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Lionsbridge FC

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Lionsbridge FC
Full nameLionsbridge Football Club
Founded2017; 7 years ago (2017)
StadiumTowneBank Stadium
Newport News, Virginia
Capacity4,200
ChairmanMike Vest, Kevin Joyce
Head coachChris Whalley
LeagueUSL League Two
20241st, Chesapeake Division
Playoffs: Conference Finals
Websitehttp://www.LionsbridgeFC.com

Lionsbridge Football Club, or Lionsbridge FC, is an American soccer club based in Newport News, Virginia. The club was founded in 2017, and play in USL League Two.[1] The club's colors are blue, black and white, and the club is named for the Lions Bridge, the iconic Peninsula landmark that has stood along the James River and in the Mariners' Museum Park since 1923.[2] The team plays its home games at TowneBank Stadium on the campus of Christopher Newport University.

History

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The original founders include Mike Vest, Kevin Joyce, and Dan Chenoweth, all of whom are Virginia Peninsula residents.[3] Lionsbridge FC announced its launch on June 9, 2017, via a social media release. At the time of the team's announcement, the club invited fans to help determine its crest via a fan vote on social media. More than 600 people voted [4] and the team unveiled the winning design in July 2017. The crest integrates four identifying features of the Virginia Peninsula - the Lions Bridge, the team's location and launch year, the James and York Rivers, and the region's importance as a hub of the United States military.[5]

Lionsbridge FC announced its league affiliation (Premier Development League) and TowneBank Stadium (then known as Pomoco Stadium) agreement (with Christopher Newport University) during a press conference on November 14, 2017.[6][7]

The club named Chris Whalley as its first head coach on February 14, 2018.[8]

2018

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On May 5, 2018, Lionsbridge FC played their inaugural game against Evergreen FC at the Evergreen Sportsplex, which ended in 1-1 draw, with Jalon Brown scoring the first goal in the club's history. On May 16, 2018, the club played their first home game, securing a 5-1 victory over Evergreen FC, with Max Poelker being the first Lionsbridge player to score at home.[9] Lionsbridge finished their first season in the PDL South Atlantic Division in 3rd place, recording 4 wins, 5 draws, and 5 losses.

2019

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In 2019, the PDL was rebranded into USL League Two as Lionsbridge continued to grow in popularity. The club broke a record for single-game attendance on July 3, 2019 against Tri-Cities Otters, drawing a crowd of 3,235, which was the largest attendance in USL League Two in 2019. On July 9, Lionsbridge FC played against a professional team for the first time in their history, losing 0-5 to the Richmond Kickers in a friendly. LBFC finished the 2019 season in 5th place, with 5 wins, 3 draws, and 6 losses.

2020

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The 2020 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

2021

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Lionsbridge FC experienced a marked improvement in the 2021 season. They finished 2nd in the South Atlantic Division, qualifying for the playoffs for the first time in the club's history. Attendance also continued to rise, with a new record set on July 3, 2021, when 3,417 people watched a 6-0 victory against Tobacco Road FC. Lionsbridge FC was eliminated in the Southern Conference Playoffs Quarterfinal with a 0-2 loss against Tormenta FC 2.

2022

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For the 2022 season, USL League Two underwent a restructuring, and Lionsbridge FC was placed in the Chesapeake Division. This season proved to be their most successful yet, as they went undefeated in the league and won the Chesapeake Division title, the first league title in the club's history. Their season record of 12 wins and 2 draws also meant they were crowned the USL League Two Regular Season title. The attendance record was once again broken on July 3, 2022, when 3,547 people came out to watch Lionsbridge FC defeat Virginia Beach United in the Coastal Virginia Challenge Cup.

2023

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In 2023, Lionsbridge FC successfully defended their Chesapeake Division title and also won the Eastern Conference title for the first time in the clubs history. They reached the USL League Two National Final but lost 1-2 to Ballard FC, with the decisive goal coming from a last-minute free kick by Peter Kingston.

Players and staff

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Current staff

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  • England Chris Whalley – Head Coach
  • United States Jamie Gunderson – Assistant Coach
  • England Josh Spencer – Assistant Coach
  • United States Fernando Zuniga – Assistant Coach

Notable former players

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This list contains former players who went on to play professionally after they left the club.

Head coaches

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Year by year

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Year League Conference Division Pld W D L Pos Playoffs U.S. Open Cup Top Goalscorer(s)
2018 PDL Eastern South Atlantic 14 4 5 5 3rd did not qualify did not qualify United States Jalon Brown
2019 USL League Two Eastern South Atlantic 14 5 3 6 5th did not qualify did not qualify France Thibaut Jacquel
2020 USL League Two Southern South Atlantic Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021 USL League Two Southern South Atlantic 14 9 2 3 2nd Conference Quarterfinals did not qualify United States Charles Touche
2022 USL League Two Eastern Chesapeake 14 12 2 0 1st Conference Quarterfinals did not qualify England Sam Hall
2023 USL League Two Eastern Chesapeake 12 9 1 2 1st National Final 1st Round England Sam Hall

United States Logan Finnegan

2024 USL League Two Eastern Chesapeake 12 9 2 1 1st Conference Final did not qualify England Sam Hall

Supporters

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The club’s official supporters group, known as The Defenders of the Bridge, occupies the supporters section dubbed, 'The Lions Den.' In addition to their vocal support through singing and chanting, the Defenders are known for waving flags and setting off smoke during matches. They also frequently travel to away games and are actively involved in community service.

Lionsbridge FC has consistently led its conference in attendance for each of its six seasons. Among over 100 USL League Two clubs, Lionsbridge ranked 4th nationally in attendance in 2018, 3rd in 2019, 3rd in 2021, and 2nd in 2022.[26]

Records

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Most appearances

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Competitive matches only. Appearances as substitute included in total.

Rank Player Years Total
1 England Sam Hall 2022 - 2024 58
2 Italy Davide Materazzi 2022 - 2023 43
3 England Josh Baker 2023 - 2024 37
4 England George Wyatt 2023 - 2024 36
5 United States Brennen Burton 2018 - 2021 35

Most goals

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Competitive matches only.

Rank Player Years Total
1 England Sam Hall 2022 - 2024 22
2 United States Charles Touche 2022 - 2023 18
3 United States Travis Cooke 2018 - 2020 17
4 United States Adam Davie 2021 - 2022 15
5 United States Matt Bentley 2021 9

Honors

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League

Cup

  • Coastal Virginia Challenge Cup
    • Champions (6): 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

Awards

Jersey sponsors

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Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor
2018-19 Nike Chick-fil-A
2020-22 Errea
2023–present Food Lion

Lionsbridge FC's inaugural season sponsors included Chick-fil-A (Official Jersey Sponsor), Riverside Health System (Official Sports Medicine Provider), Planet Fitness (Official Health Club), Nike (Official Apparel Supplier) and Financial Security Group.[27][28][29][30]

References

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  1. ^ Staff, USLPDL.com (November 14, 2017). "Lionsbridge FC Named New PDL Club". USL PDL. Archived from the original on June 13, 2018. Retrieved March 6, 2018.
  2. ^ Yanchulis, Kate. "Semipro soccer coming to Newport News in form of Lionsbridge FC". dailypress.com. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  3. ^ Yanchulis, Kate. "Semipro soccer coming to Newport News in form of Lionsbridge FC". dailypress.com. Retrieved October 8, 2017.
  4. ^ "Lionsbridge FC". Facebook. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  5. ^ "Welcome to Hampton Roads and the Virginia Peninsula". Military News. Retrieved October 6, 2017.
  6. ^ O'Brien, Marty. "Lionsbridge FC founders aim to bring high-level soccer to Newport News". dailypress.com. Retrieved November 18, 2017.
  7. ^ Lionsbridge FC (November 14, 2017), Lionsbridge FC Press Conference 11-14-17, retrieved November 18, 2017
  8. ^ "chris-whalley". Lionsbridge football club. Retrieved February 14, 2018.
  9. ^ McGrath, Jim. "Lionsbridge picks up first win in home debut". dailypress.com. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  10. ^ "Tynesiders Secure Defender Devitt – Gateshead FC". www.gateshead-fc.com. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
  11. ^ "JJ's squad update". Hinckley AFC. August 3, 2018. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
  12. ^ a b "Goalkeepers Added to 2019 Kickers Roster". Richmond Kickers. March 20, 2019. Retrieved March 20, 2019.
  13. ^ Kerry, Craig (December 9, 2019). "NPL: Valentine Phoenix add Spanish attacker to 2020 squad". Newcastle Herald. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
  14. ^ "Local Richmond Youth Product Simon Fitch Signs with Kickers". USLLeagueOne.com. February 23, 2022.
  15. ^ "Watsonville native Adrian Rebollar signs deal with Monterey Bay F.C. | USL Championship soccer". pajaronian.com. March 12, 2022.
  16. ^ "The Journey: JP Scearce". wgahmedia.com. September 8, 2020.
  17. ^ "MSOC: Ramsay Signs Professional Contract With Charlotte Independence". Hofstra University Athletics. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
  18. ^ "Luke Brown". Hitchin Town FC. October 10, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
  19. ^ "Real Salt Lake Selects Rene White in Third Round". RSL Communications.
  20. ^ "North Texas SC signs FC Dallas SuperDraft pick Thibaut Jacquel". 3rd Degree. March 29, 2021.
  21. ^ "Real Salt Lake sign Emeka Eneli after SuperDraft selection". www.mlssoccer.com.
  22. ^ "NEW MEXICO UNITED ANNOUNCES THE SIGNING OF ALBUQUERQUE NATIVE ALEX TOUCHE". www.newmexicoutd.com.
  23. ^ "Drafted: Bentley Selected by Minnesota United". wesleyanbobcats.com. January 14, 2020.
  24. ^ "Matt Bentley Joins the Richmond Forward Line". Oursportscentral.com.
  25. ^ "QUAKERS SIGN ATTACKING MIDFIELDER MATTY CORNISH". www.darlingtonfc.co.uk/. January 19, 2024.
  26. ^ "Lionsbridge FC About". Lionsbridge FC.
  27. ^ O'Brien, Marty. "Lionsbridge FC soccer team to partner with Riverside Health". dailypress.com. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  28. ^ "chick-fil-a". Lionsbridge football club. Retrieved December 18, 2017.
  29. ^ "nike". Lionsbridge football club. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
  30. ^ "planet fitness". Lionsbridge football club. Retrieved January 28, 2018.
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