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Jubilant Base Sings Praises for Nashville SC

By CHARLIE CORR - charlie.corr@uslsoccer.com, 07/01/16, 10:15PM EDT

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Expansion side eager to make waves heading into 2018 USL season


Photo courtesy of Nashville SC

With supporters group The Roadies providing a euphoric scene Friday afternoon, the USL’s 2018 expansion franchise Nashville SC was officially welcomed into the league.

USL President Jake Edwards, Nashville Mayor Megan Barry, club ownership and more were in attendance at Bridgestone Arena, soaking in the chanting, the drumming and most importantly the realization that the professional game is on the horizon in Nashville.

“It’s great to be marched in by such a rowdy group of fans,” Barry said as she directed her attention to The Roadies. “This is really a great day for Nashville because we are a sports city. We love soccer because it’s a beautiful game, because it rewards teamwork, skill and endurance, and it’s also an international sport. For many people in the south, it’s the ‘other’ football, but for most of the people in the world, it’s the only football. We are certainly looking a lot more like the rest of the world as we embrace all the people who move here, who have all nationalities, and colors and accents. We are becoming so diverse.”

Edwards pinpointed the support and the grassroots efforts in Nashville and throughout the state of Tennessee as being integral toward the club’s future.

“Your future support of this club is going to be critical for the success of this team,” Edwards said. “But I’d also like to recognize the Tennessee Youth Soccer Association who are with us today and recognize the tremendous work they’ve done and continue to do to build the foundation of this sport across the state. Finally, let me welcome all the passionate supporters that are here, like any sports league. They’re the lifeblood our league, so I’d like to give a special shout out to The Roadies. They deserve a huge amount of credit for supporting the game in this community for many, many years, and they’re going to be a huge part of the success of this club going forward. So thank you for being here and thank you for bringing the soundtrack with you.”

“We can’t do this without you. We won’t be a success without you. There’s going to be a lot of work that’s going to have to happen over the next two years before we do field a team, but we hope that we can count on all of you to gather around us as the ownership group. We’re going to need a lot of help,” co-Owner Marcus Whitney said.

Whitney and the rest of the club’s ownership knew from the start that joining the USL would bring the professional product that the city deserves starting in 2018.

“We had the very good fortune of being introduced to the folks at the USL, and I want to tell all the people here in Nashville, I would never want to bring an organization to this town that wasn’t at the same level of class and community and collaboration that you all are, and the USL is a tremendous organization,” Whitney said. “These are great people. They have fans and the culture of soccer in mind in everything they do and we cannot be more proud, and we’re honored to be a USL franchise.”

“These are truly exciting days ahead for our sport and truly exciting days ahead for our league as we grow,” Edwards said. “We are absolutely thrilled that Nashville, led by this ownership group, is going to play a significant role in the growth of soccer in this country and the continued growth of our league.”

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