Huntsville, Ala. (May 16, 2023) – Huntsville City Football Club, along with officials from the City of Huntsville and the Wicks Family, held a ribbon cutting ceremony in the lead-up to an open house at the newly renovated Wicks Family Field at Joe Davis Stadium on Tuesday night. The club used the opportunity to launch “The Rocket City Kit,” its inaugural home kit ahead of the team’s home opener on Friday against Crown Legacy at 7 p.m. CT.
The afternoon kicked off with officials from the City of Huntsville, the Wicks Family and Huntsville City FC holding a ribbon cutting ceremony outside of the Wicks Family Field at Joe Davis Stadium to mark the reopening of the venue ahead of this week’s home opener. Several top officials took the podium, including Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle, Huntsville Sports Commission Executive Director Mark Russell, club partners Mike and Christine Wicks and Nashville SC CEO and Huntsville City FC President Ian Ayre.
Following the ribbon cutting ceremony, fans were able to enter the Wicks Family Field at Joe Davis Stadium for the first time and got a chance to see all the new amenities, including the team store, their seats, and even meet the team.
Later in the evening, the team launched its inaugural home kit, dubbed the “Rocket City Kit.” Debuting alongside the Wicks Family Field at Joe Davis Stadium, the kit is inspired by space exploration past and celebrates a launch upward to the future of sports in the Rocket City and the future of the talented players who wear these colors on the pitch.
The deep blue of the kit is shared with parent club Nashville SC as a reminder of the deep connection of the two organizations. As a continued partner for Nashville Soccer Club, Huntsville’s home kit features the Renasant Bank logo on the front. The iconic “N” monogram and soundwave of Nashville SC spears above the player’s name on the back.
Also featured is a badge celebrating the inaugural launch of the club in the Rocket City. Featuring the star iconography rocketing upwards, this one-of-a-kind badge is worn on the kit’s right sleeve. The lower left corner features HCFC set on an iconic checkerboard pattern. The pattern is inspired by Saturn I, the celebrated rocket born into space exploration history in Huntsville.
The “Rocket City Kit” will be worn on the field for the first time on Friday for Huntsville City FC’s historic home opener against Crown Legacy at 7 p.m. CT. Season and single-game tickets are still available. Fans can purchase their season tickets by visiting MLSNextPro.com/HuntsvilleCityFC/Tickets or by calling 256-864-6426, ext. 2.
QUOTE REPOSITORY:
Tommy Battle, Mayor of Huntsville: “This iconic venue has undergone a remarkable transformation.... We have evolved to a state-of-the-art facility that will serve as a vibrant hub for a wide range of events and activities.”
Mark Russell, Huntsville Sports Commission Executive Director: “On behalf of all of my colleagues in Sports Tourism, we want to know this stadium will be a tremendous asset to the citizens of Huntsville. Our vision is to have a large tournament that starts over at Merrimack, works its way to John Hunt Park, and then end up in Wicks Family Field for the championship.”
Mike Wicks, Namesake of Wicks Family Field at Joe Davis Stadium: “We couldn’t be more proud to reinvest in our community. Winston Churchill probably said it best when he said ‘we make a living by what we get, but we make a live by what we give,’ and we could not be more proud to reinvest in our community, and we’re just so excited to be part of this great project.”
Ian Ayre, CEO of Nashville SC and President of Huntsville City FC: “I can’t imagine what it must feel like to be a part of something as historic as today to be around when your team gets its first stadium for its first professional soccer team and be part of that, and it’s important. Everyone who’s here today, you will remember that as you grow older, as your kids grow up. You are here on that momentous day when the stadium opened. And the thing about this stadium is, it really is for us, for the team, for the players, for the fans. It’s the spiritual home of the team.”
Chad Emerson, Managing Director of Business Operations with Huntsville City FC: “After seven road matches to start the season, we're thrilled to welcome our HCFC squad back home. We’re excited to introduce the team to the Rocket City in these fantastic inaugural home kits which are now also available for our Huntsville City FC fans to purchase and proudly wear.”
Mac Howard, Huntsville City Schools Athletic Director: “With the work that’s been done here, this gave us and our student athletes opportunities with other stadiums to have three great venues for our students to play football on Friday nights.”
