CHARLOTTE, NC – Soccer fever took over the Queen City Saturday night — with fans coming from all over the country to see their favorite football clubs in action.
A sea of blue as Chelsea fans swarmed Uptown for the club’s match with Paris Saint-Germain. Northwest Charlotte resident JR Dubell says Saturday night’s turnout is proof soccer’s popularity is on the rise in Charlotte. “Oh it’s cool, man! City’s growing. I mean, I’ve been down here for 16 years, and these events bring more and more people down. It’s great!” Dubell says.
Saturday night’s match is the second major soccer event in Charlotte in just 10 days. Last week, around 50,000 people watched Mexico play Trinidad and Tobago. And last year’s match between Liverpool and A.C. Milan brought in more than $16 million dollars to the Queen City.
City Councilman David Howard says these events and others coming to Charlotte like the NBA All-Star Game and the PGA Championship might just be the beginning. “Keep selling ourselves. We’ve actually had conversations with the NFL about the Super Bowl. Who knows? With the renovations to the stadium, we could do that. You know, Atlanta did the Olympics. Who knows what could be next?” Howard says.
Some fans also say tonight’s match could help the campaign for a Major League Soccer team in Charlotte. “They got enough fans here, clearly, who like soccer,” says Bristol, England resident Matt Ford. Ford and his friends are visiting from England to coach soccer this summer. He says he was surprised by the upbeat excitement for soccer in Charlotte. “I think with the youth, clubs they got round here, and interest seems pretty big. I mean, I see no reason why not,” Ford says.
