Jump to content

Forward Madison FC

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Forward Madison FC
Nickname(s)The Flamingos
FoundedMay 17, 2018; 6 years ago (2018-05-17)
StadiumBreese Stevens Field
Capacity5,000
OwnerBig Top Events
COOConor Caloia
CoachMatt Glaeser
LeagueUSL League One
2024USL League One, 3rd of 12
Playoffs: Semifinals
Websiteforwardmadisonfc.com
Current season

Forward Madison FC is an American professional soccer team based in Madison, Wisconsin. The team was founded in 2018, and played its inaugural season in 2019. The team competes in USL League One, the third division of the US soccer league system and plays their home matches at Breese Stevens Field.

History

[edit]

In January 2018, it was announced that Big Top Events, which owns the Madison Mallards and has operated Breese Stevens Field since 2015, were planning to bring a soccer franchise to Madison which would begin in early 2019.[1] As part of the plan, Big Top Events looked to have $2 million invested into renovating the stadium, pending a contract renegotiation with the City of Madison.[2] Big Top Events wished to have a longer-term lease, along with an increase in the number of concerts at the stadium, more employees at the venue, and $1.6 million from the city for facility upgrades.[3]

On May 15, 2018, the Madison City Council approved a new ten-year contract with Big Top Events. As part of the agreement, the city agreed to pay $1.3 million toward facility improvements.[4] This included an expansion of the stadium for a seating capacity of 5,000.[5] Following this, Madison was officially announced as the fourth founding member of USL League One on May 17, 2018.[6] The professional league, which is the third division in the US soccer league system, began in March 2019.[7][8] Madison became the first team based in the Midwestern United States to join the league, and is the only current outdoor professional soccer team in Wisconsin.[9] Following the announcement, Peter Wilt was appointed as managing director of the team.[10] Wilt is well known for founding new clubs; Madison was the sixth team Wilt helped launch, having previously been involved in the formation of teams such as Chicago Fire and Indy Eleven.[11][12]

Logo of Madison Pro Soccer prior to the club name being chosen

In June 2018, Madison Pro Soccer began a "Name Your Club" online voting contest to recommend a name for the team.[13][14] Names under consideration spanned from traditional football names like "Madison United FC" to such whimsical choices as "Holsteins", "Madison Curds", and "77 Square Miles SC". On July 16, it was announced that the final vote was between the names "Forward Madison FC/SC" and "AFC Madison".[15] Forward Madison FC was announced as the official name on November 18, 2018, along with the logo and team colors, at an event at the Wisconsin Historical Society.[16] "Forward" is the state motto of Wisconsin.[17]

On September 27, 2018, Daryl Shore was announced as the first head coach of Madison.[18][19] He will also serve as the technical director of the team.[20][21] Shore had previously worked in various roles at Chicago Fire with Peter Wilt, and served as the interim coach of Real Salt Lake in 2017.[22][23] In September 2018, Don Smart was the team's first player signing, which was announced on October 24.[24]

On December 7, 2018, the club announced a one-year affiliation agreement with Minnesota United FC of Major League Soccer.[25]

Following the club's inaugural season, Peter Wilt left to take a position with the league, developing supporters groups and assisting teams with their fan engagement.[26]

On March 5, 2020, the Forward Madison FC announced a one-year affiliation agreement with the Chicago Fire FC of Major League Soccer.[27]

On December 1, 2020, Carl Craig was announced as the head coach and technical director. Craig had previously served as the head coach of NASL club Minnesota United.[28] Following a 9th-place finish in 2021, Craig was dismissed.[29]

Leading up to the 2022 season, Matt Glaeser was hired as head coach and technical director.[30] In an email to season ticket holders before the final game of the 2022 season, COO Conor Caloia confirmed that Glaeser would return for the 2023 season.[31]

Social media presence

[edit]

The team started receiving national attention in January 2019, during the polar vortex, when the social media intern tweeted a photo of a plastic flamingo stuck in the snow accumulating on the field.[32] Within a few days, the snow became deep enough to cover the entire flamingo.[33] This second tweet went viral, ending up with over 22 thousand likes, and 7.8 thousand retweets.[34] "Full mingo" has become a catchphrase for the team.[33][35]

Forward Madison has continued to have a strong digital media presence, which the club uses to promote itself to fans outside of the Madison area, billing itself as "the world's second favorite team".[35][36]

Mascot

[edit]

On May 4, 2019, Forward Madison unveiled its dairy cow mascot, named "Lionela Bessi" following a fan vote.[37][38] The club announced a retirement party for Bessi to be held at their 2024 home opener on April 13, 2024.[39]

The club adopted Bessi's calf as a mascot as well. A second fan vote ended up with the name "Rose Cowbelle," after the University of Wisconsin alumna and pro player Rose Lavelle.[40]

Stadium

[edit]
Breese Stevens Field hosts the team's matches.

The team plays their matches at Breese Stevens Field in Madison, which was expanded from a grandstand capacity of 3,740 to 5,000.[41] The stadium, which was built in 1925, is the city's oldest sports park. It is owned by the City of Madison and has been operated since 2015 by Big Top Events.[5] The venue has been designated as a city landmark since 1995, and in 2015 was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[42] The stadium hosts the East High School soccer and football teams, the Madison Radicals ultimate team, as well as other sport competitions, concerts, and community events.[3]

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the club moved its 2020 USL League One season games to Hart Park in Wauwatosa, seventy-five miles away.[43][44]

Attendance

[edit]

Forward Madison FC's inaugural 2019 season saw an average home attendance of 4,292, the highest in USL League One.[45][46]

Uniforms

[edit]

Badge and colors

[edit]
Madison's city flag

The team's logo features a flamingo, as the city's official bird is the plastic flamingo lawn ornament.[47] It was designed at Madison-based graphic design firm Planet Propaganda.[48]

The club's light blue color comes from the Madison flag, as does the white sash. At the bottom of the badge, Roman numerals spell out 608, the city's area code.[49]

Sponsorship

[edit]
Kit manufacturer Period Shirt sponsor Sleeve sponsor
Denmark Hummel 2019 Dairyland Insurance
2020–2024 Just Coffee Co-op

Uniform history

[edit]

Forward Madison FC has become known for creating "bold, interesting jerseys year after year".[50] Those jerseys have also been a huge retail success; in their inaugural season, Forward Madison earned twice as much from shirt sales as the rest of USL League One combined. In 2021, team COO Conor Caloia revealed that 20 percent of the club's gross revenue comes from merchandise, as compared to 8-10% for most other teams.[51]

Forward Madison's home jerseys feature a sky blue field with white sash, a reference to the city's flag (which itself references the geography of the city on an isthmus). A sublimated flamingo design appears on the home shirt, and sublimated pink flamingos dot the club's inaugural white away jersey.[47]

On March 14, 2020, Forward Madison unveiled its second-ever change shirt. The design features diagonal pink stripes, with names of 900 season ticket holders in the white space between.[52] The shirt was designed by members of the supporters group The Flock, in what is believed to be a first for professional sports.[53]

The club's original pink-patterned third jersey, worn in U.S. Open Cup appearances, was selected as the best world soccer jersey in satellite radio channel SiriusXM FC's 2019 "Kit of the Year" competition. It defeated the Chicago Red Stars home kit with over 200,000 votes.[54][55] A new third kit, featuring a swirling pattern of navy blue, sky blue, and pink, was unveiled on May 23, 2020.[56][57] Called the "Drip Kit", it was inspired by team designer Cassidy Sepnieski's experiments with hydro dipping.[58]

On June 23, 2021, Forward Madison unveiled a new third kit for 2021, including a fully reversible jersey. Dubbed the "Beach/Club" jersey, it is black with hot pink flamingos on one side, and pink with a hand-drawn Aloha shirt-style design on the other featuring flamingoes, palm trees, and the Wisconsin State Capitol.[59] They wore the shirt at their next match, playing in the black side for the first half and reversing it to the pink side for the second half. The team believes this was the first time such a change had been pre-planned for a competitive match, as opposed to needing to address clash issues arising during one. The gimmick had been cleared with the USL ahead of time, after the league consulted the Laws of the Game and found no prohibition against it.[51]

Later that year, Forward Madison held an unveiling ceremony in Madison and London for the release of an additional shirt to be worn only for friendlies, known as the "Friends With Benefits" shirt. Also designed by Cassidy Sepnieski, the shirt is covered with checkers of team colors pink, sky blue, and dark blue in fading gradients, with one of the squares being a QR code. Fans away from Madison can scan that code to purchase a beer for a fan at Breese Stevens Field. Fans in attendance at a home match can redeem one of the purchased beers and are given the name, location, and social handles of the purchaser so they can reach out to thank them.[60][61] The club's stated intention with this shirt is "to connect the global soccer community through kits and beer".[62]

Home

[edit]
2019–2020
2021–2022
2023–present

Away

[edit]
2019
2020
2021
2022

Alternate

[edit]
2019
2020
2021
2021
2021

Supporters

[edit]

The club recognizes six independent supporters groups, each with a different focus.[63] The Flock is the first and largest group, and the Independent Supporters' Association for the club.[64] The other groups are La Barra 608, by and for Latino fans, Forward Union with a focus on community service, Featherstone Flamingos, an inclusive group that celebrates Black culture (named for Don Featherstone, creator of the plastic lawn flamingo), Accessimingos, the first supporters group in North America focused on fans with disabilities,[65] and Mingo Ladies for supporters who identify as women. A portion of members of the Flock also run a group centered around civic engagement called "Pink Tape".[66]

The club also has an international membership program called Mingos Worldwide, which comes with a scarf bearing their promotional slogan "The World's Second Favorite Team".[36][17]

Alternative rock act The Racing Pulses wrote the song "Go, Forward!" for Forward Madison FC. The official music video for the song was released in 2020. It was filmed at Breese Stevens Field and features Mandela Barnes.[67][68][69][70]

Players and staff

[edit]

Current roster

[edit]

As of November 23, 2024 (2024-11-23).[71] Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Philippines PHI Bernd Schipmann
2 DF Israel ISR Michael Chilaka
4 DF Australia AUS Mitch Osmond (captain)
5 DF United States USA Timmy Mehl
6 MF United States USA John Murphy
8 MF United States USA Devin Boyce
9 FW United States USA Christian Chaney
10 MF England ENG Aiden Mesias
11 FW Senegal SEN Cherif Dieye
12 FW United States USA Garrett McLaughlin
No. Pos. Nation Player
14 FW Venezuela VEN Mauro Cichero
16 DF Austria AUT Jake Crull
17 FW United States USA Derek Gebhard
19 FW Colombia COL Juan Galindrez
20 FW Uruguay URU Agustín Dávila
22 DF United States USA Stephen Payne
24 FW South Africa RSA Nazeem Bartman
25 DF Democratic Republic of the Congo COD Ferrety Sousa
99 GK United States USA Martin Sanchez

Coaches and management

[edit]
Coaching staff
United States Matt Glaeser Head coach and technical director
United States Neil Hlavaty Assistant coach
United States Aaron Hohlbein Assistant coach
United States Jim Launder Assistant coach
United States John Pascarella Assistant coach
Sport management and organization
United States Conor Caloia Chief operating officer
United States Vern Stenman President
United States Keith Tiemeyer Director of Soccer Operations & Development

Records

[edit]

Year-by-year

[edit]

All records as of November 9, 2024 (2024-11-09).

Season League Regular Season Playoffs U.S. Open Cup USL Cup Top scorer Average
attendance
Pld W D L GF GA Pts Pos Player Goals
2019 USL1 28 12 7 9 33 26 43 4th Semifinals Third round Jamaica Don Smart 9 4,292
2020 USL1 16 5 6 5 20 14 21 7th Did not qualify Cancelled United States Michael Vang 4 504
2021 USL1 28 8 12 8 32 34 36 9th Did not qualify Cancelled United States Jake Keegan 6 2,761
2022 USL1 30 7 12 11 34 44 33 9th Did not qualify Third round Finland Jeremiah Streng 7 3,877
2023 USL1 32 11 10 11 38 40 43 6th Quarterfinals Second round United States Christian Chaney 11 4,310
2024 USL1 22 10 9 3 35 18 39 3rd Semifinals Second round Runners-up United States Christian Chaney 12 4,083

Head coach records

[edit]

All records as of November 9, 2024 (2024-11-09). Includes regular season, playoffs, U.S. Open Cup, USL Cup. Excludes friendlies. Games going to penalty kicks marked as draws.

Name From To P W D L GF GA Win%
United States Daryl Shore September 27, 2018 (2018-09-27) October 27, 2020 (2020-10-27) 48 19 13 16 59 45 039.58
England Carl Craig December 1, 2020 (2020-12-01) November 4, 2021 (2021-11-04) 28 8 12 8 32 34 028.57
United States Matt Glaeser December 3, 2021 (2021-12-03) Present 102 37 34 31 127 123 036.27

Player records

[edit]

All statistics as of November 9, 2024 (2024-11-09). Players currently under contract by Forward Madison FC are in bold.

Most appearances

[edit]

Competitive matches only, includes appearances as substitute. Numbers in parentheses indicate goals scored.

Rank Player Years League Playoffs U.S. Open Cup USL Cup Total
1 United States Derek Gebhard 2021– 105 (15) 3 (1) 2 (0) 10 (2) 120 (18)
2 United States Eric Leonard 2019–2022 95 (1) 1 (0) 4 (0) 0 (0) 100 (1)
3 Australia Mitch Osmond 2022– 75 (1) 3 (0) 2 (0) 8 (1) 88 (2)
4 United States Connor Tobin 2019–2021 69 (3) 1 (0) 3 (0) 0 (0) 73 (3)
5 South Africa Nazeem Bartman 2022– 62 (10) 1 (0) 4 (1) 4 (0) 71 (11)
6 United States Stephen Payne 2023– 54 (3) 3 (0) 3 (0) 9 (0) 69 (3)
7 Austria Jake Crull 2023– 52 (3) 3 (0) 3 (0) 10 (0) 68 (3)
Philippines Bernd Schipmann 2023– 54 (0) 3 (0) 1 (0) 10 (0) 68 (0)
9 Mexico Christian Díaz 2019–2021 59 (2) 1 (0) 3 (1) 0 (0) 63 (3)
10 Panama Jiro Barriga Toyama 2019–2021 58 (1) 1 (0) 3 (2) 0 (0) 62 (3)
United States Christian Chaney 2023– 48 (16) 3 (1) 2 (2) 9 (4) 62 (23)

Top goalscorers

[edit]

Competitive matches only. Numbers in parentheses indicate appearances made.

Rank Player Years League Playoffs U.S. Open Cup USL Cup Total
1 United States Christian Chaney 2023– 16 (48) 1 (3) 2 (2) 4 (9) 23 (62)
2 United States Derek Gebhard 2021– 15 (105) 1 (3) 0 (2) 2 (10) 18 (120)
3 South Africa Nazeem Bartman 2022– 10 (62) 0 (1) 1 (4) 0 (4) 11 (71)
4 Jamaica Don Smart 2019–2020 9 (43) 0 (1) 1 (3) 0 (0) 10 (47)
5 Brazil Paulo Jr. 2019–2020 8 (43) 0 (1) 0 (2) 0 (0) 8 (46)
6 United States Devin Boyce 2024– 5 (20) 1 (2) 0 (1) 1 (10) 7 (33)
Colombia Juan Galindrez 2024– 6 (22) 0 (2) 0 (2) 1 (10) 7 (36)
Finland Jeremiah Streng 2022 7 (30) 0 (0) 0 (2) 0 (0) 7 (32)
9 United States Jake Keegan 2021 6 (23) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 6 (23)
England Aiden Mesias 2023– 6 (44) 0 (0) 0 (3) 0 (9) 6 (56)
United States Wolfgang Prentice 2023– 4 (30) 0 (2) 0 (2) 2 (9) 6 (43)

Top assist scorers

[edit]

Competitive matches only. Numbers in parentheses indicate appearances made.

Rank Player Years League Playoffs U.S. Open Cup USL Cup Total
1 United States Derek Gebhard 2021– 11 (105) 0 (3) 0 (2) 0 (10) 11 (120)
Brazil Paulo Jr. 2019–2020 9 (43) 0 (1) 2 (2) 0 (0) 11 (46)
3 Jamaica Don Smart 2019–2020 8 (43) 0 (1) 1 (3) 0 (0) 9 (47)
4 England Jayden Onen 2023 6 (26) 0 (0) 1 (1) 0 (0) 7 (27)
United States Cyrus Rad 2021–2022 6 (40) 0 (0) 1 (1) 0 (0) 7 (41)
6 South Africa Nazeem Bartman 2022– 6 (62) 0 (1) 0 (4) 0 (4) 6 (71)
United States Christian Chaney 2023– 5 (48) 0 (3) 0 (2) 1 (9) 6 (62)
United States Stephen Payne 2023– 5 (54) 1 (3) 0 (3) 0 (9) 6 (69)
9 Brazil Matheus Cassini 2022 5 (26) 0 (0) 0 (2) 0 (0) 5 (28)
United States Wolfgang Prentice 2023– 4 (30) 0 (2) 0 (2) 1 (9) 5 (43)

Most clean sheets

[edit]

Competitive matches only. Numbers in parentheses indicate appearances made.

Rank Player Years League Playoffs U.S. Open Cup USL Cup Total
1 Philippines Bernd Schipmann 2023– 21 (54) 2 (3) 0 (1) 3 (10) 26 (68)
2 Haiti Brian Sylvestre 2019 5 (16) 0 (1) 2 (3) 0 (0) 7 (20)
3 United States Phil Breno 2021–2022 5 (39) 0 (0) 1 (2) 0 (0) 6 (41)
4 Cuba Raiko Arozarena 2022 4 (16) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 4 (16)
United States Chris Brady 2020–2021 4 (9) 0 (0) 0 (0) 0 (0) 4 (9)

Captains

[edit]
Player Years
United States Connor Tobin 2019–2021
United States Jake Keegan 2021
Australia Mitch Osmond 2022–

Honors

[edit]

Club achievements

[edit]
  • USL Jägermeister Cup
    • Runners-up (1): 2024

Player honors

[edit]
Year Pos. Player Competition Honor Ref.
2019 DF Mexico Christian Díaz USL League One First Team All-League [72]
FW Brazil Paulo Jr. USL League One Second Team All-League
2020 GK United States Chris Brady USL League One Young Player of the Year [73]
DF United States Connor Tobin USL League One Second Team All-League [74]
2021 MF Republic of Ireland Aaron Molloy USL League One First Team All-League [75]
DF United States Connor Tobin USL League One Second Team All-League
2022 DF United States Mikey Maldonado USL League One Second Team All-League [76]
2023 DF Austria Jake Crull USL League One Second Team All-League [77]
2024 MF United States Devin Boyce USL League One First Team All-League [78]
DF Australia Mitch Osmond USL League One First Team All-League
MF United States Jimmie Villalobos USL League One Second Team All-League

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Becker, Abigail (January 19, 2018). "Breese Stevens Field operators take steps to draw minor league soccer franchise to Madison". The Capital Times. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
  2. ^ Arthur, Keely (January 24, 2018). "Events company looking to bring minor league soccer to Breese Stevens Field". Channel3000.com. WISC-TV. Archived from the original on September 24, 2018. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
  3. ^ a b Mosiman, Dean; Wroge, Logan (January 25, 2018). "Madison weighs big changes for Breese Stevens Field". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
  4. ^ Becker, Abigail (May 8, 2018). "Finance Committee approves 10-year Big Top contract, upgrades at Breese Stevens Field". The Capital Times. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
  5. ^ a b Milewski, Todd D. (May 16, 2018). "In move toward pro soccer launch, City Council approves new contract with Big Top Events". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
  6. ^ "Madison Unveiled as Fourth USL Division III Founding Member". USLD3.com. USL League One. May 17, 2018. Archived from the original on September 25, 2018. Retrieved September 23, 2018.
  7. ^ Milewski, Todd D. (May 18, 2018). "It's official: Madison pro soccer team will join USL Division III league as founding member in 2019". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
  8. ^ Becker, Abigail (May 17, 2018). "Breese Stevens Field will be home to Madison pro soccer team in 2019". The Capital Times. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
  9. ^ Williams, Marylee (May 18, 2018). "Madison Getting First-Ever Professional Men's Soccer Team". WPR.org. Wisconsin Public Radio. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
  10. ^ Milewski, Todd D. (May 17, 2018). "Big Top hires Peter Wilt to launch pro soccer team at Breese Stevens Field in 2019". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
  11. ^ Mahoney, Ridge (May 30, 2018). "Peter Wilt talks about starting up another soccer team in Madison, independent landscape and his days in Chicago and Indianapolis". socceramerica.com. Soccer America. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  12. ^ Milewski, Todd D. (May 17, 2018). "Big Top hires Peter Wilt to launch pro soccer team at Breese Stevens Field in 2019". wiscnews.com. WiscNews. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
  13. ^ Michael, Popke (May 31, 2018). "Big time soccer". Isthmus. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
  14. ^ Chappell, Robert (June 1, 2018). "Voting Underway to Name Madison's Pro Soccer Team". madison365.com. Madison365. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
  15. ^ "Name Your Club Finals". madisonprosoccer.com. Madison Pro Soccer. July 16, 2018. Archived from the original on September 24, 2018. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
  16. ^ Joyce, Jason (November 18, 2018). "'Embrace the pink!' Forward Madison F.C. soccer team reveals name, logo, colors". madison.com. The Capital Times. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
  17. ^ a b Rueter, Jeff (August 12, 2019). "How USL's Forward Madison built a cult-like following in its inaugural year". theathletic.com. The Athletic. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
  18. ^ "Head Coach Reveal Party". madisonprosoccer.com. Madison Pro Soccer. September 25, 2018. Archived from the original on September 26, 2018. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
  19. ^ Lueneburg, Chris (September 27, 2018). "Madison Pro Soccer announces head coach". Channel3000.com. WISC-TV. Archived from the original on September 28, 2018. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  20. ^ Milewski, Todd D. (September 27, 2018). "Daryl Shore named first head coach for Madison Pro Soccer team". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  21. ^ "Daryl Shore Named First Madison Pro Soccer Head Coach". USLD3.com. USL League One. September 27, 2018. Archived from the original on September 28, 2018. Retrieved September 27, 2018.
  22. ^ Kennedy, Paul (September 27, 2018). "USL League One Moves: Shore reunited with Wilt in Madison". socceramerica.com. Soccer America. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  23. ^ "Madison Pro Soccer names first head coach". NBC15.com. WMTV. September 27, 2018. Archived from the original on September 28, 2018. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
  24. ^ "Special Message from Managing Director Peter Wilt". madisonprosoccer.com. Madison Pro Soccer. September 25, 2018. Archived from the original on September 26, 2018. Retrieved September 25, 2018.
  25. ^ Milewski, Todd D. (December 7, 2018). "Forward Madison FC unveils affiliation with MLS' Minnesota United". Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  26. ^ Milewski, Todd D. (October 24, 2019). "Peter Wilt leaves Forward Madison FC managing director role for job with USL". madison.com. The Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
  27. ^ Journal, Todd D. Milewski | Wisconsin State. "Forward Madison FC unveils affiliation with MLS' Chicago Fire FC for 2020 season". madison.com. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  28. ^ "Forward Madison names Carl Craig as new Head Coach". forwardmadisonfc.com. Forward Madison FC. December 1, 2020. Archived from the original on January 24, 2021. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  29. ^ "Forward Madison to Replace Carl Craig". forwardmadisonfc.com. Forward Madison FC. November 4, 2021. Archived from the original on November 4, 2021. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  30. ^ Evan Warwick (December 3, 2021). "Matt Glaeser Named Head Coach and Technical Director". forwardmadisonfc.com. Forward Madison FC. Archived from the original on December 3, 2021. Retrieved December 3, 2021.
  31. ^ Talkin' Flock: A #FullMingo Podcast [@TalkinFlock] (October 14, 2022). "Email to @ForwardMSNFC season ticket holders says, "Our ownership group believes in Matt Glaeser and his staff and we are confident that, with your continued support, we will have a better season in 2023." 2/4" (Tweet). Archived from the original on October 16, 2022. Retrieved October 16, 2022 – via Twitter.
  32. ^ @forwardmsnfc (January 25, 2019). "Current level of snow in Madison: 1/2 a pink flamingo" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  33. ^ a b @forwardmsnfc (January 28, 2019). "FULL MINGO!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  34. ^ Savir, Merav (May 20, 2019). "Born Into the Digital Age, Forward Madison FC is Already Making Great Content Strides". Medium.
  35. ^ a b Murray, Nicholas (February 9, 2019). "Going Full-Mingo – Forward Madison FC Wants to Be Your Second-Favorite Club". uslleagueone.com. United Soccer League. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  36. ^ a b "Mingos Worldwide". forwardmadisonfc.com. Forward Madison FC. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
  37. ^ Eanet, Lindsay (November 18, 2019). "Gathering the Flock: Building a Club, a Culture and a Brand in Madison". whatahowler.com. Howler Magazine. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
  38. ^ @ForwardMSNFC (May 4, 2019). "Before we kick off, we've got a big announcement to make: Please welcome the newest member of Forward Madison - as voted for by the fans, it's Lionela Bessi! 🐄" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  39. ^ Forward Madison FC [@ForwardMSNFC] (March 25, 2024). "With an udderly heavy heart, we announce the retirement of the most legendairy sports mascot of all time, Lionela Bessi. 🐄 Help us send her off right at our April 13th Home Opener as she mooves on to greener pastures with the Bessi Pack!" (Tweet). Archived from the original on March 25, 2024. Retrieved March 25, 2024 – via Twitter.
  40. ^ @ForwardMSNFC (January 29, 2021). "Holy cow! We've got dairy big news to share... 🐮 Please welcome the newest member of Forward Madison: As voted by the fans, it's ROSE COWBELLE! 🌹🐄🔔" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  41. ^ "Breese Stevens Field". cityofmadison.com. City of Madison Parks Division. Archived from the original on September 24, 2018. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
  42. ^ Johnson, Allie (December 5, 2014). "Breese Stevens Field gets recognized as a national landmark". Isthmus. Retrieved September 24, 2018.
  43. ^ Nuoffer, Justin (July 9, 2020). "Forward Madison FC has new home field in Wauwatosa for 2020 season". Madison.com. Wisconsin State Journal. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  44. ^ "Forward Madison set for home games at Hart Park in Wauwatosa". ForwardMadisonFC.com. Archived from the original on July 12, 2020. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
  45. ^ Li, Caroline (September 24, 2019). "Forward Madison finishes at home with impressive win over league regular season champion". The Badger Herald. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  46. ^ Chappell, Robert (December 27, 2019). "Best of 2019: "There's Nothing Better." Forward Madison Reflects on First Season, Looks Ahead to 2020". Madison365. Retrieved January 23, 2020.
  47. ^ a b Joyce, Jason (March 9, 2019). "Forward Madison soccer team debuts 'unexpected' uniforms". Madison.com. The Capital Times. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  48. ^ Joyce, Jason (November 26, 2018). "A fierce flamingo: The making of Forward Madison F.C.'s team identity". madison.com. The Capital Times. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
  49. ^ Behling, Andrea (December 19, 2019). "8 things you might not have noticed about the Forward Madison logo". channel3000.com. Madison Magazine. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
  50. ^ McCraney, Patrick (May 5, 2021). "Forward Madison nails it again with new 2021 home shirt". Hot Time in Old Town. Vox Media, LLC. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  51. ^ a b Maurer, Pablo (June 23, 2021). "Forward Madison don reversible kit in USL match". theathletic.com. The Athletic. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  52. ^ Thomas, Ian (March 16, 2020). "As Sports World Pauses, Forward Madison Goes Digital With Jersey Event". Front Office Sports. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  53. ^ Maurer, Pablo (March 12, 2020). "With fan-designed away kit, Forward Madison continues to challenge norms". The Athletic. Retrieved April 6, 2020.
  54. ^ "Forward Madison named team with best jersey in the world". wkow.com. WKOW 27. December 20, 2019. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
  55. ^ "Forward Madison Wins Award for Best Jersey in World Soccer". forwardmadisonfc.com. Forward Madison FC. December 20, 2019. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
  56. ^ @ForwardMSNFC (May 23, 2020). "An alternate jersey for the ages: Introducing the Drip Kit. (Droplet emoji) Get yours: https://squ.re/2Zv1zfC" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  57. ^ Yoesting, Travis (May 23, 2020). "Holy Shit They Did It Again — Third-Tier USL Side Drops Season's Best Kit". the18.com. The18. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  58. ^ Klein, Jason (May 23, 2020). "Flamingos' designer Cassidy Sepnieski created original artwork for new jersey". www.forwardmadisonfc.com/. Forward Madison FC. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
  59. ^ "FORWARD MADISON LAUNCHES FULLY REVERSIBLE 'BEACH/CLUB' ALTERNATE JERSEY". forwardmadisonfc.com. Forward Madison FC. June 23, 2021. Retrieved June 29, 2021.
  60. ^ "Forward Madison 2021 Hummel "Friends With Benefits" Shirt". footballshirtculture.com. Football Shirt Culture. August 29, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  61. ^ "Forward Madison's Newest Kit Connects Fans Through Beer and the Beautiful Game". www.uslleagueone.com. USL League One. September 3, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  62. ^ "FORWARD MADISON RELEASES THE FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS KIT". forwardmadisonfc.com. Forward Madison FC. August 28, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2021.
  63. ^ "Supporters". forwardmadisonfc.com. Forward Madison FC. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  64. ^ Li, Caroline (October 22, 2019). "Flocking to the field: Forward Madison FC, fans take Madison by storm". badgerherald.com. The Badger Herald. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  65. ^ "Forward Madison welcomes the Accessimingos to The Flock". forwardmadisonfc.com. January 8, 2019.
  66. ^ Jones, Sam (February 24, 2020). "Pink Tape Looks to "Flock the Vote"". Madison Commons. Retrieved April 7, 2020.
  67. ^ The Racing Pulses - Go, Forward! (Official Music Video), retrieved March 3, 2024
  68. ^ Herron-Wheeler, Addison (March 14, 2020). "Video Premiere: The Racing Pulses - 'Go Forward'". New Noise Magazine. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  69. ^ Staff, NBC15 (March 11, 2020). "New Anthem for Forward Madison FC soccer team". www.wmtv15news.com. Retrieved March 3, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  70. ^ Kubik, Rachel (September 3, 2021). "Born in Bulgaria, raised in Racine, making it in the music biz: See The Racing Pulses at Summerfest Saturday". Journal Times. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
  71. ^ "Forward Madison FC 2024 Roster". Forward Madison FC. Retrieved June 25, 2024.
  72. ^ "2019 USL League One All-League Teams Revealed". USLLeagueOne.com. USL League One. October 16, 2019. Archived from the original on May 31, 2023. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  73. ^ "Madison's Chris Brady Named League One's Young Player of the Year". USLLeagueOne.com. USL League One. November 12, 2020. Archived from the original on May 30, 2023. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  74. ^ "2020 USL League One All-League Teams Revealed". USLLeagueOne.com. USL League One. November 4, 2020. Archived from the original on December 3, 2023. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  75. ^ "USL League One Announces 2021 All-League Teams". USLLeagueOne.com. USL League One. November 10, 2021. Archived from the original on December 2, 2023. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  76. ^ "USL League One Announces 2022 All-League Teams". USLLeagueOne.com. USL League One. October 26, 2022. Archived from the original on December 3, 2023. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  77. ^ "USL League One Announces 2023 All-League Teams". USLLeagueOne.com. USL League One. October 31, 2023. Archived from the original on February 3, 2024. Retrieved March 25, 2024.
  78. ^ "USL League One Announces 2024 All-League Teams". USLLeagueOne.com. USL League One. November 7, 2024. Archived from the original on November 7, 2024. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
[edit]