Statement on the Lampard Loan Extention

Following reports that Frank Lampard's loan has been extended beyond the start of the MLS season, we are issuing the following statement:

On behalf of the Third Rail, we would like to publicly denounce City Football Group’s and Frank Lampard’s decision to extend his loan to Manchester City until the end of the Premier League season.

Many fans, including our members, decided to support the team, committed to season tickets, and bought merchandise under the impression that Frank Lampard would be playing for New York City Football Club, not Manchester City.  Many of those fans are rightly outraged by this decision, and we support any course of action they take to voice their discontent over this decision.

Our support for our ownership group has been unwavering until now, but this we cannot support.  We reject out of hand any suggestion that NYCFC is in any way secondary to Manchester City FC, regardless of the source, and are disappointed that City Football Group would give such an appearance. 

The Third Rail will forever act as a voice for the fans of New York City Football Club.

Let's be clear - this is not about one player, even a star player; this is about how City Football Group will treat our club going forward. It is also about defending the entire league and American soccer.

But we are still NYCFC fans. This is still our club.  We want NYCFC to succeed for the benefit of all soccer fans in New York City.  We trust this decision will be an abberation, and with your help, our voices as one, it will be. 

1500!

We are thrilled to announce that we just signed up our 1,500th member.

We know it hasn't always been a smooth road, as we finish out our first calendar year, but the sheer number of you who believe in this group and in what we're doing is humbling and inspiring all at once. We are grateful for your support, and your input, and are looking forward to marching with you towards that first match at Yankee Stadium.

We have big news coming about our 2015 membership, and lots of exciting things to come. After nearly two years of waiting, and a full year of organizing and planning, New York City will have its own Major League Soccer club in a few short months. And we'll all be there to cheer.

Thank you to all 1500 of you.

First Games Announced!

The full 2015 MLS schedule has yet to be announced, but today NYCFC revealed details of the first two games:

The details:

NYCFC kicks off Inaugural Season vs. Orlando City and New England

December 19, 2014
11:03 AM EST

New York City FC will officially hit the pitch for their first MLS season on Sunday, March 8th at Orlando against their fellow expansion franchise. The historic home opener at Yankee Stadium in front of hometown fans will be Sunday, March 15th vs. the Eastern Conference Champion New England Revolution.

Both games have been selected to be shown nationally on ESPN2.

“We could not be more excited at the prospect of kicking off our first season” said Claudio Reyna, New York City’s Sporting Director.

“Our first competitive game will be the culmination of nearly two years’ hard work to get this Club ready for kick off. Now it is time to focus on what lies ahead and our first game will mark the true beginning for New York City FC.”

Head Coach Jason Kreis commented, “There is a huge buzz around the camp as we prepare to get pre-season underway. We’re looking forward to starting on the road and building up even more excitement as we head home for our first game in Yankee Stadium. We have been overwhelmed by the level of support we have had across New York and we can’t wait to play in front of all of our fans for the first time. We know that they will create an unbelievable atmosphere in Yankee Stadium on March 15th.”

The full schedule will be announced in January.

For information on how to purchase tickets for New York City FC’s inaugural season, please visit: http://www.nycfc.com/tickets.

And don't forget, if you haven't yet purchased your tickets there is still some available in Section 237, our second exclusive area for Third Rail members. Check your email for details on how to purchase.

Please Donate to the Gemmell Fund

Our friends from the Screaming Eagles, the supporters group for DC United, have suffered a terrible loss. One of their longtime members was killed yesterday, along with two of her children, when a corporate jet struck their home in the DC suburbs. The Screaming Eagles are raising funds for the surviving members of her family.

From the Screaming Eagles' blog:

Our Hearts are Heavy with the Loss of Eagles from our Fold

Screaming Eagles members Marie Wagner Gemmell and her two young sons Cole and Devin, were tragically killed when a plane struck their house in Gaithersburg, MD, on December 8.

Marie and her husband Ken joined the SE family 11 years ago and have many friends among the DC United soccer community.

A memorial fund has been set up on the Screaming Eagles Online Store with all proceeds going directly to Ken and his daughter Arabelle.

We are urging all Third Rail members to consider making a donation to the Gemmell Fund. You can make a donation in the amount of $10, $25 or $50 here.

Come Watch the MLS Cup at the Third Rail Holiday Party!

We are proud to announce our Holiday Party, next Saturday, December 7th!

This year, we are combining our party with an MLS Cup viewing party. Come watch the LA Galaxy host the New England Revolution to see who will be crowned MLS Champions.

This party, like our last several meetings, will be held at Nevada Smiths, our official home for away matches!

Your Third Rail membership card, as always, gets you 10% off your tab at Nevada Smiths.



Before the game begins, we will hold our monthly membership meeting. Here are some of the topics we will be discussing:

• Membership Packages
• The Carolina Challenge Cup
• Update on season ticket sales in our section
• Our Under-21 Division

After the game, another round of our popular FIFA15 tournament!

We'll see you there!

The Gift of Soccer

As we prepare for Thanksgiving and the holiday season, our thoughts turn to giving back to the community. We would like to invite you to support "The Gift of Soccer", a great cause sponsored by the Third Rail!

We are looking for members to sponsor/donate a soccer ball to be donated to 5 schools from different inner city locations. The soccer ball can be new or used, preferably size 5. We are also looking for volunteers to help distribute the soccer balls during the Week of December 8th, exact dates & times to be announced.

If interested in donating a ball, please bring it to Nevada Smiths on December 7th during our Holiday Party. If you cannot make the Holiday party on the 7th but would still like to donate or volunteer please contact Andres Loaiza, Director of Community Outreach, by email or via twitter.

We look forward to your help in bringing the Gift of Soccer to the communities of New York City!

"The Third Rail eye inaugural season in 2015"

Some good coverage from the league's official website:

New York City FC supporters' group The Third Rail eye inaugural season in 2015
November 17, 2014
Dylan Butler
Special to MLSsoccer.com

John Malone has never attended a Major League Soccer game. His soccer fandom was limited to the US national team.

But when it was announced New York City FC would be the league's 20th franchise, Malone was all in.

The White Plains resident purchased his season tickets eight hours after they went on sale, joined the Third Rail - the club's official supporters group - and is already discussing future road trips.

"The second they were talking about NY-2, I was in with this team," Malone said. "This is finally a team I could be all-in on and would pull on the heartstrings for some reason. This is finally my first soccer team. I don't care who is on the team.

"This is my team."

Malone, who ordered MLS Direct Kick to do his homework on the league, isn't unique among NYCFC's most ardent fans. In fact, many of the 1,200 and growing registered members of the Third Rail have a similar story.

That includes its president, Chance Michaels.

"The ability to help establish the framework and build a culture from the ground up is one of the things that was so attractive to me and to many of our members," the Brooklyn resident said. "We get to do something that hasn't been done in our city."

The day it was announced there would be a second MLS team in the New York City area, Michaels started a fan blog. Then in July, Michaels - a lifelong Arsenal supporter who went to New York Cosmos games as a kid at Giants Stadium and Yankee Stadium - started a membership drive for the club's supporters group.

"I honestly didn't know what to expect. When we first started this, there weren't any players, there wasn't a logo, there wasn't anything," Michaels said. "I thought if by the first match we could have 500 paid members, I'd be happy. We passed 500 members in three weeks."

The group needed a name and put it up to a vote. Michaels said they wanted to shy away from anything with 'Ultras' or 'Army' in it.

Soon, the Third Rail was born.

"We wanted to find something that was uniquely New York," Michaels said. "This had the added the benefit of also incorporating some really powerful electrical imagery."

New York City FC immediately embraced the name, tweeting the club was "powered by the Third Rail."

"They participated in what the badge was going to look like, we let them choose where they wanted to sit at Yankee Stadium," NYCFC Chief Business Officer Tim Pernetti said. "That's the culture we're trying to create. I think supporters are growing because they have access to this club."

Access is of the utmost importance, according to Pernetti.

"No matter how far we go, how long we're around or how good we are, we will never deprive the supporters of the access they deserve because we want this to be, much like our sister clubs, our community clubs," he said.

Michaels said Third Rail lobbied for the supporters sections – 236 and 237 in the left-field bleachers – to be general admission and the club made it happen. Both sections are nearly sold out.

"It's going to be an interesting fit for everybody," Michaels said. "The club has been very interested in clearing as much room for us as possible. They've been very responsive to our concerns and interested."

Nick Loccissano, a firefighter in Greenburgh, also never watched an MLS game before and he doesn't have a favorite squad in Europe. His soccer knowledge is limited to FIFA video games.

Now, he's an NYCFC season ticket holder and a member of the Third Rail.

"It's the best time to be a fan," he said. "I'm not jumping on a bandwagon or anything. I feel like I can actually establish this is my team."

Michaels said there are monthly meetings with Third Rail members and the supporters group recently hosted a Halloween party and co-hosted a World Cup semifinal watch party with NYCFC over the summer.

There are also tentative plans for road trips, including the preseason Carolina Challenge Cup.

"We're also looking at the first day of the SuperDraft," Michaels said. "We're looking to have a presence there as well. It's been so long coming that we're all champing at the bit to actually do something."

Third Rail Merchandise at Upper 90, "New York's Soccer Store"

Upper 90 / Matthew Wolff Design

We proud to announce an agreement with Upper 90, New York's Soccer Store, to produce exclusive Third Rail merchandise.

Our first offerings include tshirts, caps and hoodies for men and women.

We will have more items added in the coming weeks. Don't hesitate to let us know what you want!

In addition, all Third Rail members receive exclusive discounts on Third Rail and NYCFC merchandise on Upper 90's site - check your email for details and the discount code.

Order Your Jersey With This Discount for Our Members!

The NYCFC Inaugural Season shirt has been released!

We know you want to buy one, and we have partnered with Upper 90 to give Third Rail members a discount!

The shirt should be up for order on Upper 90's site soon, and check your emails and our private Facebook page for the discount code.

All online retailers will ship their orders at the same time. That means even though it's not on Upper 90's site at this moment, you'll still be among the first to receive yours. And at a discount just for being a Third Rail member.

Our discount code is good on all products on the Upper 90 website through the end of this year. It's never too early to think of your holiday shopping!

Membership Meeting Next Saturday!

Our next membership meeting will be held on Saturday November 15th from 2-4:00pm at Nevada Smiths, our official home for away matches!



Here are some of the topics we will be discussing:

• Membership Packages
• Travel to the Carolina Challenge Cup
• Season Tickets to NYCFC
• Our Under-21 Division

For those who wanted to pick up their membership packages, we'll be available from 12:30 until the meeting starts, and then from 4:00 to 5:00.

You can find more information at our Facebook event page. We'll see you there!

South Bronx United Benefit Next Tuesday

Our friends at South Bronx United are holding their 4th Annual Benefit next Tuesday at the Midtown Loft in Manhattan.

From the organization's website:

Tickets and donations for the evening help raise crucial funds for the organization's youth programs and features a buffet, dessert, and an open bar sponsored by Dos Toros Taqueria, the Bronx Brewery, and Artuso Pastry Shop. Guests can also support through live and silent auctions.

Midtown Loft is located at:
     267 Fifth Avenue, 11th Floor
     New York, NY 10016

South Bronx United is one of New York City FC's eight Youth Affiliates. They "use soccer as a tool to enrich the lives of South Bronx and immigrant youth," in the words of Executive Director Andrew So.

For more information, visit sbusupporters.org/benefit. You can purchase advance tickets for the benefit here; tickets at the door will be subject to an extra charge.

South Bronx United does so much in the community; let's get out and support them on Tuesday!

Anyone Feel Like Charleston in February?

The club unveiled some surprising news this morning:

NYCFC to compete in 2015 Carolina Challenge Cup
November 5, 201411:26 AM EST

New York City Football Club is delighted to announce that the team will participate in the in the 12th annual Carolina Challenge Cup in February 2015.

Just a few weeks before NYCFC play their first-ever MLS fixture, Jason Kreis’s side will be joined by Orlando City S.C, Houston Dynamo and Charleston Battery in the round robin tournament hosted at the Blackbaud Stadium in South Carolina.

Six matches will take place between Saturday 21 February and Saturday 28 February and NYCFC Sporting Director Claudio Reyna believes that the competition will provide the perfect test at an ideal time.

“The opportunity to play in the Carolina Challenge Cup was one that we didn’t want to pass up. It’s a fantastic tournament and Charleston is a great city for us to spend time in during pre-season.” Reyna declared.

“Playing against an established MLS side in Houston Dynamo will get us a real sense of where we’re at in our preparations to join the league in March and the same can be said of the game against our fellow new expansion team, Orlando City.

“Charleston Battery are also a talented outfit and I’m sure that they will do an excellent job in hosting next year’s Carolina Challenge Cup. This competition will form a very important part of our pre-season.”

Head Coach Jason Kreis, who won the competition with Real Salt Lake in 2009, echoed Claudio’s sentiments, revealing his excitement at this first announcement of pre-season matches.

“It will be an exciting challenge for us to take part in the Cup which is MLS-sanctioned for the first time this year,” Kreis told nycfc.com.

“It’s a competition I have experience of competing in, so I know how well organised and how competitive it is.

“We’ve been working really hard behind the scenes to ensure that our pre-season program gets us in the best shape to be competitive from the first minute of our opening regular season match.

“I believe that it will prove to be an important week in our preparations for our first season.”

The Carolina Challenge Cup was started in 2004 by USL Pro side, Charleston Battery.

DC United have won the tournament on the most occasions, lifting the Cup four times, including the last one in 2014.

Kreis’s Real Salt Lake fended off competition from Toronto FC, DC United and Charleston Battery to lift the trophy in 2009 – a feat which preceded their MLS Cup win at the end of the year.

Ticket news and date of fixtures to be released soon. More pre-season exhibition announcements will be announced in due course.

This is an interesting development; a chance to see our club compete before the MLS season starts. It's also good news that they want to hit the ground running.

The Charleston Battery, the USL Pro club hosting the event, tweeted out this message shortly after the announcement was made:

Fans of @OrlandoCitySC travel very well & we hope for great interest from supporters of @NYCFC. Working on special travel packages for them.

— Charleston Battery (@Chas_Battery) November 5, 2014

Sounds like fun. Charleston is a pretty hefty drive, but a very reasonable flight.



Orlando is about half that distance, so expect to see lots of purple in the stands. It would be great to bring the blue!

Stay tuned, Third Rail members. We'll have more on this as the situation develops for those who would like to make our first away trip.

Photographers Needed!

The Third Rail is growing, and with that comes new opportunities to get involved.

We are putting together a team of photographers so we can have one at each of our get-togethers, starting with next week's NYCFC special event. We would like to use these photos in our promotional materials, as well as to document the beginnings and growth of our group.

If you'd like to be one of our Weegees, please send an email to chance (at) thirdrail.nyc, or click here.

Another Third Rail Exclusive - "All Will Be Revealed"!

Just minutes ago, New York City FC released this promo image:

Seems pretty clear we're getting a jersey release in two weeks!

They also sent an email to all season ticket holders with an opportunity to RSVP for a "Special Event" with David Villa.

Those RSVP spots filled up within a half-hour, but we have additional spots reserved just for Third Rail members! Check your email; you should already have received a link to sign up for this amazing event.

It's another benefit of membership in the only recognized, independent NYCFC supporters' group; if you're not yet a member, you know what to do!

Scarves Are on the Way!

We are packing up your membership scarves and sending them out!

We ask for your patience; we're all volunteers, and there's an awful lot of these to send out. But we promise that all packages will be shipped by the end of next week.

If you asked to pick up your materials, they will be available at our membership meeting on the 15th, or any of our informal meetups at Nevada Smiths - keep watching this space for details.

Reminder - Halloween Party this Saturday!

All Hallows' Eve is approaching, and the Third Rail is ready to celebrate!

Our first annual Halloween party will be held on Saturday November 1st starting at 7:00 pm at Nevada Smiths, our home for away matches!



We will have:

• prizes for the best costume;
• a guest DJ playing music till the wee hours;
• drink specials;
• exclusive Third Rail merchandise available for purchase;
• a FIFA 15 tournament;
• and much more!

This party is 21+, ID is required!

The FIFA 15 tournament will begin at 7:00 pm. The tournament costs $10 to enter, check our Facebook page for pre-registration information. First place wins a prize pack!

You can find more information at our Facebook event page. We'll see you there!

Our New Campaign - Custom NYCFC License Plates!

In our efforts to increase the visibility of NYCFC, MLS and the sport of soccer all throughout the metro area, the Third Rail is proud to announce that we are launching a campaign for a custom NYCFC license plate.

Custom license plates are already available for all the major New York State sports teams, as well as for some more obscure ones.

If your passion is baseball, you can buy a license plate promoting your favorite team. Even if that team is an independent minor league outfit, or a big-league club that left town sixty years ago.

What, no Brooklyn Cyclones?

Gridiron fans are similarly well-represented:

Hoops fans can choose from New York City's two franchises, but the state's hockey lovers have more options; even the minor league Rochester Americans are included. Again, we're back to the primary logos in each case.

There's even one lone plate supporting the Beautiful Game, in the person of the alliteration-loving third division club Rochester Rhinos:

With all those pro sports choices, Major League Soccer certainly deserves its due.

So what say you, Third Rail members who also happen to be motorists? Would you order one of these for your car?

Once we are successful, the initial fee for these types of license plates is $60.00 ($91.25 for personalized) and $31.25/$62.50 for renewals, in addition to the standard fees.

Adding new organizations to this list requires an act of the Legislature; click here to search for your New York State Assembly representative, and click here to find your Senator. Let them know that you want the option of New York City FC license plates for your car!

Come Watch El Clasico With Us!

While we wait for the 2015 MLS season to start, there's still a lot of world football to watch. Members of the Third Rail will be at Nevada Smiths at 12:00 pm on Saturday to watch El Clásico, as Barça travel to the Bernabéu to face Real Madrid.

Even if you don't support either clubs, the atmosphere promises to be electric. You can RSVP here or just turn up on Saturday.

Also coming up - Nevada Smiths will host our First Annual Halloween Party on November 1st, with drink specials, costume prizes, a DJ, FIFA15 tournament and more!

And starting next spring, when NYCFC takes the pitch, Nevada Smiths will be our home to watch away matches. Come hang out with us this weekend and check out the new digs as we wait for those days to come.

Member Scarves are Here!

Finally, the 2014 Charter Member scarves have arrived!

The boxes arrived last night. Twelve of them. 22.1 kilograms each, that's 585 pounds of swag for our members!

Now the question that everyone's undoubtedly asking right now is "When do I get mine?"

The answer is: very soon. We have some work to do before they're ready for you.

If you asked to pick up your membership materials in person, they will be available at our Halloween Party at Nevada Smith's on November 1st. We will also have them at our next membership meeting, to be held on November 15th, and at all subsequent public events.

Many of you have asked for the membership materials to be mailed to you, and we're working on that now. We have hundreds of envelopes to stuff, with postage and mailing labels and everything else that requires. The packages will all be shipped no later than November 2nd.

We want to thank you for all your patience. We've been as frustrated as you have waiting for these to arrive, but the finished product looks amazing, and we're sure you'll agree. We all look forward to seeing these around your necks soon.

And for those who haven't yet joined, you can do so today!

The Third Rail Halloween Party!

All Hallows' Eve is approaching, and the Third Rail is ready to celebrate!

Our first annual Halloween party will be held on Saturday November 1st starting at 7:00 pm at Nevada Smiths, our home for away matches!



We will have:

• prizes for the best costume;
• a guest DJ playing music till the wee hours;
• drink specials;
• exclusive Third Rail merchandise available for purchase;
• a FIFA 15 tournament;
• and much more!

This party is 21+, ID is required!

The FIFA 15 tournament will begin at 7:00 pm. The tournament costs $10 to enter, and pre-registration information will be open shortly. First place wins a prize pack!

You can find more information at our Facebook event page. We'll see you there!

"Kicking Ebola Out" in the Bronx

Last weekend, the Third Rail joined the Organization of New York Mandingo (ONYMA) in the Bronx for their "Kicking out EBOLA Thru Soccer" tournament. Ebola is obviously much in the news today, with the first cases in the United States, bringing added focus to ONYMA's work raising both awareness and money to fight the disease in West Africa.

Here, Third Rail board member Andres Loaiza poses with members of the tournament champions, New York Syli National De Guinée:

We are proud to have been a sponsor of the "Kicking out EBOLA thru Soccer" tournament, and to donate the trophy for this year's event.

Community service is central to the Third Rail's mission of nurturing and growing the soccer community here in New York City, and salute ONYMA for all their work.

We echo ONYMA's motto "Uniting Our Community Through Sports" and look forward to continuing to work with charitable soccer organizations all over our great city.

(photo credit: ONYMA)

See the USMNT (and Donovan's Farewell)

The US Men's National Team will be taking on Ecuador in a friendly on October 10th, and the Third Rail will be there!

The match in Hartford, Connecticut will not only be a chance to see the World Cup squad in action, but is also Landon Donovan's farewell to international football and therefore one of the most important soccer events in our area this year!

We have a limited number of seats available; tickets are $32 for members/$37 for non-members. We have also chartered buses from Manhattan; those tickets are $30/$35.

Members, check your emails for details. Non-members, hit us up on Facebook or Twitter if you'd like to join us.