Grand Rapids FC


Grand Rapids FC is an American soccer club based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, whose senior men's team plays in USL League Two. The team was founded in 2014 and its first season was in 2015. It was initially funded by a group of supporters who purchased memberships to cover the operating expenses, as well as by local sponsors.

History

Grand Rapids FC was started by a group of Grand Rapids residents as a community-funded project along the lines of Nashville FC. Fundraising began on February 14, 2014, by word of mouth and was opened to the public a month later. The team applied to the National Premier Soccer League for the 2015 season but their application was denied. Instead, GRFC and AFC Ann Arbor founded the Great Lakes Premier League. The new league held its inaugural meeting on January 17, 2015, with six teams.
Following a 2015 season in which GRFC finished in second place, averaging 4,509 fans per game, the team announced on September 25, 2015, that they would leave the Great Lakes Premier League to join the National Premier Soccer League.
The 2016 season resulted in a first-place position in the NPSL Great Lakes West conference and qualification for the playoffs by beating AFC Ann Arbor in a 3–1 victory in front of a club record 6,854 spectators. The club reached the final of the NPSL Midwest Regional playoffs and beat Indy Eleven NPSL in front of a record attendance of 6,912, qualifying the team for the 2017 US Open Cup. The following day GRFC lost against 2016 NPSL champions AFC Cleveland on penalties.
On November 1, 2016, the club announced they would add a women's team under the same GRFC banner, which would begin play in 2017 in a new Midwest division of the United Women's Soccer league. The women's team plays at Grandville High School in Grandville, Michigan. The Grand Rapids FC won the 2017 United Women's Soccer Championship in their inaugural season.
On December 5, 2019 it was announced that the club would be moving from the NPSL to USL League Two. Also during this time, the ownership of the women's side was transferred to Midwest United FC and their name was changed to reflect this change.

Stadium

in the Midtown neighborhood of Grand Rapids has been the home field since the club's inception.

Record attendance

Head coaches

National Premier Soccer League
Minor competitions

Year-by-year

Historic record vs opponents

OpponentLeaguePlayoffsU.S. OpenAmateur CupPlayedTotalWin %
AAFC Lumberjacks****1–011–0–030+31.000
AFC Ann Arbor4–5–1****104–5–11513+2.450
AFC Cleveland*0–0–1 ***10–0–1000.500
Ann Arbor FC***1–0*11–0–041+31.000
Chicago FC United**0–1**10–1–001−1.000
Croatian Eagles1–0–1****21–0–131+2.750
Dayton Dynamo2–0–0****22–0–020+21.000
Detroit City FC2–2–4****82–2–41312+1.500
Duluth FC*0–0–1 ***10–0–1220.500
FC Columbus1–3–0****41–3–038−5.250
FC Indiana6–0–0****66–0–0262+241.000
Flint City Bucks****0–110–1–012–1.000
Indy Eleven NPSL*1–0***11–0–010+11.000
Kalamazoo FC6–1–1****86–1–1187+11.813
Lansing United2–1–1***0–0–1 52–1–297+2.600
Livonia City FC***0–1 *10–1–001–1.000
Michigan Stars FC3–1–2****63–1–275+2.667
Milwaukee Torrent2–0–2****42–0–275+2.750
Muskegon Risers SC****2–022–0–053+21.000
Oakland United1–1–0****21–1–042+2.500
RWB Adria0–2–0****20–2–026−4.000
Toledo Villa FC2–0–0****22–0–061+51.000
Total32–16–121–0–2 0–11–13–1–1 7137–19–1513179+52.627

Goals

Appearances

Reference:

Club culture

Supporters

The Grand Army is the supporters group for Grand Rapids FC. Starting in 2015, all pre-game festivities were held at Bob's Bar and a march led through the Midtown neighborhood. In June 2015 a fanzine entitled What if it Rains started publication. The name of the magazine referred to one of the reasons the NPSL originally declined the club's application and celebrated the club's massive support.