When the RGV Toros of the USL Championship closed down it became an opportunity for one of its former staffers to fill in the void with a new club, and a new image, for the soccer fans of the Rio Grande Valley. We reached out to RGV Red Crowns of the League for Clubs to find out more and owner/president Jamal Fayyad took the time to give us the story so far.

Tell us the origin story of your club - when was the club founded? By whom and what was its mission?
My journey started while working with the now-dissolved RGV Toros of the USL Championship. A trip to England to watch National League soccer opened my eyes to what a club can mean for a community when it’s built the right way, putting people over profits. I came home motivated to create a club from the ground up, one where the community has been involved since day one. Our long-term ambition is to take the Red Crowns professional, but only if that’s the direction our fans and supporters truly want.

Tell us about your badge and colors – how does it connect to the community?
For three years, we studied successful semi-pro clubs across the country, focusing on what made them thrive in their communities. The biggest takeaway was that fans felt a true sense of ownership in their clubs. To capture that spirit, we launched a survey asking locals what reminded them of home, colors, symbols, mascots, and more. We distributed it everywhere from coffee shops to bars, anywhere people gathered. The results inspired our identity: the Red Crowns.

The Rio Grande Valley is the birding capital of the U.S., and many respondents mentioned birds as a symbol of home. We chose the Red-Crowned Parrot, native to northern Mexico and now thriving in the Texas-Mexico borderlands. Like our community, they are loud, vibrant, and thrive as a flock. From there, everything fell into place. We also proudly integrated “Puro 956” into our badge: 9 shapes form the parrot, a 5-pointed crown, and 6 feathers complete the crest. Check out our announcement video below!

Check out RGV Red Crowns’ Introduction Video from YouTube

What league does your club participate in and why did you choose those to join?
We joined the League for Clubs because travel can make or break a team at this level. The league offered one of the most travel-friendly setups for us, and since it was their inaugural year, it felt like the perfect opportunity to start fresh together.

Many clubs choose to sell hats, scarves or replica kits - how does your club keep the lights on and cover its league costs? How can interested people support you?
Fans can visit us at RGVREDCROWNS.com to shop our year-round store. We offer hats, shirts, replica kits, and lifestyle collections. This offseason we’re excited to launch our golf line. The Red Crowns are more than just a soccer club we’re a brand that represents our home and community.

How did you finish last year? What are the goals for this season?
We narrowly missed the playoffs by just two points this past season. But we also saw three of our players sign professional contracts afterward. If it comes down to choosing between making the playoffs or helping our athletes reach the next level, I’ll always choose the latter. Winning matters, but our mission will always be to create opportunities for our players at no cost to them.

How do you participate in, or give back to your community?
We love being part of the community and look for ways to give back. One highlight was our Texans Helping Texans friendly against FC Dallas, where ticket sale proceeds supported victims of the Kerr County floods. Huge shout out to FC Dallas who traveled over nine hours to be part of that event, and together we capped off an unforgettable season while making a real impact.

If there were one or two teams, within a 100 miles of you, to play a friendly against – who would you play and why?
Soccer is the world’s game, and with Mexico as our neighbor, I’d love to organize cross-border friendlies in the future. The beautiful game should unite people, and for us, it’s about building those bridges through sport.

Follow Rio Grande Valley Red Crowns SC on Instagram HERE