UPDATED 9/15/16
On just about every front, FC Cincinnati's inaugural season can be considered a wild success.
On the pitch, the boys have quickly come together to play attractive, entertaining soccer. That play has ensured qualification for the 2016 playoffs, despite having the handicap of being an expansion team. The league's current leading goal scorer wears FCC Orange & Blue. And the players and coaching staff have become stars of the city.
Off the pitch, a slew of excellent benchmarks were also achieved. A strong ownership group has been assembled, enabling the club to reach for the stars. A well-known English Premier League side was lured to town for an electric international friendly. Partnerships with some of Cincinnati's biggest and most important companies have been forged. And local and national media has embraced the club with open arms.
But none of that would matter if the club lacked one incredibly important attribute... you, our incredible supporters.
The passion displayed by our fans week in and week out can be described as nothing short of awe inspiring, whether at Nippert Stadium, at the pub on away days, or at events around the city. With your help, FC Cincinnati has been able to obliterate USL attendance records on the regular. Routine crowds in excess of 15,000 have drawn just as much praise for the club as what has been achieved on the field of play.
And it's for that reason we're making Saturday's 7pm match at Nippert Stadium against Orlando City B our official "Fan Appreciation Night". And in the lead up to match, we're debuting several initiatives to show just how much we appreciate everything all of you have done to make our first season so memorable.
GIVEAWAY: THE 2016 IN MATCH POSTERS
It wouldn't be a proper "Fan Appreciation Night" without a us somehow saying thank you to the thousands of fans that have made Nippert the record setting home that it's become during 2016. And thanks to our friends from Funky's Catering, we'll have a great giveaway to do just that!
At the conclusion of Saturday's match, we'll be giving away 15,000 limited edition posters that features all 15 regular season commemorative digital match posters -- plus the poster from the Crystal Palace friendly -- which were designed by you, our adoring supporters!
If you want to see each of the individual match posters created over the course of the 2016 season by our fans and featured in the poster to the right, head to our Match Poster page.
RALLY FRIENDS, EARN REWARDS
One of the latest supporter features we've rolled out over the last few weeks has been the new "Fan Rally" functionality built into our website homepage, match preview articles, and can also be found to the right/below.
Fan Rally gives our supporters the option to easily and seamlessly invite friends -- through SMS, Facebook Messenger or email -- to FC Cincinnati matches in exchange for rewards and fun fan experiences. The more friends a supporter “rallies” to attend the match, the more rewards they earn! Rewards include special coupons from FCC sponsors, free FC Cincinnati t-shirts and even on-field experiences. Rallies accumulate over time from match-to-match, and new rewards are in the works.
DAILY SUPPORTER PRIZE WINNERS
Beginning today, each day leading up to Saturday's penultimate regular season home match against Orlando City B, we'll be randomly selecting two lucky Season Ticket Holders to receive special FC Cincinnati prizes:
- One winner each day will receive a "Rise Together" package, consisting of our new Rise Together t-shirt and Rise Together scarf. Each winner will be able to pick up their package at our downtown shop during normal business hours.
- A second winner each day will receive a pair (2) of field passes to Saturday's match against Orlando City B, giving them a chance to watch the teams warm up on the touchline before kickoff for an intimate, close-up experience. Each winner will be able to pick up their field passes at Will Call prior to the match.
Winners will be sent a message with further details to the email address associated with their ticket accounts.
GRAND PRIZE: ULTIMATE AIR SHUTTLE
We saved the "ultimate" fan experience for last! On Friday, we'll be randomly selecting one FC Cincinnati 2016 season ticket holder to receive a pair (2) of free roundtrip tickets from our friends at Ultimate Air Shuttle to see FC Cincinnati take on the Charlotte Independence in North Carolina during the 2017 season!
Two tickets to the 2017 match in Charlotte will also be provided to the winners.
Additionally, we're including two field passes to this Saturday's 7:00pm match against Orlando City B as well as recognition in front of your fellow supporters at Nippert prior to kickoff.
