by 
Where Are They Now? 2014
The first edition of what will be an annual look at the whereabouts and exploits of notable Detroit City alums.
Adam Bedell
In his rookie season with the Columbus Crew, he made 16 regular season appearances and 1 in the playoffs, scoring 2 goals in the process.
On his debut, he also became the tallest player (6’7″) in MLS history.
Keith Lough
Joined Gala Fairydean Rovers of the Scottish Lowland Football League this summer.
Rovers currently sit in 9th place (out of 14) in the 5th Division league and by digging through their Twitter timeline, it looks like Lough has scored 3 goals so far this season.
Others
Kofi Opare made 6 appearances with the L.A. Galaxy before being traded to D.C. United midseason. Joey Dillon made 25 appearances for Arizona United of USL Pro (I believe he was on loan from Real Salt Lake, but couldn’t find any confirmation). Fabio Pereira earned a place on the Seattle Sounders’ roster coming out of the preseason, but was released in July. Knox Cameron can now be heard on Sports Radio Detroit, and word on the street is that he may return to play for DCFC in 2015 after a one-year absence.
Coaches
Kylie Stannard was named Michigan State Associate Head Coach prior to the 2014 season. The Spartans finished with a ranking of 12th in the nation, and will make their third straight appearance in the upcoming NCAA Tournament. Cale Wassermann has led Saginaw Valley State back to the D-II Tournament, their first appearance since falling in the championship game in 2012. Along the way, SVSU has become a DCFC pipeline, providing the team with such talent as Zach Myers, Michael Lamb, Locky Savage, and Alex Isaevski, among others.
2014 Season Wrap
[Ed: About two months late but I finally got around to it.]
Overview
Head Coach: Ben Pirmann
Captain: Josh Rogers
NPSL Great Lakes West Conference: 2nd
NPSL Midwest Regional Playoffs: Did not qualify
101st Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup: First Round
Rust Belt Derby: Winner (2nd time)
Top Goalscorer (All Competitions): Will Mellors-Blair (5)
Black Arrow Award (Team MVP): Cyrus Saydee
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Friendlies
101st Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
Regular Season
Final Standings
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Predictions Revisited
In part III of this year’s season preview, I made a few predictions. Let’s see how I did.
2014 GLW Predicted Order of Finish / Actual Finish
1. Detroit City FC / 1. Lansing United
2. Lansing United / 2. Detroit City FC
3. Cincinnati Saints / 3. Indiana Fire
4. Michigan Stars / 4. Michigan Stars
5. Westfield Select / 5. Cincinnati Saints
Going into the season, I thought Lansing United would be the strongest of the four expansion teams in the conference, and they proved me right, not only putting forth a strong showing, but making it all the way to the NPSL semifinals. Right after I picked Westfield Select to finish last, they went out and got affiliated with the Chicago Fire. The ensuing infusion of youth talent allowed them to make a serious run at the conference title before they fell off in the final weeks. I also misfired on Cincinnati, who turned out to be far worse than expected.
5 Wild Guesses
1. Wade Allan will score at least 4 goals – He’s overdue, and should see more playing time with Knox Cameron gone.
Verdict: Incorrect. The emergence of Will Mellors-Blair at striker limited Allan’s playing time to mostly sub appearances.
2. Pirmann will experiment with a winger at striker – My guess is Jeff Adkins.
Verdict: Partially correct. Adkins, VanSlooten, and Saydee spent good parts of games playing near or just behind the forward line, but all remained primarially wingers or midfielders.
3. Josh Rogers will not start every single game – The depth at CB will allow Pirmann to rest him from time to time.
Verdict: Correct. Rogers did not start on June 20th at Indiana.
4. Over the course of the regular season, DCFC will score at least 40 goals and give up fewer than 10 – They scored 35 and gave up 8 in 2013, and even though that was in 12 games as opposed to 14, this schedule looks weaker.
Verdict: Incorrect. The conference turned out to be stronger than anticipated, and City’s final numbers were 30 goals for, 17 against.
5. Average home attendance will be 1750 and the 3000 mark will be topped at least once.
Verdict: Correct, but too conservative. Regular season average attendance came in at over 2800, with four games (including a friendly) of over 3000.
Goals of the Year
#3 Jeff Adkins free kick – 6/29 vs. Indiana
#2 Will Mellors-Blair toe rocket – 7/6 vs. Cincinnati
No footage available so I’ll describe it for you – Second half, City up 1-0 and attacking the west goal (i.e. the one not shown in the above GIF). Low cross comes in from the left wing towards WMB who is making a run towards the box from the right wing. As the ball comes across his body, he hits it with his right toe, blasting it into the upper left corner of the goal. Perfect technique and timing.
#1 Shaun Claud Lawson ankle-breaker – 7/11 vs. Fort Pitt (also the NPSL GOTY)
Different angle, just as dirty:
Season Best XI
MVP: Cyrus Saydee (W/MF) Started every game and was City’s most consistent and creative attacking player. His performance reportedly earned him tryouts with Toronto FC and several unnamed NASL sides. There hasn’t been any word on how those went, but I assume we would’ve heard something by now if he had made a team. I’m hoping he gets the opportunity to participate in a bigger club’s preseason training camp where he would have more of an opportunity to make an impression than a one-off tryout. If he made the cut, it would add to the list of DCFC alumni who have made it to the pros; if he didn’t, then we would get our best player back, fresh off of several weeks of training at a higher level with professional players.
Breakout Player: Will Mellors-Blair (ST) My preseason pick of Tyler Arnone was working out well until he had to leave the team midway through the season. That makes WMB the easy choice here. His speed and finishing ability noticeably improved the team’s attack whenever he was on the field, and he ended up as City’s top goalscorer in 2014.
Unsung Hero: Nick Lewin (LB/RB/CB) Started at least one game at every position on the back line, beginning the season at left back and finishing as mostly a right back once Colin McAtee left the team. He seemed more comfortable and confident than he was in 2012 and early 2013, and his versatility proved to be a huge asset to the team.
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
Detroit City FC All-time Best XI
Updated to include this season. I’ve re-thought my original lineup (found at the end of this post) and decided to put more of an emphasis on on-field impact, and less on overall length of service. Here’s what I came up with:
Subs (7): Knox Cameron (ST), Will Mellors-Blair (ST) Miche’le Lipari (Wing), Spencer Thompson (CM), Dave Edwardson (CM), Nick Lewin (RB/LB/CB), Bret Mollon (GK)
Adkins/Lipari is a tossup, but I’ll go with Adkins for now, probably because I’ve just watched his free kick goal ten times in a row. Center midfield is also very close – you could make an argument for any combination of those four. I decided to put Bedell into the XI not because of his recent success with Columbus, but because, along with Rogers, he’s the best defender City has had in its short history. Goalkeeper was the toughest decision – both Clark and Mollon have about an equal number of starts, but I gave Clark the slight nod because of his outstanding play from 2012 when the team was brand new and still finding its footing.
A Look at Keyworth Stadium
We’re currently in the “dead zone” of the NPSL offseason – more than two months have passed since Chattanooga fell to the Red Bulls U-23’s in this year’s title game, and there are still several weeks to go before everyone’s favorite time of the year when expansion talk heats up.
There is, however, a bit of news that involves Detroit City FC, and it comes via the latest edition of the Hamtramck Review:
I’d never heard of Keyworth Stadium until I read this article, but with its emergence as a potential future home for DCFC, I naturally decided to do some research.
Background information from Detroitpix:
Keyworth was named after Dr. Maurice R. Keyworth, [Hamtramck] Superintendent of Schools in 1923. Work on the stadium began in May, 1935. FDR was there for the opening ceremony on October 15, 1936, because it was the first WPA project completed in the Detroit area.
The stadium is located on Roosevelt Street in Hamtramck and is currently used (I think) for local schools’ football and soccer games.
—
Pros
Capacity is listed at 7000, double that of Cass. This would obviously provide room for attendance growth, and it’s of a “not TOO big” size where we could reasonably envision filling it one day in the not-too-distant future.
Field Size Going by Google Earth, the current soccer lines on the field measure 120 x 65 yards. This would be an improvement over Cass Tech’s narrow field (roughly 110 x 55), but would remain a bit short of the professional standard. For comparison: Anfield (110 x 74), Old Trafford (115 x 74), Camp Nou (116 x 77), Sporting Park (120 x 75).
Aesthetics There is no track around the field, which is a huge plus for the potential atmosphere. The stadium’s age, its concrete terraces, and its non-corporate name also give it a lot of character and a bit of old-timey mystique. Also, the “Dirty Old Town” factor is especially high – train tracks run along the south side of the stadium, and this is what sits across them:
I don’t know what they make, or more likely made there, but when I hear that gas works wall line, that’s about what I envision.
No TV Bar Self-explanatory.
—
Cons
Location Here is where Keyworth sits relative to Cass Tech:
In my opinion, the location is far from ideal. Part of what makes DCFC special is its “heart of the city” vibe. Q.E.D.:
I should also point out that Keyworth is technically not in the city of Detroit. Playing in Hamtramck would not be nearly as bad as playing in Pontiac or Auburn Hills, but it would still be a minus in my book.
Cost & Ownership $1 million! for the field replacement alone. Add in probable upgrades to the locker rooms, bathrooms, and concessions (not to mention possible structural restoration), and the price tag gets even higher. It would likely be cheaper than building a new stadium from scratch, but at the end of day, after all that investment, the school district would still retain ownership.
Logistics The big issues are that the stadium is a bit of a drive from any major freeways, and that there doesn’t appear to be a lot of parking since it sits in a residential neighborhood. On the plus side, there do appear to be a few bars within reasonable marching distance – New Dodge Lounge, Painted Lady, and Motor City Sports Bar are all located on nearby Campau Avenue.
—
Verdict
With DCFC on the verge of outgrowing Cass Tech, if they haven’t already, it’s great to see ownership being proactive in the search for a new venue. Taking all available information into consideration, I don’t think Keyworth Stadium is the right fit. The size is perfect, and the old-school look and feel are great, but I think the high cost, non-ownership, and less-than-ideal location outweigh the potential benefits.
My feeling is that since the improvements to Keyworth would cost well in excess of $1 million and the club would only be a tenant when all is said and done, it would be better to spend that money on a venue that could be available for purchase or on a site with the potential for new construction.
On the other hand, it may be the strategy of DCFC ownership to make an immediate investment to enable growth while keeping away from a long-term commitment. By renting Keyworth, they would avoid the burdens of paying for maintenance and upkeep, permanent security, and property taxes, among other costs. If all goes well and the crowds and revenue continue to grow over the next several seasons, they would then be free to explore the possibility of new stadium construction without having to offload their current one.
The potential move to Hamtramck is only in the preliminary stages, and a lot could happen in the next year or two that it would take to make the stadium ready for play. I’m sure other options have been and will be explored, and I’ll be following all the developments as they come.
How to Build a Soccer Club – Part Two
Chapter II: Marketing
Here’s a quick test: when I say “NASL, USL Pro, and NPSL,” which teams come to mind? For me, and I suspect for most who follow American soccer, it’s those with the greatest levels of support. Orlando, Sacramento, Indy, Minnesota, Detroit, Chattanooga, San Antonio, to name a few. What do all of those clubs have in common? Sizeable, dedicated supporters’ groups.
Attracting Fans
Supporter-Friendly > Family-Friendly
A big mistake that a lot of new clubs seem to make is marketing themselves strictly to families with soccer-playing kids. There is nothing wrong with free admission for children of a certain age or group discounts/special accommodations for local youth teams, but if you truly want to succeed as a club, you must focus on building a base of diehards. It’s fine to try and bring in the “soccer moms,” but they should not be your primary focus.
With the recent explosion in the amount of televised soccer in the U.S., every corner of the country has access to the sights and sounds of the big leagues from around the world. No matter what state or city you are in, there are likely many people (typically in the 18-45 demographic, but some older and younger as well) who love the atmosphere of the European matches they see on TV and want to experience it firsthand in their own backyards. Your job is to give them their outlet.
Supporters and Atmosphere
Supporters are the ones who will snatch up season tickets each year as soon as they become available. They are the ones who will travel hundreds or thousands of miles to watch your team play. They are the ones who advertise the club the most, through word-of-mouth, social media, and simply by wearing your colors around town. They are the ones who will stand with you through thick and through thin.
That being said, you MUST NOT attempt to create a supporters’ group or derby yourself. Everything must spring up organically with no involvement from the front office. What you need to do is create an environment in which your SG will thrive. In the same way that palm trees and brightly-colored poisonous frogs can only live in a tropical environment, your SG can only exist and grow when it is allowed to stand and sing for 90 minutes, set off smokebombs, and display tifos and banners.
Here we see some supporters’ groups in their natural habitats:
You should give your SG a basic set of rules and boundaries, including but not limited to: no physical violence, no racist, sexist, or homophobic language, no open flames, etc., and allow them to police themselves until they show that they are unable or unwilling to do so. Be aware that they will use salty language and insult the opposing team and its fans. This will turn a few people off, but as long as your overall attendance numbers stay steady and continue to rise, you shouldn’t consider it a serious problem.
To sum up, many people don’t go to soccer games just to see the play on the field, they also go for the incredible experience provided by a vibrant atmosphere.
…atmosphere is one of the crucial ingredients of the football experience. These huge ends [supporter sections] are as vital to the clubs as their players, not only because their inhabitants are vocal in their support, not just because they provide clubs with large sums of money, but because without them nobody else would bother coming.
– Nick Hornby, Fever Pitch
The richer an environment you create, the more fans you will attract.
Web Presence
It would be unwise to spend too much of your money advertising on old media (TV/radio/newspaper); social media is free, popular, and its reach is growing by the day.
At the bare minimum, your club should have an official Facebook page, Twitter feed, and probably a YouTube account to upload your highlights and interviews. Whoever you put in charge of these accounts, make sure they keep posts professional – it would be poor form to have an exchange with a kid who thinks you “totally suck ass” appear in an official club feed. It would also be a good idea if the person in charge of your accounts had a good grasp on spelling and grammar and posted on a regular basis. The following is a screenshot of FC Sparta Michigan’s official Twitter feed:
They then created a second account, the result of which was this:
That’s a total of six tweets in five months, with none for the entire summer in which actual games were taking place. In case you were wondering, this club lasted for one year.
When it comes to your website, you don’t need to rewrite the rules of web design, but it should be well-done and – here’s that word again – professional.
Here’s a good example:
And here’s what not to do:
The difference between model organizations and one-and-dones should be very clear by now.
Chapter III: Other Ideas
Now that we’ve gone over how to lay your club’s foundation, it’s up to you to build the house. You’ll have to do the legwork on these, but here are a few ideas to keep in mind.
Stadium
Unless you have a boatload of cash and political connections in your area, building a new stadium right off the bat is likely out of the question. Your options will probably be limited, but you should consider:
(1) Location – Find a venue that doesn’t conflict with your club’s name. If you call yourself Detroit City FC, you definitely can’t play your games outside of the City of Detroit. If you do, it won’t look good and will cost you credibility.
(2) Size – Try to find a place that gives you room to grow, but isn’t too big. Capacity should probably be at least 1000 and no more than 5000.
(3) Playing Surface – Natural grass is more expensive to maintain than field turf, but it typically plays better and looks much nicer.
(4) Atmosphere – If possible, try to find a stadium without a track around the field. It separates your supporters from the action and can lessen their impact on the game.
Coaches
Don’t try to find the next Mourinho, you’re looking for someone who can work well with college-age players for a few months in the summer and run a simple, straightforward system (typically 4-4-2 or 4-4-1-1) due to limited practice time.
Keep in mind that NCAA rules do not allow players to work with their coaches during the offseason. For example, since Detroit City’s current head coach is a Michigan State assistant, current MSU players cannot play for DCFC.
Players
Open tryouts are obviously essential for a team that is just starting out. Something that Detroit City has done that’s been very well received has been to give season tickets to all its tryout attendees.
On top of that, do your best to establish relationships with local college coaches and programs. If players have a good experience playing for you, word of mouth will spread to their teammates and can help build a pipeline to bring talent to your team on a consistent basis.
Chapter IV: Recap
We’ve covered a lot of ground, but I think you’ve got a pretty good feel for the initial tasks that go into building your club. To review:
(1) Professionalism – This is key in all areas. The way you present your club to the world determines how it will be perceived. If it feels minor-league and second-rate, you won’t be taken seriously. If you show that you have legitimate ambitions, people will rally around you.
(2) Name and Crest – They should be simple, unique, and represent something special about your city/state. NO cheesy nicknames, NO cartoon soccer balls.
(3) Focus your marketing towards potential supporters. They will form a strong attendance base and will attract more people with the atmosphere they create and through word-of-mouth.
(4) Connect to your fans through social media. One amazing picture or video can find its way all across the internet and introduce your club to people who never would have heard about it otherwise.
Closing Message
We’ve come to the end, and now you must take the lessons you’ve learned and run with them. I have the utmost confidence that the club you found will NOT fold after a single season, and that its crest, jerseys, and supporters will be met with nods of approval from across the American soccer community. I’ve done what I can; the rest is up to you.
