New Third Rail Website!

Today, we are pleased to announce the launch of our brand new website!

With this new website comes our new address, using the new .NYC top-level domain:

www.ThirdRail.nyc

Our current URL, thirdrailnyc.com, will shortly be redirected to the new site and this old site will be retired.

Please check out the new site for news about the Third Rail, upcoming events, membership and more!

2015 Membership Renewals - FAQ

(Photo credit: Neverson Heatley III)

For questions in relation to the 2015 renewals, please post them in the comments or read the FAQ below.

What is included in the 2015 Membership?

• Exclusive members-only t-shirt and poster;
• The opportunity to purchase season tickets in the supporters section with the Third Rail;
• Exclusive pre-match events at Bronx bars;
• Discounts on Third Rail and NYCFC merchandise at Upper 90, "New York's Soccer Store" - including the new NYCFC jersey;
• Discounts at local bars;
• Opportunity to purchase tickets to away games;
• Exclusive benefits from New York City FC including members-only events with NYCFC personnel;
• Voting power on decisions made by the Third Rail;
• and much, much more!

Where can I renew my membership?

You can sign up on our partner site, Upper 90.

Who will send me my t-shirt?

Upper 90 will deliver your t-shirt or send it to one of their local stores for pickup.

Also, we will be having our January Membership Meeting this Sunday, so join us to learn more about what is coming up in 2015!

The Membership Drive is On!

UPDATE: Thank you to everyone who joined in 2014! We are no longer selling Charter Memberships. Click on "How Can I Join?" above for information on our 2015 membership.

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Now that the World Cup is over, we are turning our eyes back to MLS; the march to 2015 is on!

We are pleased to announce that we are now accepting membership requests via PayPal. Just click on the "Buy Now" button below!

How much is it?

Membership is $30 for 2014; new membership fees will be due every year on January 1st for all members.

Any member who joins in 2014 will be listed in our roster as a Charter Member for helping us get the Third Rail up and running.

What do I get?

Members receive:

• The opportunity to sit in the supporters section with the Third Rail;
• Third Rail pre-match events at local Bronx bars;
• Discounts on Third Rail and NYCFC merchandise at Upper 90, "New York's Soccer Store" - including the new NYCFC jersey!
• Reduced prices for beverages at Nevada Smiths and other local bars;
• Discounted group travel to away games;
• Exclusive benefits from New York City FC including members-only events with NYCFC personnel;
• Voting power on decisions made by the Third Rail;
• much, much more!

Charter Members will also receive an exclusive Third Rail scarf, with a design to be chosen by the members! This scarf won't be available anywhere else, and will tell everyone that you were a supporter of NYCFC, and the Third Rail, since Day One.

If you can attend one of our meetings in person we will arrange to have your membership package (including scarf, when available) on hand for pickup. If you need your scarf and other materials shipped to you, you may request that when you sign up below. Shipping rates are $7.50 within the United States and $15 to Europe. For other countries, please contact us and we will be happy to quote a shipping rate.

I don't want to sit in the Supporters Section. Can I still join?

Absolutely! We want to be a group where all fans of New York City can come together. Whether you want to stand with us and throughout the matches, you want to join us for special events, or just want to add your voice to our conversation, we welcome all supporters of NYCFC.

When's the next meeting?

This week, we will be announcing the date of our next public meeting; I look forward to seeing all of you there!

Reminder - World Cup Semi-FInal Viewing Party at Brother Jimmy's!

Don't forget - tomorrow we have our World Cup Semi-Final Viewing Party, co-sponsored with New York City FC itself!

Germany punched its ticket to the final in dramatic fashion this afternoon, now it's time for Argentina and the Netherlands to step up. Which one will win the right to face Die Adler in the Estádio do Maracanã on Sunday?

Our viewing party will be at Brother Jimmy's BBQ on 31st and Lexington in Manhattan. The match starts at 4:00, the party starts at 3:00!

We'll have beer specials provided by our friends at the Bronx Brewery. There will also be half-priced appetizers, prizes and giveaways, and the opportunity to watch the match with NYCFC staff.

There will be an opportunity to sign up for the Third Rail (if you haven't already), and a special raffle for Third Rail members.

See you there!

Introducing Our Official Logos!

Just moments ago, we unveiled our official logos, designed by New York City-based graphic artist Matthew Wolff.

Ladies and gentlemen....presenting our new logo! pic.twitter.com/lmHvT5NNY5

— The Third Rail (@ThirdRailSC) July 3, 2014

Presenting the official logos of the @ThirdRailSC! pic.twitter.com/WQJmcMmp60

— NY is BLUE (@NYisBLUE) July 3, 2014

Our primary logo is a raised Art Deco fist holding three orange lightning bolts against a rectangular background.

We also have a simpler secondary logo for certain applications where the primary is too complicated.

The fist can also be used by itself.

Finally, we have the official wordmark in isolation:

We'll be updating this website in the coming days. Next week we'll also discuss in some detail the inspiration behind the designs, but for the moment we're just thrilled to finally make these public. Permission is granted to use these logos in news articles and Wikipedia; we're grateful for the help in spreading the word.

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UPDATE:   Almost immediately after we unveiled our new logo, the club tweeted out an incredible compliment:

#NYCFC: Powered by @ThirdRailSC. pic.twitter.com/fG66SSxkjP

— New York City FC (@NYCFC) July 3, 2014

Awesome.

Our Mission Statement

It is our pleasure to present the Mission Statement for the Third Rail, approved by our Board of Directors:

The Third Rail is a non-profit membership organization independent of New York City Football Club. We stand together as a testament to the melting pot culture of New York City, its many voices singing together. The Third Rail accepts all people regardless of race, age, gender, creed or sexual orientation. We believe in supporting our club, giving back to our community and growing the game in our city, from youth leagues to the highest level. We in the Third Rail will always extend a welcome hand to those who abide by these principles.

Once again, we hope you'll join us.

Welcome to the Third Rail!

Hello everyone and welcome to the home of the Third Rail. We are the first Supporters Club for New York City FC, welcoming MLS and the Beautiful Game to the greatest city in the world.

Our new name was chosen by NYCFC fans. We have been amazed at the outpouring of support we've seen so far, and I look forward to meeting more of you in person as we approach the club's kickoff in 2015.

From time to time, you'll see posts here from officers and members of the organization. Since I'm first up, I'll introduce myself - my name is Chance Michaels, and I am the President of the Third Rail. I'm a native New Yorker and a lifelong soccer fan. I have been largely agnostic on Major League Soccer since its founding; the MetroStars (now Red Bulls) seemed from the beginning to have made a conscious decision to be a suburban club. Fair enough, that's a legitimate choice, but it also meant that as a city kid I didn't have a team. With no local side to support, I became an Arsenal supporter and eventually a season ticket holder at Ashburton Grove. That all changed one year ago, on May 21, 2013, when New York City FC was announced as the 20th team in MLS.

Finally, New York had its own top-flight professional soccer club. I started blogging about NYCFC that same day, chronicling its nascent development, and soon met a small group of like-minded fans. Together, we started the group that would become the Third Rail. Over the coming weeks, I'll be introducing you to those people, and laying out our goals for the next weeks, months and years. There's much to be done in the nine months before NYCFC starts play.

It's an exciting time to be a soccer fan in New York. I hope you'll join us for the ride.

Thank you,