History
The club was founded in 2021 and is owned by former Seattle Sounders FC player Lamar Neagle, Chris Kaimmer, and Sam Zisette. It is based in the Ballard neighborhood and would play home matches at the Interbay Stadium. [1] [2] The club's largest supporters' group is The Bridge Keepers. [3]
Ballard FC made their league debut on May 21, 2022, defeating Lane United FC 6–1 in front of 1,200 spectators. [3] The team finished second in the USL2 Northwest Division behind Oregon's Capital FC and qualified for the league playoffs. They advanced to the Western Conference Final in Des Moines, Iowa, where Ballard FC lost 2–1 to the eventual league champions Ventura County Fusion. [4] [5] Captain and defender Lesia Thetsane was a finalist for the USL2 Player of the Year Award and was one of 14 players to return for the club's second season in 2023. [6]
Head coach Jason Farrell left the club in July 2023 after they had clinched a playoff berth and was replaced by Ethan O'Neill on an interim basis. [7] Ballard FC secured their first Northwest Division title and hosted several playoff matches at Interbay Stadium. [8] The club advanced to the USL League Two Championship, which they would host at Starfire Sports Stadium in Tukwila, Washington, against Lionsbridge FC on August 5, 2023. Ballard FC won their first championship 2–1 with a goal in stoppage time scored by Cameron Martin in front of a sellout crowd of 3,416. [9] [10] The club are the second from Washington to win the league's championship, after Kitsap Pumas in 2011, and earned qualification to the 2024 U.S. Open Cup. [11]
On March 20, 2024, Ballard FC played their first U.S. Open Cup match at Memorial Stadium, their temporary home during year-long renovations to Interbay Soccer Field. The team lost 1–0 to Spokane Velocity FC, a new USL League One team based in the state. [12] The two teams met again in the first round of the 2025 U.S. Open Cup and played to a scoreless draw in regulation time at Interbay Stadium in front of a record 1,508 spectators. Spokane won 1–0 in extra time. [13]
Stadium
Ballard FC plays their home matches at Interbay Stadium, a 900-seat stadium [14] in the Interbay neighborhood south of Ballard. The stadium was built in 1997 for the Seattle Pacific Falcons collegiate soccer teams and is also used by the sister team Salmon Bay FC. [1] It has a grass pitch and a maximum capacity of 1,200 spectators when including standing areas. [15] In 2023, Ballard FC signed a sponsorship agreement with Pagliacci Pizza, a local chain, to rename the pitch to the Pagliacci Pitch. [16]
The team temporarily moved to Memorial Stadium at the Seattle Center for the 2024 regular season while renovations at Interbay Stadium are made to comply with accessibility requirements. [17] Ballard FC returned to Interbay Stadium for the 2024 playoffs. [18]
Club identity
The club crest, designed by a Ballard-based agency, was released alongside the founding announcement in December 2022. [19] [20] The crest depicts the Ballard Bridge over a sunset.
Ballard FC's primary jersey is cream-colored with red accents; the inaugural 2022–23 home jersey included a sublimated wave pattern derived the Flag of Seattle. [21] The club collaborates with local artists for third jerseys each year, such as Seattle-based muralists Ryan Henry "henry" Ward, [22] dozfy, [23] and Stevie Shao. [24]
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