Join The Rogue Squadron! Support The Memphis City Football Club

Join The Rogue Squadron! Support The Memphis City Football Club

Ed. Note: I'm happy to share this post from contributor Christoph Ludwig, who recently went to a Memphis City Football Club game and is here to tell us about his time and the team in general. (Did you know Memphis had semi-pro soccer?! You do now.) They have home games through early July this year. 

All photos provided by Memphis City Football Club.


The Memphis Grizzlies’ season is over, and you might think that your sports options in town are limited to the Redbirds...but you’d be wrong, because soccer season in the Bluff City is just getting started.


Memphis City Football Club a semi-professional soccer team that plays in the NPSL, the fourth tier in the U.S. Soccer pyramid, has just gotten their second season under way. They compete in the Southeast Conference in the South region, and play against teams like the New Orleans Jesters and the Birmingham Hammers.

MCFC plays their home games at Christian Brothers High School (5900 Walnut Grove Road in East Memphis). As a semi-professional league, most players are college athletes looking to improve their game and stay in shape before returning to their colleges in the fall.

The game I attended featured Memphis taking on the U23s of Nashville SC in a non-league matchup. There was a flurry of action in the first few minutes, as Nashville scored almost immediately but Memphis answered to make it 1-1.

Nashville went ahead on a textbook header in the 43rd minute and scored again just before the halftime whistle to make the score 3-1. Memphis wouldn’t score again and would eventually lose 4-1, but that never dampened the spirit of the Rogue Squadron or the fans.

Reasons Go To A Memphis City Football Club Game

1. The Supporters
Like all professional teams, Memphis City has their own supporters group. The Rogue Squadron attends every game, both home and away, and sings and chants at the top of their lungs in support of the team. They have a few drummers, and some of them wear helmets with orange lenses as a nod to the Rogue Squadron in Star Wars.

“We have a core group of about 30 of us who just love soccer and love Memphis City. Last year we started at the first game with 7 of us, most of which had never met each other, and I think we ended the season with close to 60 or 70 in our section,” said Clayton France, who is a member of the group.

If you want to experience the feel of a true professional soccer atmosphere, sit near these folks.

2. It's Affordable
Tickets to each match are $8 if pre-ordered online or $10 at the gate.

3. Tailgating
Food options inside the stadium are limited, but fortunately there are food trucks posted in the parking lot, so arrive early to get in a good meal before you enter. (The day I attended featured StickEm, Terry’s Twisted SnoCones, and PigTails.) Tailgating starts a few hours before kickoff.

4. Support the home team and Memphis' soccer community.
Memphis City FC is your chance to experience a professional soccer atmosphere without having to travel to an MLS stadium. Don’t miss it.

MCFC has plenty of local talent, including Kit Huddleston from Tupelo, Miss. who plays at the University of Memphis, Germantown’s Peyton McKnatt, who has spent time in the FC Dallas academy, and Charles Blankenship. The team also features players from Africa, Mexico, South America, and Japan.

Schedule:

*Wednesday, May 24 vs. Chattanooga F.C. 7 p.m.
*Saturday, May 27 vs. Inter Nashville F.C. 7 p.m.
*Saturday, June 3 vs. Little Rock Rangers 2 p.m.
*Saturday, June 3 vs. Birmingham Hammers 7 p.m.
Sunday, June 4 @ Mississippi Brilla 5 p.m.
Thursday, June 8 @ Asheville City F.C. 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 10 @ Knoxville Force 7:30 p.m.
*Saturday, June 17 vs. New Orleans Jesters 7 p.m.
*Wednesday, June 21 vs. Mississippi Brilla 7 p.m.
Saturday, June 24 @ New Orleans Jesters 7 p.m.
Wednesday, June 28 @ Chattanooga F.C. 7 p.m.
Saturday, July 1 @ Birmingham Hammers 7 p.m.
**Saturday, July 8 vs. Knoxville Force 7 p.m.

Follow to stay updated:

Memphis City Football Club website
Memphis City Football Club Facebook page
Rogue Squadron blog
MCFC on Twitter
Rogue Squadron on Twitter


About The Author

Christoph Ludwig is a recent graduate of the University of Mississippi, where he earned his B.A. in recreation administration and covered sports for the school newspaper, The Daily Mississippian. He has written about soccer, tennis, football, softball, and baseball for various online publications, and is a current contributor to Red Cup Rebellion, Baseball Essential, Bruno Boys Fantasy Football, Memphis Travel, and I Love Memphis.

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