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Soccer Franchise Notes: Gotham FC fails to let fans celebrate title

THE ATHLETIC’s Meg Linehan wrote this year’s NWSL Championship win by Gotham FC served as the "capstone to one of the most remarkable transformations," which has included a "rebrand, a move to a better home venue, new investors coming on board, and now, finally, on-field success." Linehan added well-run teams "do not miss opportunities like this to strengthen bonds with longtime fans and maybe, just maybe, gain some new converts.” But Linehan wrote Thursday the opportunity was “missed, thanks to Gotham’s baffling inability to celebrate in their home market.” As fans were in hopes of a celebratory parade, only two team events were listed on the team's site: "The team ringing the stock market opening bell at Nasdaq and photos at the Empire State Building with some player availability" on Thursday morning and the Empire State Building getting "lit up in Gotham’s colors" on Thursday night (THE ATHLETIC, 11/16).

CHATTANOOGA'S CHOO-CHOO: MLS Next Pro announced that independently-owned Chattanooga FC will join the developmental league in 2024. The club is one of two not affiliated with an MLS franchise that is set to join Next Pro, along with Carolina Core FC. Two other independent teams -- Cleveland and Jacksonville -- have also committed to joining the third-division league in future seasons. The league's first independent club, Rochester New York FC, folded following the league's inaugural season in 2022. Chattanooga FC is led by primary owner and Vice Chair Davis Grizzard, but features a fan ownership model. More than 3,200 fans, 1,800 of whom live in Chattanooga, own shares in the club. It previously competed in the National Independent Soccer Association. USL League One, also a third division league, also has a team in the market, Chattanooga Red Wolves SC (Alex Silverman, SBJ).
 

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