A People's History of New York City FC

Like the Bible, maybe we should start at the beginning. This story begins in East Rutherford, NJ (aka "The Meadowlands"), where Major League Soccer decide to place their "New York" team, the NY/NJ MetroStars (now called Red Bulls New York or RBNY, for short). Although the Red Bulls have supporters on both sides of the Hudson, many New Yorkers still yearn for a soccer club to call their own. Over the years, rumors of an MLS franchise to NYC have led to false hope. Some interested rumored parties have included Boca Juniors, FC Barcelona, and most recently the Mets' owner Fred Wilpon.

Which leads us to today. Rumors of Wilpon's interest in the MLS have been confirmed by MLS commissioner, Don Garber, in his State of the League address. Various construction projects in Flushing and Willets Point are being supported by New York City Mayor Bloomberg and the city's abundant cash flow. This includes a new stadium, Citi Field, for Wilpon's Mets. A supporter group, The Borough Boys, has formed to voice their desire for a NYC FC. Special shout out to QueensNick for getting that ball rolling. We even have our own Big Soccer forum... our biggest victory to date! So does the story have a happy ending? Who knows, but this is a great time to dream.

Some "facts" for the newbie:
* RBNY owns terrotorial rights for the NY/NJ area until 2010, so no NYC FC can play until then unless the unexpected happens.
* Fred Wilpon and MLS have only begun to talk and nothing is definite. With that said there have already been discussions about building a multi-purpose stadium near the currently under-construction Citi Field.
* MLS has stated that a second New York has always been part of their expansion plans.
* RBNY is said to be supportive of a Hudson River rivalry with a NYC FC. They must have seen the excitment caused bythe Super Clasíco between CD Chivas USA and LA Galaxy.
* For Cosmos fans, the right to use the name "Cosmos" will cost any NYC FC ownership group a few million dollars... contact G. Peppe Pinton for prices.