AFC Cleveland
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2014}}
{{Infobox football club
| clubname = AFC Cleveland
| image = AFC Cleveland Crest.png
| image_size = 200px
| fullname = AFC Cleveland
| nickname = Royals
| founded = {{Start date and age|2011|11|11}}
| dissolved = {{Start date and age|2017|12|12}}
| ground = Stan Skoczen Stadium, Independence, OH
| league =
| American = true
| website = https://www.afccleveland.com/
}}
AFC Cleveland was an American semi-professional soccer club based in the Cleveland suburb of Independence, Ohio. Founded in 2011 and playing its first season in 2012, the team spent six years in the fourth-tier National Premier Soccer League.{{cite news|url=http://thesoccerroom.com/?p=32498|title=Cleveland join revamped Midwestern NPSL|website=TheSoccerRoom.com|accessdate=27 December 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120422181557/http://thesoccerroom.com/?p=32498|archivedate=22 April 2012}} After being expelled from the NPSL at the end of the 2017 season,{{cite tweet|user=NPSLSoccer|number=940667494355931136|date=12 December 2017|title=NEWS: The #NPSL today announced the termination of the memberships of AFC Cleveland (@AFCCleveland) and Sports Club Corinthians USA (@SCorinthiansUSA) in line with the NPSL Bylaws for teams not in good financial standing with the league.}} AFC Cleveland folded and was replaced by Cleveland SC, who began play in the NPSL in 2018.{{cite web|url=http://www.crainscleveland.com/article/20180610/news/164556/new-cleveland-semipro-soccer-team-hot-start|title=New Cleveland semipro soccer team is off to a hot start|website=CrainsCleveland.com|accessdate=28 June 2018}}
History
File:CINvCLE 2017-05-17 - AFC Cleveland huddle (34403939140).jpg in 2017|250px]]
Following the folding of the Cleveland Internationals in 2010, the city of Cleveland was without a soccer team.{{cite web|url=http://homepages.sover.net/~spectrum/cleveland.html|title=History of Soccer in Cleveland|website=Homepages.Sover.net|accessdate=28 June 2018|quote=...folding after a last-place finish. Cleveland fans were again left pining, and things looked rather bleak as the first decade of the 21st century ended. Outside of the local amateur leagues, the only soccer in the city was provided by the amateur USL-PDL's Internationals...}} On November 11, 2011, AFC Cleveland announced that they would join the National Premier Soccer League.{{cite web|url=https://www.afccleveland.com/club/history/|title=HISTORY – AFC Cleveland|website=AFCCleveland.com|accessdate=28 June 2018}}{{Dead link|date=June 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
AFC stands for A Fans' Club, signifying that the organization is for the fans and created by the fans, and was inspired by the English club AFC Wimbledon.{{cite news|last=Sandrick|first=Bob|url=https://www.cleveland.com/parma/2012/06/new_soccer_club_calls_parma_ho.html|title=New soccer club calls Parma home|website=The Plain Dealer|publisher=Advance Publications|access-date=February 10, 2021|date=June 3, 2012}}
Stadium
| class="wikitable" |
| style="background:#1D24AB; color:#ffffff; border:2px solid #000;" scope="col"| Period
! style="background:#1D24AB; color:#ffffff; border:2px solid #000;" scope="col"| Stadium ! style="background:#1D24AB; color:#ffffff; border:2px solid #000;" scope="col"| Location |
|---|
| 2012 |
| 2013
| rowspan=2|Cleveland, Ohio |
| 2014 |
| 2015 |
| 2016–2017 |
Kit supplier and sponsorship
From 2012 to 2013, the kit sponsor of the club was Admiral Sportswear.{{cite web|url=http://www.afccleveland.com/news/afc_begins_with_admiral.html|title=AFC Cleveland Begins with Admiral|website=AFCCleveland.com|url-status=dead| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714193022/http://www.afccleveland.com/news/afc_begins_with_admiral.html|archivedate=14 July 2014 }} Beginning with the 2014 season, Givova took over as the kit sponsor.{{cite web|url=https://givova-sport.com/novosti/o-futbole-v-amerike-v-odnom-video.html|script-title=ru:О футболе в Америке в одном видео|website=Givova-Sport.com|accessdate=28 June 2018|language=ru|trans-title=About football in America in one video}}
| class="wikitable" |
| style="background:#1D24AB; color:#ffffff; border:2px solid #000;" scope="col"| Period
! style="background:#1D24AB; color:#ffffff; border:2px solid #000;" scope="col"| Kit manufacturer ! style="background:#1D24AB; color:#ffffff; border:2px solid #000;" scope="col"| Shirt sponsor |
|---|
| 2012–2013 |
| 2014–2015
| Givova | Rocky River Urgent Care |
| 2016–2017
| Joma | NovaCare |
Club culture
=Supporters=
6th City Syndicate is the supporters' group for Cleveland soccer.{{cite web|url=https://6cscleveland.com/|title=6th City Syndicate|website=6CSCleveland.com|accessdate=28 June 2018|archive-date=June 29, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180629074242/https://6cscleveland.com/|url-status=dead}}
=Rivalries=
- Supporters of AFC Cleveland, Detroit City FC, and FC Buffalo formed the Rust Belt Derby, modeled after the Cascadia Cup. The winner of the Derby was based on the head to head record of the Midwestern clubs during regular season NPSL matches. Cleveland won the initial Rust Belt Derby on June 23, 2012, following a 1–1 draw with Detroit.{{cite web|url=http://www.soccernewsday.com/usa/a/134/the-rust-belt-derby|title=The Rust Belt Derby|website=SoccerNewsDay.com|accessdate=26 June 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120508203519/http://www.soccernewsday.com/USA/A/134/The-Rust-Belt-Derby|archive-date=May 8, 2012|url-status=dead}}
- AFC Cleveland also participated in in-state rivalry matches against Zanesville Athletic FC, with whom they contested the Presidential Cup,{{cite web|url=http://isnsoccer.com/news/2013/05/19/the-battle-for-ohio-begins-with-a-bang/|title=The Battle for Ohio Begins with a Bang|website=ISNSoccer.com|accessdate=28 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180629102240/http://isnsoccer.com/news/2013/05/19/the-battle-for-ohio-begins-with-a-bang/|archive-date=June 29, 2018|url-status=dead}} and Dayton Dynamo.{{cite web|url=https://www.daytondailynews.com/sports/dynamo-realigns-with-npsl-midwest-east/ZW4nj8VTBCORA8FDanMZfN/|title=Dynamo realigns with NPSL Midwest East|website=DaytonDailyNews.com|accessdate=28 June 2018}} Prior to the Cincinnati Saints relocating to Dayton to become the Dynamo, they and AFC Cleveland played for the I-71 Cup.{{cite web|url=https://www.afccleveland.com/news061/|title=BATTLE FOR OHIO: THE I-71 CUP|website=AFCCleveland.com|accessdate=28 June 2018}}{{Dead link|date=June 2020 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}
Players and staff
=Notable former players=
This list of notable former players comprises players who went on to play professional soccer after playing for the team in the NPSL, or those who previously played professionally before joining the team.
- {{flagicon|USA}} Robby Dambrot
- {{flagicon|USA}} Bryan Gallego
- {{flagicon|USA}} Riley Grant
- {{flagicon|USA}} Alex Ivanov
- {{flagicon|ANG}} Sergio Manesio
- {{flagicon|USA}} Bradley Ruhaak
- {{flagicon|USA}} Nate Shultz
- {{flagicon|JPN}} Kotaro Umeda
- {{flagicon|USA}} Matt Walker
- {{flagicon|USA}} Shane Wiedt
=Head coach history=
| class="wikitable sortable" |
| style="background:#1D24AB; color:#ffffff; border:2px solid #000;" scope="col"|Name
! style="background:#1D24AB; color:#ffffff; border:2px solid #000;" scope="col"|Nationality ! style="background:#1D24AB; color:#ffffff; border:2px solid #000;" scope="col"|Tenure |
|---|
| Andy Hoggarth
| {{flagu|England}} | 2012–2014 |
| Aaron McGuiness
| {{flagu|Australia}} | 2014 |
| Carter Poe
| {{flagu|United States}} | 2015–2017 |
| Mike Sesar
| {{flagu|United States}} | 2017 |
Honors
| class="wikitable" |
| colspan="3"|National |
|---|
| style="width:260px"|Competitions
! style="width:50px"|Titles ! style="width:180px"|Seasons |
| style="text-align:center"| National Premier Soccer League
! 1 | style="text-align:center"| 2016 |
| style="text-align:center"| Midwest Region (Playoffs)
! 1 | style="text-align:center"| 2016 |
| style="text-align:center"| Great Lakes Conference (Playoffs)
! 2 |
| style="text-align:center"| Great Lakes Conference (Regular Season)
! 1 | style="text-align:center"| 2016 |
; Minor Trophies
- Rust Belt Derby Champions: 2012
- Presidential Cup Champions: 2013
- I-71 Cup Champions: 2015
Year-by-year
| class="wikitable" |
| style="background:#1D24AB; color:#ffffff; border:2px solid #000;"| Season
! style="background:#1D24AB; color:#ffffff; border:2px solid #000;"| Division ! style="background:#1D24AB; color:#ffffff; border:2px solid #000;"| League ! style="background:#1D24AB; color:#ffffff; border:2px solid #000;"| Regular Season ! style="background:#1D24AB; color:#ffffff; border:2px solid #000;"| Playoffs ! style="background:#1D24AB; color:#ffffff; border:2px solid #000;"| U.S. Open Cup |
|---|
| 2012
|4 |NPSL |3rd, Midwest-Great Lakes |Regional Finals |Did not qualify |
| 2013
|4 |NPSL |4th, Midwest-Great Lakes |Conference Semi-Finals |
| 2014
|4 |NPSL |3rd, Midwest-Great Lakes East |Did not qualify |Did not qualify |
| 2015
|4 |NPSL |2nd, Midwest Conference |Regional Finals |Did not qualify |
| 2016
|4 |NPSL |bgcolor="B3B7FF"|1st, Midwest-Great Lakes East |bgcolor="FFEBAD"|Champions |2nd Round |
| 2017
|4 |NPSL |4th Midwest - East |Did not qualify |2nd Round |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{commons category}}
{{Portal|Ohio}}
- {{official website|https://www.afccleveland.com}}
Category:Association football clubs established in 2011
Category:2011 establishments in Ohio
Category:National Premier Soccer League teams
Category:Soccer clubs in Cleveland
Category:Association football clubs disestablished in 2017
Category:2017 disestablishments in Ohio
{{Ohio-footyclub-stub}}