and laid on top of that a griffin from Queen Charlotte's coat of arms. Then maybe a crown above the shield. The team name would be Charlotte Football Club (I thought about Queen City Football Club and Mecklenburg Football Club but I think it needs to have the city name, especially as Charlotte is trying to increase its national visibility).

Edited January 17, 2014 by Windsor Parkitect

[rugger62]

With the Hounds' history, the good news is that we'll probably get to see a very well put together social media campaign to name and brand the new team!

 

I don't want to see Royals - LGBT rugby team (google Charlotte Royals), also an AAU basketball team. I like Charlotte Soccer. It is Major League Soccer...

[Madison Parkitect]

Finally had time to throw together a quick logo idea. Scottish cross from Charlotte's city flag, the yellow griffin from the Mecklenburg coat of arms, a crown for Queen Charlotte, and the date of the MecDec. I'm thinking uniform colors would match the Hounds' blue and gold to keep a consistent ownership branding. This logo would be the shirt badge. Any thoughts? Changes any of you would make? Ideas? 

[nowensone]

^ I'd like it again if I could, sweet, and we do have good authentic themes to draw on, want to see more of that around town.

[MilZ]

FYI for anyone who wants to help support, a twitter account and website are up. @mlsclt and mlsclt.com.

 

Hopefully within a couple years there will be a strong web presence in support of an expansion franchise.

[Madison Parkitect]

Do the Hounds owner and the Queen City Outlaws group know about those sites? It would be good to have them onboard with the site as well, just so everyone supporting an MLS franchise in Charlotte is on the same page with this.

 

I just followed, @joshshope

Edited January 22, 2014 by Windsor Parkitect

[MilZ]

Pretty sure I saw McPhilliamy on there

[MilZ]

Fun read...

http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/blog/queen_city_agenda/2014/01/charlotte-sports-exec-kicking-around-major-league.html?ana=RSS&s=article_search&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

[MilZ]

In social media and comments on articles, it appears Charlotte Hounds GM, Wade Leaphart, is promoting the new soccer team as "Queen City SC". This leads me to believe this will be the name of the new club as a USL member.  

 

While I am a fan off US teams using the term "Soccer Club" vs "Football Club", seeing "SC" behind our name briefly makes me cringe, albeit for unrelated reasons.

[Madison Parkitect]

Yeah, the SC is a little confusing since that's South Carolina's postal abbreviation. I also saw Leaphart say somewhere that if they became an MLS franchise, they would strongly consider changing it to Carolina SC. But yeah, it seems like the USL team will be QCSC.

[MilZ]

Leaphart says, "Facebook.com/queencitysc"

[RVA2CLT]

The news made it to an article on the MLS site! 
Getting some national attention is always good to see.

 

Also.. some of the comments make a good point that as a regional drawing card, the team have more of a regional name, rather than a Charlotte-centric name.

 

Therefore I propose '1663 Province Carolina FC'

Edited January 28, 2014 by RVA2CLT