From zero to fully pro in four years -- that's the goal of Detroit's popular soccer team, as Bill Shea of Crain's describes.
The Detroit City Football Club intends to transition from a fourth-tier semipro team to a higher-lever professional club after the season, its owners said.
And that could involve building a soccer-specific stadium in the city. . . .
The goal is in 2016 to move to the 24-team Tampa, Fla.-based United Soccer League or the 11-team New York City-based North American Soccer League.
" We proved we can get people to come downtown and pay to watch soccer," a co-owner says. (DCFC photo)
Le Rouge, as the minor league team is nicknamed, was started in August 2011 by five young Detroiters and began playing in 2012 with Cass Tech Stadium as its home field. This season's opener is May 15 against Cleveland. (Tickets here.)
The Detroit club averaged 2,878 fans per home game last season, She reports, including a July 11 sell-out of 3,400.
The founders are discussing growth plans with investors, co-owner Sean Mann tells Crain's. Mann, a 34-year-old Southwest Detroiter and Kalamazoo College alumnus (2003), is a government affairs representative -- aka lobbyist -- for Michigan Legislative Consultants. Here's part of what he says:
"It's a matter of putting together an ownership group that has a certain net worth and a facility. It all comes down to money.
"We've developed a fan base that appeals to higher leagues. It makes it an appealing market. We proved we can get people to come downtown and pay to watch soccer. . . .
"Our biggest holdup right now is we just don't play enough games. That kind of revenue stream, with our fan base in this market, is very doable."
Detroit's club plays 14 regular season games, Shea writes, and finished 8-3-3 last season.
The sports business writer, who notes that "soccer industry observers praise Detroit City's management of its growth and business plans," talks with Greg Lalas of New York, a former top-league player who's now an executive with Major League Soccer.
"It makes sense that Detroit City FC takes the next step. It's logical. There are clubs that start in some of the leagues at the lower levels that don't have such a fervent fan base," he said.
-- Alan Stamm
2015 season promotional video:
Detroit City FC 2015 Season Promo from Detroit City Football Club on Vimeo.
