By Ben Nicholson
January 16 – New MLS franchise LAFC – rising from the ashes of the terminated Chivas USA franchise – has unveiled two new club owners, the club’s logo and colours which will be black and gold, with a splash of red.
The splash of red in the club’s colors will be a pleasing sight to part-owner Vincent Tan, who recently surrendered to popular discontent at Cardiff City by switching the club’s home kit from red back to its traditional blue. Tan believes the colour to be lucky and has demonstrated his passion for his clubs to be associated with red by holding out at Cardiff for three years despite the furore surrounding his rebranding.
LAFC welcomed into its twenty-six strong ownership group comedian Will Ferrell and, CEO and co-founder of Riot Games, Brandon Beck.
Ferrell and Beck join the ranks of US Women’s soccer legend Mia Hamm, basketball star Earvin ‘Magic’ Johnson, entertainment mogul Peter Guber, and majority owner Peter Nguyen.
LAFC president, Tom Penn, promised “to unite the world’s city with the world’s game.” LAFC has certainly united plenty of high-profile celebrities. However, Ferrell’s necessary comment that this is “not a joke” perhaps reveals there is some underlying fears that LAFC will suffer the same misfortunes as the now buried Chivas USA team that previously played second fiddle in the city to LA Galaxy.
To correct the errors of Chivas USA’s ways, LAFC has been actively engaging the local market with promotional events. LAFC merchandise is already available for purchase, though the inaugural 2018 jersey is yet to be unveiled.
A foundational step in uniting the city is to find a home stadium. The plan to set up shop just South of downtown LA is said to be 90% complete. The projected cost of the 22,000 seat-stadium is estimated around $250 million.
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