HUNTSVILLE — All systems are go!
Huntsville City Football Club is ready for liftoff tonight at Wicks Family Field at Joe Davis Stadium.
“Just pure excitement,” said Huntsville City FC head coach Jack Collison on his club’s feelings. “We’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time.”
The first-year MLS NEXT Pro club makes its home debut at 7 p.m. HCFC hosts Crown Legacy FC in the first of four straight home matches. Coincidentally, Huntsville City’s first-ever match was against Crown Legacy in Charlotte.
Tickets are available at www.mlsnextpro.com/
To honor the occasion, Mayor Tommy Battle proclaimed today as “Professional Soccer Day in Huntsville.”
Battle presented the resolution to club and league officials Thursday at a VIP event. Accepting the resolution were Ian Ayre, CEO of Nashville SC and president of HCFC; John Ingram, principal owner of Nashville SC and Huntsville City FC; Charles Altchek, president of MLS NEXTPro; Ali Curtis, senior vice president of MLS NEXTPro; and Jalil Anibaba of the Nashville SC.
““We can’t wait to see this talented team take to the Wicks Family Field – their newly official home turf in Huntsville,” Battle said. “This marks the beginning of many exciting seasons for soccer fans.”
Collison said the players are ready to put their talents on display on the home pitch after seven straight road matches.
“There may be a little bit more pressure on the boys,” he said. “Or it’s going to really inspire them … Hopefully it will inspire them to go out there and understand the responsibility … every time they put that crest on their chest.”
Midfielder Jony Bolaños echoed Collison’s comment on the excitement of taking the pitch for the first time at The Joe in front of 5,000-plus fans.
“We’ve been waiting for this day,” he said. “It’s going to be huge to have that big of a supporting fan group.
“To be at home in front of 5-6,000 people is going to be a huge boost for us.”
The club and the city held an open house and a ribbon-cutting ceremony Tuesday for the 6,000-seat renovated stadium.
But Bolaños has other plans for the venue.
“We want to make this a fortress and we want to get as many points as we can at Joe Davis,” he said. “We’re looking to put on a show for the fans, for sure.”
Collison seconded his player’s confidence: ”Without a doubt, we’re going to have the best support in the league.”
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