Austin Bold FC

Last updated

Austin Bold FC
Austin Bold FC logo 2018.svg
Full nameAustin Bold Football Club
FoundedAugust 9, 2017;8 years ago (2017-08-09)
DissolvedNovember 4, 2021;3 years ago (2021-11-04)
Stadium Bold Stadium
Capacity5,000
ChairmanBobby Epstein
Head coach Ryan Thompson
League USL Championship
2021 6th, Mountain Division
9th, Western Conference
Playoffs: DNQ
Website www.austinboldfc.com

Austin Bold FC (ABFC) was an American professional soccer team located in Austin, Texas. Founded in 2017, the team made its debut in the USL Championship in 2019. [1] [2] [3] In 2021, Austin Bold FC announced it would be moving to Fort Worth, Texas leaving Circuit of the Americas at the end of the season but may have to wait until 2023, depending on the construction of their stadium. [4] As of August 2024, the team remains inactive.

Contents

Stadium

The club played at Bold Stadium on the grounds of the Circuit of the Americas race track, located between the amphitheater and the grand plaza. [5] The first goal in the stadium was scored by Kleber Giacomazzi in a 1–0 win against San Antonio FC on March 30, 2019. [6]

Ownership

Bobby Epstein, chairman of the Circuit of the Americas, has led the ownership group after becoming majority owner in 2017. He became involved in a public relations battle with Anthony Precourt, the primary owner of Austin FC, who had been sanctioned by Major League Soccer to create a franchise in Austin after selling his stake in the Columbus Crew amid controversy. Epstein was criticized for his tactics, including hiring petition campaigners who are accused of lying to the public. [7] [8] [9]

In December 2021, a new ownership group was approved by the USL. The new ownership group consists of Donnie Nelson, Neil Leibman, and Epstein. The team did not participate in the 2022 USL Championship as it sought relocation to another city in Texas, [10] and has not participated since, as they were never able to get any stadium deal done. [11]

Sponsorship

PeriodKit ManufacturerShirt Sponsor
2019–2020 BLK Ascension Seton [12]
2021 Puma

Players and staff

Roster

As of September 15, 2021 [13]
No.Pos.PlayerNation

Staff

As of September 4, 2021 [14]

Team records

Year-by-year

As of December 20, 2022
Season USL Championship Play-offs U.S. Open Cup Top scorer 1 Head coach
PWLDGFGAPtsPosPlayerGoals
2019 34131295352488th, Western Conference quarterfinals 4th Round Flag of Brazil.svg André Lima 14 Flag of Brazil.svg Marcelo Serrano
2020 165473027223rd, Western
Group D		Did not qualify Cancelled Flag of the Turks and Caicos Islands.svg Billy Forbes 7 Flag of Brazil.svg Marcelo Serrano
2021 321010123242426th, MountainDid not qualify Cancelled Flag of Mexico.svg Xavier Báez 6 Flag of Jamaica.svg Ryan Thompson

^ 1. Top scorer includes statistics from league matches only.

Head coaches

CoachNationalityStartEndGamesWinLossDrawWin %
Marcelo Augusto Silva Serrano Flag of Brazil.svg BrazilAugust 3, 2018September 4, 202175272424036.00
Ryan Thompson Flag of Jamaica.svg JamaicaSeptember 4, 2021present12444033.33

Average attendance

YearReg. seasonPlayoffs
20192,395 [15] 2,656 [16]
2020 [a] 2496 [17] DNQ
2021957 [18] DNQ
  1. ↑ Due to COVID-19, attendance at games was restricted

Honors

Minor

References

  1. ↑ "USL Announces Return to Austin in 2019". USL Soccer. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
  2. ↑ "Austin pro soccer franchise will roll in 2019 in 5,000-seat COTA venue". Mystatesman.com. Archived from the original on June 30, 2018. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
  3. ↑ "Austin Bold FC Hosts Official Launch". USL Soccer. Retrieved August 3, 2018.
  4. ↑ Partian, Claire (October 26, 2021). "REPORT: Austin Bold FC to relocate to Fort Worth, citing Austin FC's success". austonia.com. Archived from the original on June 14, 2022. Retrieved November 4, 2021.
  5. ↑ Bils, Chris. "Austin Bold FC breaks ground on stadium, signs former Liga MX midfielder". Austin American-Statesman.
  6. ↑ Clynch, Shawn (March 30, 2019). "Austin Bold FC claims 1st win of the season in 1st ever home match". KVUE . Austin, Texas. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  7. ↑ "Austin PAC Under Fire for Transphobic Comments, Racist Campaign Ad". Spectrum Local News. Retrieved November 13, 2018.
  8. ↑ "Austin PAC says they mistakenly used 'racist' frog in ad against Adler". FOX 7 Austin. Retrieved November 13, 2018.
  9. ↑ "Caught on Video: Petitioners giving misinformation about MLS stadium deal". FOX 7 Austin. Retrieved November 13, 2018.
  10. ↑ "Texas-Based Ownership Group Purchases Austin Bold FC". USL Championship. Retrieved December 12, 2021.
  11. ↑ "Short Update" (Twitter Post). x.com. May 16, 2023. Retrieved September 6, 2025. Stadium deal is dead after election loss by it's [sic] champion.
  12. ↑ "Austin Bold FC Unveils Inaugural Jersey and Announces Partnership with Ascension Seton". Austin Bold FC. March 5, 2019. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
  13. ↑ "Austin Bold FC Roster". Austin Bold FC. Retrieved August 23, 2021.
  14. ↑ "Austin Bold FC Staff". Austin Bold FC. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
  15. ↑ "2019 USL Championship Attendance". SoccerStadiumDigest.com. Soccer Stadium Digest. October 20, 2019. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  16. ↑ "Austin Bold FC - LA Galaxy II". USLChampionship.com. USL Championship. October 29, 2019. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  17. ↑ "Austin Bold FC - New Mexico United". USLChampionship.com. USL Championship. March 7, 2024. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  18. ↑ "2021 USL Championship Attendance". SoccerStadiumDigest.com. Soccer Stadium Digest. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
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