Philadelphia Lone Star Football Club is an American professional development soccer club based in Southwest Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that competes in USL League Two and the National Premier Soccer League, both leagues which sit in the fourth tier of the American soccer pyramid. Nicknamed "the Stars", the club was founded as Junior Lone Star Football Club in 2001, but changed its name to Philadelphia Lone Star F.C. in 2018.
 | |||
| Full name | Philadelphia Lone Star Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Stars | ||
| Short name | PLSFC | ||
| Founded | 2001, as Junior Lone Star F.C. | ||
| Stadium | South Philadelphia Athletic Super Site Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | ||
| Capacity | 3,500 | ||
| President | Paul A. Konneh, III | ||
| Manager | Fatoma Turay | ||
| League | USL League Two National Premier Soccer League United Premier Soccer League Eastern Premier Soccer League | ||
| Website | http://www.philadelphialonestarfc.com/ | ||
|
| |||
History
editPhiladelphia Lone Star F.C. was established in 2001 under the name of Junior Lone Star Football Club by a group of Liberian American immigrant soccer players. The club was named Junior Lone Star FC, after the Liberian national football team, because most of the team's players were from Liberia at that time.
In 2001, the club had a single team with 11 players but the club has grown over the years with the addition of three teams with over 70 players. In 2012, the First Team will be participating in the National Premier Soccer League; the Reserve Team (U-23) will be participating in the US Club Soccer National Adult League; and the Junior Team (U-19/20) will be participating in the USL Super-20 League.
Junior Lone Star FC won its first major championship in 2008 when the club's U-23 team won the Eastern Pennsylvania State U23 Cup. The club's U23s then represented Eastern Pennsylvania in the 2008 USASA Region I Men's U-23 Cup where they defeated West Chester United SC and FC Delco in the semi-finals and final, respectively.[1] The club's U23s subsequently represented USASA Region I at the 2008 USASA National Men's U-23 Championship where they lost to eventual champions Ela Elite in the semi-finals.[2]
Junior Lone Star FC is affiliated with the United States Youth Soccer Association (USYSA), the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) and the US Club Soccer (USCS).
Colors and Badge
editPhiladelphia Lone Star's home colors are white along with a red and navy stripes on the side. Traditional away colors have been either navy or red; however, in recent years several different colors have been used. Philadelphia Lone Star colors are similar to that of the Liberia national football team .
The Stars have previously worn two badges on their shirts, prior to their current badge which was implemented on 5 September 2018 after their name change to Philadelphia Lone Star. The Red/White stripes, blue field and white star is a direct reference to the Flag of Liberia while 2001 is in reference to the year the club was founded.
The first, introduced at the club founding in 2001, consisted of a circular badge was based on designs which had been used on official club documentation since the mid-1960s. It consisted of a circular badge which used the same shield as the current badge, inside a circle bearing the name of the club. In late 2011, this was replaced by a circular crest divided into half by the club's name: Junior Lone Star FC. The upper portion of the crest had red and white stripes while the lower portion had a shining white star and the year 2001 within a blue field.
On 5 September 2018, the club rebranded to Philadelphia Lone Star and after members consultation, a new design of the badge was voted for. The shape of the crest is a pointed shield, a symbol of strength and togetherness which has been a staple of the Lone Star ethos and message since our formation in 2001. The 13 vertical stripes of red alternating with white symbolize the 13 original players who formed the first squad of the club in 2001.
The Liberty Bell is synonymous with the City of Philadelphia, a city that openly welcomed the club members from West Africa. The name of the Bell also resonates with Liberia National Motto : “The Love of LIBERTY Brought Us Here.” There are also two different shades of blue around and within the crest. The left color is taken from the Flag of Philadelphia and the right color is taken from the Flag of Liberia.
Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors
edit| Period | Kit supplier | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| 2001–2011 | various | None |
| 2012 | Sarson | None |
| 2013–2016 | adidas | None |
| 2017 | Errea | Piayon Lasannah |
| 2018–present | Icarus FC | Cypher |
Year-by-year
editNPSL
edit| Year | Regular Season | Playoffs | U.S. Open Cup | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 5th, Keystone Conference | did not qualify | Ineligible | |
| 2013 | 4th, Keystone Conference | did not qualify | did not qualify | |
| 2014 | 3rd, Keystone Conference | did not qualify | did not qualify | |
| 2015 | On Hiatus | |||
| 2016 | 3rd, Keystone Conference | Ineligible | did not qualify | |
| 2017 | 6th, Keystone Conference | did not qualify | did not qualify | |
| 2018 | 2nd, Keystone Conference | Conference Semifinal | did not qualify | Lost to West Chester United SC in Conference Semifinal |
| 2019 | 4th, Keystone Conference | Conference Final | First Round | Lost to FC Motown in Conference Final |
| 2020 | Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic[3] | |||
USL League Two
edit| Year | Regular Season | Playoffs | U.S. Open Cup | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Season cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic[4][5] | |||
| 2021 | 4th, Mid Atlantic | did not qualify | did not qualify | |
| 2022 | 5th, Mid Atlantic | did not qualify | did not qualify | |
| 2023 | 5th, Mid Atlantic | did not qualify | did not qualify | |
| 2024 | 5th, Mid Atlantic | did not qualify | did not qualify | |
UPSL
editAs Philadelphia Lone Star II
| Year | Regular Season | Playoffs | U.S. Open Cup | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spring 2018 | 2nd, American Division | Division Final | Ineligible | Lost to Rochester Super 9 Pro SC in Division Final |
| Fall 2018 | did not compete | |||
| Spring 2019 | 3rd, Northeast Conference | did not qualify | did not enter | |
| Fall 2019 | 4th, Empire Division | Division Final | did not enter | Lost to Mass United FC in Division Final |
| Spring 2020 | Season delayed due to COVID-19[6] | |||
WPSL
edit| Year | Regular Season | Playoffs | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 2nd, Colonial Division[7] | Conference Final | Lost to Torch FC in Conference Final[8] |
| 2020 | Season cancelled due to COVID-19[9][10] | ||
Honors
edit- U.S. Open Cup
- 2017, First Round (Qualified as an amateur side through local qualifying)
- 2019, First Round (Qualified as a member of the NPSL through 2018 season results)
- 2020 (Qualified as a member of the NPSL through 2019 season results)
- Eastern Pennsylvania Soccer Association
- State Open Cup Champions: 2016, 2018
- State Amateur Cup Champions: 2016,[11] 2018
- Northeast Elite Soccer League
- Regular Season Champions: 2018[12]
- Philadelphia Sierra Soccer League
- Champions: 2011
Source[13]
Stadiums
edit- Stadium at Monsignor Bonner High School's Turf Stadium; Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania (2013)[citation needed]
- Stadium at Northeast High School's Charles Martin Memorial Stadium; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (2012)[citation needed]
References
edit- ^ "Region I crowns U23 Champions". usasa.com. 2008-07-14. Retrieved 2012-01-25.
- ^ "National Cup Finals Recap". usasa.com. 2008-09-05. Retrieved 2012-01-25.
- ^ Prince-Wright, Joe (26 March 2020). "2020 NPSL season cancelled". ProSoccerTalk. NBC Sports. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
- ^ Mendola, Nicholas (30 April 2020). "USL extends suspension of 2 leagues, cancels League Two season". ProSoccerTalk. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
- ^ Ralph, Matthew (30 April 2020). "USL League Two cancels 2020 season". Brotherly Game. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
- ^ Mendola, Nicholas (16 May 2020). "Fourth-tier American league UPSL announces June 20 return". ProSoccerTalk. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
- ^ "Standings - 2019 Regular Season - WPSL". www.wpslsoccer.com. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
- ^ Ralph, Matthew (7 July 2019). "Philadelphia Lone Star teams come up short in WPSL and NPSL conference finals". Brotherly Game. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
- ^ Clark, Travis. "WPSL cancels 2020 summer season". TopDrawerSoccer.com. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
- ^ Communications, WPSL (30 April 2020). "WPSL cancels summer 2020 season, exploring fall options amid COVID-19 pandemic". Women's Premier Soccer League. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
- ^ "2016-2017 EPSA MEN'S AMATEUR CUP TOURNAMENT" (PDF). Eastern Pennsylvania Soccer Association. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
- ^ "Results from last night. @juniorlonestar finished the season undefeated with a 3:2 victory over @WCUSCPredators in the Philly Derby. Congrats on winning the regular season title". Twitter. Northeast Elite Soccer League. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
- ^ "Honors & Records". Philadelphia Lone Star F.C. 31 October 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2020.