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Philadelphia Union is an American professional soccer team based in the Philadelphia suburb of Chester, Pennsylvania that will participate in Major League Soccer. Starting in 2010, the team will play its home matches at Union Field at Chester, a soccer-specific stadium located on the banks of the Delaware River.
[edit] HistoryIn 2007, the Sons of Ben supporter group formed and began advocating for Major League Soccer to grant Philadelphia an expansion team. They are credited with convincing the league that the area already had an established fanbase for soccer.[1] Major League Soccer added Philadelphia as its sixteenth team on February 28, 2008.[2] The finalization of the club is the result of a $47 million package approved by Delaware County politicians and Pennsylvania governor, Ed Rendell, that includes the cost of Union Field and a major urban renewal project.[3] Keystone Sports & Entertainment's plan for Chester was initiated in late 2006, soon after the New Jersey legislature terminated an earlier proposal for a soccer-specific stadium at Rowan University. On May 11, 2009, "Philadelphia Union" was officially announced as the team's name during a ceremony held at Philadelphia's City Hall. This name alludes to the Union of the Thirteen Colonies, of which Philadelphia was the first capital.[4] The team's name was chosen following a fan poll held between January 19, 2009 and February 6, 2009. The other three options were AC Philadelphia, SC Philadelphia, and Philadelphia City.[5][6] Before the Union moniker, the Sons of Ben nicknamed the team as the "Zolos." At a "Meet-the-Owners" event held two days before the expansion press conference in Chester, they wore nametags with handwritten numbers intended to read "2010." The number was mistakenly interpreted as "ZOLO" by ownership group member, Nick Sakiewicz. This led to Philadelphia Union being referred to as the "Zolos" in a series of inside jokes by the group.[7] [edit] Colors and badgePhiladelphia Union's colors are navy blue and gold, representing the primary colors of the Continental Army's uniforms during the American Revolutionary War. The team's primary logo is circular, symbolizing unity. Its thirteen gold stars represent the original Thirteen Colonies, while the shield's contour derives from the Philadelphia coat of arms. The rattlesnake pays homage to a political cartoon by Benjamin Franklin that was featured in the 1754 Pennsylvania Gazette. The rattlesnake eventually became a national symbol during the American Revolution, representing the danger of disunity, and was featured on the Gadsden flag.[8] The light blue in the middle of the badge is a tribute to the Sons of Ben, and is further derived from the civic flag of Philadelphia.[9] Union's secondary logo is a simplified version of the above design that consists of the blue shield with the rattlesnake, augmented with a gold border and a ribbon bearing the team's official motto: "jungite aut perite", a Latin translation of the phrase "join or die", which was also used in the 1754 Benjamin Franklin political cartoon mentioned above.[8] Union's home jersey was unveiled on November 13, 2009. Predominantly midnight blue, it will feature a gold strip down the center with light-blue piping in the color of the Philadelphia flag. Union CEO Nick Sakiewicz also revealed that the away kit will be the reverse of the home kit - predominantly gold with a midnight blue panel and either white or blue piping.[10]. [edit] StadiumPhiladelphia Union will play at Union Field at Chester, a 18,500-seat soccer-specific stadium located at the southwesterly corner of the Commodore Barry Bridge. The structure was designed by Rossetti Architects and the ICON Venue Group, with the actual construction contracted to the Ardmore, Pennsylvania-based T.N. Ward Company. Chester Stadium's design allows clear views of the Delaware River for approximately 60% of its spectators, and is the centerpiece of Chester's urban renewal process. Union will share the stadium with the Philadelphia Independence of Women's Professional Soccer, which will also play its inaugural season in 2010. Union will play their home opener at Lincoln Financial Field on April 10, 2010 due to construction delays at their future home in Chester. Union plans to limit ticket sales to the lower bowl and club sections, totaling about 37,500 seats.[11] [edit] SupportersGrassroots support was instrumental to the founding of Philadelphia Union and the construction of Union Field. This backing came in the form of a supporters association known as the Sons of Ben, which was founded in January 2007. The Sons of Ben petitioned Major League Soccer to expand to the Philadelphia market until the official expansion announcement was made in January 2008. Named for Founding Father and Philadelphia icon, Benjamin Franklin, the group was included in the expansion press conference, singing their anthem, "I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover", and closing the event by presenting scarves to the ownership group.[12] They repeated their entry on May 11, 2009 for the naming ceremony at City Hall. [edit] OwnershipPhiladelphia Union is owned by Keystone Sports & Entertainment, LLC, a group of investors led by Christopher and Robert Buccini, co-founders of the Buccini/Pollin Group; Jay Sugarman, chief executive of iStar Financial; James Nevels, a former chairman of the Philadelphia School Reform Commission; William Doran, a Philadelphia lawyer; and Nick Sakiewicz, a Major League Soccer veteran formerly employed with the New York Red Bulls and the defunct Tampa Bay Mutiny.[13] [edit] Coaching staff On May 29, 2009, Philadelphia Union announced the hiring of Piotr Nowak as its first manager. He was the captain of the Polish national team for three years, and has also enjoyed success in Major League Soccer. As a player, Nowak led the Chicago Fire to an MLS Cup title in their 1998 inaugural season. As a coach, he led D.C. United to win the 2004 MLS Cup. Nowak has also coached the under-23 U.S. men's national team and assisted Bob Bradley, the head coach of the United States national team.[14] Nowak's primary assistant is John Hackworth, a former assistant coach for the United States men's national team. His official title is Coach and Youth Development Coordinator.[15] Joshua Gros, a native of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, is Union's staff as the team coordinator. He played as a member of the 2004 MLS Cup-champion D.C. United, of which Nowak was the head coach. Gros will be in charge of all player-related issues.[16] [edit] Players[edit] Current rosterAs of November 25, 2009.
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