NEW YORK—When the Connell family founded Manchester City F.C. in 1880, it was said, “Through providing an opportunity to play football [soccer], we hope we improve the lives of people in very difficult times.”
Now, 130 years later, the words still ring true for Manchester City F.C. CEO Ferran Soriano. Speaking from the cafeteria of PS 72 The Lexington Academy in East Harlem on Wednesday, he said, “Today we are here and we still want to improve lives through football. Isn’t that amazing?”
Soriano was on hand to discuss Manchester City’s partnership with the New York Yankees to own Major League Soccer’s (MLS) 20th team, which will be called New York City FC. The new team will begin playing in the 2015 season.
“Our vision is to be one of the top soccer leagues in the world in the next ten years, and today’s announcement is one step toward achieving that goal,” said MLS Commissioner Don Garber, who was also on hand for the announcement.
Former U.S. national team captain Claudio Reyna was named the director of soccer for New York City FC. “I am the first employee of this football club and it is truly a privilege and an honor.”
Reyna played from 2003–2007 with Manchester City and was captain for the U.S team at the 2002 and 2006 World Cups.
“I look forward to the day the New York City football club has a parade down the canyon of heroes celebrating its first MLS cup,” said Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Garber said he hopes the new team will spark a rivalry with the New York Red Bulls, who play in Harrison, N.J.
Manchester City is majority-owned by billionaire Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
Home Field
The team begins its history without a home pitch. New York City FC will start play at an interim home—which has yet to be determined—and will consider other sites for a stadium.
MLS has been negotiating with New York City to build a stadium in Flushing Meadows Corona Park, near the home of the New York Mets. In mid-May it was leaked that bin Sultan Al Nahyan was a likely candidate to develop the 13 acres of parkland to provide a home field for his team.
Bloomberg is also supportive of the new team coming to town, and sees Flushing Meadows Corona Park as a good option.
The city’s consideration of Flushing Meadows Corona Park for the new stadium has been met with stiff resistance from residents who do not want to lose their parkland.
“As everyone in Queens—except for most of our elected officials—seems to know, the proposed site was a terrible location for any sort of stadium, as it would have horribly impacted the park as well as sat directly on top of the Flushing River, which the Fountain of the Planets currently is sited,” said Paul Graziano, co-founder of Save Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, a coalition of community-based civic and environmental groups opposed to the continued commercial encroachment of the flagship park in Queens, in a statement.
Soriano promised to listen to residents before making any decision.
“Flushing is still the preferred site,” Garber said on Tuesday, when the initial announcement was made.
“I think the best place for it—for everyone—is in the eastern end of Flushing Meadow Park. It is a part of the park that has been neglected for a long time,” Bloomberg said.
He added that it would be beneficial to get some money in exchange for providing the land for stadium development to fix up the rest of the park for residents’ use. The park has been derelict for years and the Parks Department budget doesn’t include funds to maintain the park.
Bloomberg, who has opened two new baseball stadiums and the multiuse Barclay’s Center in Brooklyn during his tenure, suggested turning the unused Flushing Airport land into parkland, a move that has angered residents of the area.
When pressed about other places to put the stadium, Bloomberg told a reporter the site made sense in part because of the diversity of Queens.
Graziano said there were plenty of other privately owned locations in the five boroughs including the Sunnyside Rail Yard that would provide plenty of space for a stadium without taking away from local park space.
“No one should think they have a lock on this,” Bloomberg said. “There are a lot of different place you could build the stadium. I just want to make sure it is in New York City and that we get it done.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
