Richmond Kickers
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Full name | Richmond Kickers Soccer Club | ||
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Nickname(s) | Red Army, Roos | ||
Founded | 1993 | ||
Stadium | City Stadium Richmond, Virginia | ||
Capacity | 6,000[1] | ||
Owner | 22 Holdings, LLC (majority)[2] RKYSC (minority) | ||
Chairman | Robert Ukrop | ||
Head coach | Darren Sawatzky | ||
League | USL League One | ||
2022 | USL League One, 1st of 12 Playoffs: Semi-finals | ||
Website | Club website | ||
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Richmond Kickers is an American professional soccer club based in Richmond, Virginia. The Kickers compete as a member of USL League One (USL1). The club was established in 1993, and began play that same year as a United States Interregional Soccer League (now USL League Two) expansion team, which at the time, was the fourth tier of soccer in the United States.
The club's majority owner is 22 Holdings, LLC, and its minority owners are Richmond Kickers Youth Soccer Club and the Ukrop family, a prominent family from the Greater Richmond Region who founded the Ukrop's grocery chain. The company serves as the club's primary uniform sponsor. Darren Sawatzky has been the club's manager since 2019, taking over for David Bulow. The club's Director of Soccer, Leigh Cowlishaw, coached the team from 2000 until 2018, making him one of the longest tenured professional soccer coaches in American soccer history.
The Kickers play their home league matches at
The Kickers played their inaugural match on May 8, 1993, winning 1–0 over the now defunct-
Today the club is one of the most well-attended USL League One teams, with an average of 3,000 to 4,000 fans per match.[4]
The team has been known to develop several players who has notable soccer careers. Some notable players who played for the Richmond Kickers include, Derrick Etienne, Dwayne De Rosario, and Matt Turner. Some players who played a majority of their career with Richmond include Matthew Delicâte, Yomby William, Robert Ukrop, and Kevin Jeffrey.
History
1993–2019
The Richmond Kickers were founded in 1993 and played their inaugural season in the
For the next nine seasons, Richmond played in the second tier of the American soccer pyramid, earning the Commissioner's Cup twice, in 1998 and 2001, as well as earning two conference championships. However, the club was never able to secure a division two league championship, their closest coming in 2005, when the Kickers fell to the Seattle Sounders in the 2005 USL First Division Championship. After the 2005 season, the Kickers ownership self-relegated the team back into the third division, citing possible financial problems for the club if they remained in the second tier.[6] Since joining the third division, the Kickers have had tremendous success, making it to at least the playoff semifinals each season they have played in the third division. Additionally, the Kickers have won two third division premierships and two third division championships during their spell.
In September 2005, the club retired
Richmond Kickers have not only experienced league success, but have been perennial contenders in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup tournament. In the
The Kickers briefly sponsored two developmental teams of their own:
USL League One era and new ownership (2019–present)
After two losing seasons in the second-division
Colors and badge
The Kickers' primary colors are red and white, having been so since the beginning of the 2001 season.[14] Their kits are manufactured by Adidas, as they have been since at least 2009.[15][16] In March 2012, the Kickers revealed a new logo designed by branding firm yogg llc to celebrate 20 years since their inception. Along with the new crest, the club also announced they would be using a third uniform with the colors from their first season in 1993, green and blue.[17] They also have a black kit they have used during the 2013 season.
For the 2022 season, the club released "legacy kits" for the season which included the club's original green color in the home kits. The club used the original 1993 logo in the kits.[18]
Stadium
- E. Claiborne Robins Stadium, University of Richmond, Richmond, Virginia (1993–1994)
- City Stadium, Richmond, Virginia (1995–present)
Club culture
Supporters
The Kickers' supporters groups sit in section O of City Stadium. The two supporters groups are the River City Red Army, which formed in 2010, and the Scuffletown Social Club, which formed in 2020.
James River Cup
The James River Cup was an annual competition held between the Richmond Kickers and the Virginia Beach Mariners (formerly Hampton Roads Mariners) which the team with the most points at the conclusion of all scheduled matches between the two teams would win. The Cup was held every year since 1996 with the exception of 1997 and 2001 when Virginia Beach did not field a team. In 2007, the Virginia Beach team was disbanded.
For the 2008 season, the James River Cup was contested between the Kickers' organization and the Hampton Roads Piranhas organization. The cup went to the organization that had the most points in games between their PDL and W-League teams. The series ended up tied 2–2–1, with the Piranhas winning the Cup on goal difference.[19]
Winners
- 2008: Hampton Roads Piranhas
- 2007: Not held
- 2006: Virginia Beach Mariners
- 2005: Richmond Kickers
- 2004: Richmond Kickers
- 2003: Richmond Kickers
- 2002: Richmond Kickers
- 2001: Not held
- 2000: Richmond Kickers
- 1999: Richmond Kickers
- 1998: Richmond Kickers
- 1997: Not held
- 1996: Hampton Roads Mariners
Players and staff
Current roster
- As of March 16, 2024[20]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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- ^ USL Academy Contract
Reserves and academy roster
Club management
Front office | |
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Chairman/president | Robert Ukrop |
Chief operating officer | Camp Peery |
Coaching staff | |
Head coach/sporting director | Darren Sawatzky |
Assistant coach | Conner Cappelletti |
Goalkeeping coach | Akira Fitzgerald |
Director of player personnel | Ray Smetanick |
Athletic trainer | Rodrigo Perez |
Richmond Kickers Youth Club | |
Executive director | Leigh Cowlishaw |
Technical director | Fred Sekyere |
Team directors | Michael Burke Ross MacKenzie Andy McIntosh Mark Stollsteimer |
Goalkeeping director | Adrian Clewlow |
Last updated: February 1, 2023
Source: [1]
Head coaching history
Dates | Name | Notes |
---|---|---|
1993 | Bobby Lennon | |
1994 | John Kerr, Sr.
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1995–1996 | Dennis Viollet | Led team to only U.S. Open Cup title and USISL championship
|
1997 | Frank Kohlenstein | |
1998–1999 | Colin Clarke
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2000–2018 | Leigh Cowlishaw | Longest tenured coach in club history |
2018–2019 | David Bulow | |
2019–present | Darren Sawatzky |
Honors
League
- A-League (Second Tier)
- Regular Season (1): 2001
- USL Second Division/USL Pro/USL League One (Third Tier)
- Regular Season (4): 2006, 2007, 2013, 2022
- Playoffs (2): 2006, 2009
- USISL Premier League(Fourth Tier)
- Playoffs (1): 1995
Cup
- Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
- Winners (1): 1995
International
- Participations in CONCACAF Cup Winners Cup: 1996
Other
- Bon Secours Cup
- Winners (2): 2019, 2020
- James River Cup
- Winners (7): 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005
Record
Year-by-year
This is a partial list of the last five seasons completed by the Kickers. For the full season-by-season history, see List of Richmond Kickers seasons.
Season | League | Position | Playoffs | USOC | Continental | Average attendance | Top goalscorer(s) | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Div | League | Pld | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD | Pts | PPG | Conf. | Overall | Name | Goals | ||||||
2016 | 3 | USL | 30 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 33 | 26 | +7 | 45 | 1.50 | 7th | 12th | R1
|
R3
|
DNQ | 3,996 | Yudai Imura | 10 | |
2017 | 2 | USL | 32 | 8 | 16 | 8 | 24 | 36 | –12 | 32 | 1.00 | 14th | 25th | DNQ | R3
|
4,665 | Alhaji Kamara | 4 | ||
2018 | USL | 34 | 6 | 24 | 4 | 30 | 80 | –50 | 22 | 0.65 | 15th | 31st | R4 | 3,976 | Brian Shriver Heviel Cordovés |
7 | ||||
2019 | 3 | USL L1 | 28 | 9 | 14 | 5 | 26 | 35 | –9 | 32 | 1.14 | N/A | 9th | R2 | 3,468 | Joe Gallardo | 6 | |||
2020 | USL L1 | 16 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 22 | 22 | 0 | 26 | 1.63 | 4th | NH | N/A | Emiliano Terzaghi | 10 | |||||
2021 | USL L1 | 28 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 35 | 36 | –1 | 40 | 1.43 | 5th | R1 | NH | 2,078 | Emiliano Terzaghi | 18 ♦ | ||||
2022 | USL L1 | 30 | 14 | 7 | 9 | 54 | 35 | +19 | 51 | 1.70 | 1st | R1 | R4 | 3,551 | Emiliano Terzaghi | 17 ♦ |
^ 1. Avg. attendance include statistics from league matches only.
History vs. Major League Soccer
- 3/15/97 – Exhibition – Richmond Kickers 3 vs. Columbus Crew 1 (UR Stadium)
- 6/17/97 – Exhibition – D.C. United 4 vs. Richmond Kickers 2 (UR Stadium)
- 7/23/97 – U.S. Open Cup (3rd Rd) – MetroStars3 vs. Richmond Kickers 0 (UR Stadium)
- 6/14/00 – U.S. Open Cup (2nd Rd) – Richmond Kickers 3 vs. Colorado Rapids 0 (UR Stadium)
- 7/25/00 – U.S. Open Cup (3rd Rd) – Spartan Stadium)
- 4/1/01 – Exhibition – Richmond Kickers 0 vs. Dallas Burn0 (UR Stadium)
- 7/24/01 – U.S. Open Cup (4th Rd) – RFK Stadium)
- 4/13/02 – Exhibition – Richmond Kickers 0 vs. D.C. United 1 (UR Stadium)
- 7/17/02 – U.S. Open Cup (3rd Rd) – Crew Stadium)
- 4/5/03 – Exhibition – Richmond Kickers 1 vs. D.C. United 1 (UR Stadium)
- 7/21/04 – U.S. Open Cup (4th Rd) – Richmond Kickers 2 vs. D.C. United 1 (UR Stadium)
- 8/4/04 – U.S. Open Cup (Quarterfinals) – Chicago Fire1 vs. Richmond Kickers 0 (UR Stadium)
- 8/3/05 – U.S. Open Cup (4th Rd) – Richmond Kickers 1 vs. D.C. United 3 (UR Stadium)
- 7/10/07 – U.S. Open Cup (3rd Rd) – Richmond Kickers 1 vs Los Angeles Galaxy0 (UR Stadium)
- 3/22/08 – Exhibition – Richmond Kickers 3 vs. D.C. United 0 (UR Stadium)
- 7/1/08 - U.S. Open Cup (3rd Rd) - New England Revolution 3 vs. Richmond Kickers 0 (Veteran's Stadium)
- 6/30/10 – U.S. Open Cup (4th Rd) – D.C. United 2 vs. Richmond Kickers 0 (George Mason Stadium)
- 6/28/11 – U.S. Open Cup (3rd Rd) – Richmond Kickers 2 vs. Crew Stadium)
- 7/12/11 – U.S. Open Cup (Quarterfinals) – Richmond Kickers 2 vs. Livestrong Sporting Park)
- 8/30/11 – U.S. Open Cup (Semifinals) – Toyota Park)
- 5/29/12 – U.S. Open Cup (3rd Rd) – Richmond Kickers 1 vs. D.C. United 2 (City Stadium)
- 7/17/15 – U.S. Open Cup (4th Rd) – Richmond Kickers 1 vs. Columbus Crew SC 3 (City Stadium)[21]
International competition
- 7/16/04 – Exhibition – Richmond Kickers 1 vs. Nottingham Forest1 (UR Stadium)
- 7/25/09 – Exhibition – Richmond Kickers 1 vs. C.S.D. Comunicaciones0 (UR Stadium)
- 7/1/14 – Exhibition – Richmond Kickers 1 vs. Mexico U21 1 (City Stadium)
- 7/31/14 – Exhibition – Richmond Kickers 0 vs. Crystal Palace 3 (City Stadium)
- 7/19/15 – Exhibition – Richmond Kickers 1 vs. West Bromwich Albion 2 (City Stadium)
- 7/16/16 – Exhibition – Richmond Kickers 2 vs. Swansea City A.F.C. 0 (City Stadium)[22]
References
- ^ "City Stadium". www.richmondkickers.com. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
- ^ Wood, Patrick (December 18, 2018). "Richmond Kickers Announce New Ownership". Richmondkickers.com. Archived from the original on November 24, 2020. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
- ^ "City Stadium". www.richmondkickers.com. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
- ^ "2022 USL League One Attendance". Retrieved October 17, 2022.
- ^ "Professional soccer comes to campus". The Collegian. March 4, 1993. Retrieved June 1, 2012.
- ^ "Kickers realign into USL2". RichmondKickers.com. October 25, 2005. Retrieved June 10, 2008.
- ^ "Kickers oust LA Galaxy". RichmondKickers.com. July 11, 2007. Retrieved July 11, 2007.
- ^ "Kickers disarm Gunners in 3–0 win". RichmondKickers.com. June 11, 2008. Retrieved June 11, 2008.
- ^ "D.C. United, Richmond Kickers announce landmark affiliation". D.C. United. January 24, 2013. Retrieved January 30, 2013.
- ^ "Loudoun United FC Joins the USL for 2019". United Soccer League. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
- ^ Wood, Patrick (September 11, 2018). "RICHMOND KICKERS NAMED A USL DIVISION III FOUNDING MEMBER". Richmond Kickers. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
- ^ Times-Dispatch, ADAM CULLER Richmond. "Richmond Kickers will join a new league, transitioning to third division of U.S. Soccer". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
- ^ a b Wood, Patrick (December 18, 2018). "Richmond Kickers Announce New Ownership". Richmond Kickers. Retrieved June 14, 2019.
- ^ "Kickers Logo Narrative". Richmondkickers.com. Retrieved June 1, 2012.
- ^ "Front of Jersey Sponsor Unveiled". Richmondkickers.com. Retrieved June 1, 2012.
- ^ "Kickers Unveil 2009 Jersey Saturday". Richmondkickers.com. Retrieved June 1, 2012.
- ^ "Richmond Kickers unveil new logo". Potomac Soccer Wire. March 6, 2012. Retrieved March 9, 2012.
- ^ "Richmond Kickers 30th Anniversary Legacy Kits Launched". Footy Headlines. Retrieved March 25, 2022.
- ^ "James River Cup". Richmond Kickers. Archived from the original on October 29, 2006. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
- ^ "Richmond Kickers roster archive". Richmond Kickers. United Soccer League. Retrieved September 2, 2022.
- ^ "Richmond Kickers vs. Columbus Crew SC - 2015 U.S. Open Cup - Fourth Round". Ussoccer.com. Retrieved May 20, 2019.
- ^ "RICHMOND 2, SWANSEA CITY 0 - Richmond Kickers". www.richmondkickers.com. Archived from the original on July 20, 2016. Retrieved January 15, 2022.