Fayetteville Fury Men’s & Women’s Indoor Soccer Teams Coming to Crown
The Fayetteville Fury men’s and women’s indoor soccer teams will be the latest teams to call the Crown Coliseum home, the teams announced at a news conference Monday.
“While we were shut down, that didn’t mean that business stopped – that didn’t mean the effort to provide quality entertainment in our community stopped,” Jim Grafstrom, General Manager of the Crown Complex said. “We have a very strong youth soccer program in our community, and it’s something we thought we could build on and bring into the Crown Coliseum.”
The Fury will begin play in late December of this year, as a member of the newly-formed National Indoor Soccer League. Fayetteville is the second set of teams announced in the league, joining the Memphis Americans, who were recently announced. At least two more teams are expected to be announced in the coming weeks, for a minimum of four in the inaugural season. But league officials said they have big plans for rapid growth across the country in the next three years.
https://twitter.com/FuryNISL/status/1401910741683392513
While there are a number of professional men’s indoor soccer leagues around the country, the NISL is the first to provide women an indoor professional soccer experience. The league is designed for each city to have both a men’s and women’s team, and for the games to played back-to-back as part of doubleheaders at each arena.
“My 4-year-old daughter asked me at an indoor football game if women could play the sport, and I didn’t really have an answer for her,” Joshua Blair, NISL Executive Board of Directors member said. “But I knew soccer provided women with a great opportunity. We’ll be giving women in this league the same opportunity as the men, with equal pay and equal treatment.”
Blair said that each team will likely field rosters filled with local soccer talent, as well as others who come in to the area. The importance of developing relationships with youth soccer programs in each of the partner communities is a priority for the NISL.
The Fayetteville Fury men’s and women’s indoor soccer teams were named and given a logo that is meant to give a subtle nod to Fort Bragg and the large military presence in the community. Blair said his background in a military family made being in communities like these a priority for the league.
Indoor soccer is a lot different than the game played outdoors, but carries a lot of the same fun and intrigue that indoor football has provided at the Crown over the years. A goalkeeper and five other players are on the pitch for each team, and they’ll play four 15-minute quarters.
Each team is expected to play 24 regular-season games, again as part of double-headers. There will be 12 home dates schedule for Fayetteville once the league has its other members in place. Season ticket sales have started for the Fury, with 12-game packages starting at $144. All tickets will be good for BOTH games of the double-header. Single-game tickets will vary from $12-$45 each.
