Last week the “Gateway Football Group” transitioned from project to proof of concept and is now officially the Forest Park Rangers Football Club - the latest member of the Midwest Premier League to call St Louis home. Months ago, Christine Miller (President) and Tom Franklin (co-founder, friend of Protagonist Soccer, and lower league soccer extraordinaire) reached out to include us in their branding release and league affiliation announcement, we asked our questions and they gave us their answers…

Tell us the origin story of your club - when was the club founded? By whom and what was its mission?
Forest Park Rangers FC was founded in September 2025 by a group of soccer fans in St. Louis who wanted something different, something that was truly by the fans and for the fans. Most of us have been part of the St. Louis soccer scene in various capacities for many years, whether that is with supporters groups, media, or super-fandom. After years of talking about what “our own” club could look like, the spark was finally lit and we got ourselves organized. Our mission from day one was to be a true club, a third space that offered year-round comradery and prioritized our fans and our community first and foremost.

To do that, we aim to remove the barriers to enjoying soccer in a city like ours. St. Louis is the true soccer capital of the US, and there is no shortage of soccer entertainment here. However, it is not always accessible to everyone for various reasons. At FPRFC, we are affordable (our memberships start at $25 and game tickets will be the cheapest in town!), inclusive, family friendly, and driven by the rich history and legacy of the soccer clubs in St. Louis who came before us. There are no big corporations running the show here, and you will not see us waver in our commitment to our community.

We are member-built and member-owned. Our members have a critical role in shaping what this club looks like and where we go next. We ran a campaign for fans to submit names for the club, then the fans voted on their favorite. “Who we are” is literally written by the fans!

Tell us about your badge and colors – how does it connect to the community?
First let’s start with our club name. For those who are not familiar with St. Louis, Forest Park is a 1,326 acre park in the heart of the city. It was dedicated to the city of St. Louis 150 years ago. The founders’ mission was to create a place for all St. Louisans to gather, regardless of class or background, “without stint or hindrance.” Many of St. Louis' most iconic destinations are in Forest Park. As Rangers, we are stewards, protectors, and defenders of this beautiful space and its honorable mission.

Our badge was created by Justin Striebel, a local St. Louis designer. When this design was originally presented to us, it was titled Rooted - representing the vast and deep legacy of not just the city and the park, but the history of soccer in St. Louis. Green is an obvious choice for color when imagining a park. But there is also a variation of the badge with vivid colors that Justin titled St. Louis Sunrise. That one is my favorite. Imagine the options we have for kit design when we have this in our toolbox!

Together we are protecting what has come before us, thriving in the fertile ground where we’ve been planted, and growing new identities and stories for generations to come. Nothing represents this better than the tree and roots on our badge. (7 of them, by the way! 7 roots to represent our 7 Pillars of Purpose).

What league or leagues does your club participate in and why did you choose those to join?
We will play in the Midwest Premier League starting in the 2027 season. True to our mission of prioritizing local whenever possible, the MWPL is a perfect fit for us given the number of St. Louis teams already in the league. With relatively low travel and affordable league fees, we feel this is the most sustainable option. There is already great competition within this league, and the potential for promotion/relegation is on the table which deeply interests our founders and our members.

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?
We are supported first and foremost by our membership. As of the beginning of 2026, we have members in 10 states and 2 countries! Every membership option includes a scarf, which is a Founding Member scarf if you join before 2027. Additionally, we do have other merchandise available at our in-person events and online at www.forestparkrangersfc.com This includes hats, t-shirts, stickers, pennants, and more. We plan to launch our inaugural jersey sometime this summer, so stay tuned for that! Merchandise sales do help keep the lights on, but mostly we just want everyone to look super cool while supporting lower league soccer! Check out our website or follow us on social media to always see our latest offerings and opportunities to support the club and our community.

On the pitch, what are your hopes as a new team? How do you prepare?
Everything we do, we do in hopes of bettering our community and bringing an excellent game day experience to all fans - and that includes our players. Professional development and coaching are critical to ensuring not only our team success, but personal success for each player as well. We aim to bring quality to every touch, from our home field and facility to practice equipment and livestreaming. We are confident that the quality we invest in for our players and their development will translate to strong competition and winning play from our players.

Do you have plans to participate in, or give back to your community?
“Community first, always” is the number one pillar of our club foundation. We plan to keep that commitment by first and foremost being an inclusive, welcoming, and safe third space for all community members both on and off the field. When our members have a voice and a place that feels like home, they are empowered.

Second, we plan to host or participate in community events often, such as reforestation efforts in Forest Park which was severely damaged by a tornado in 2025, or free youth soccer camps for the kids who otherwise could not participate. Our home games will be themed towards different drives, such as collecting new or gently used toys, books, and sports equipment. We are avid supporters of community resources such as libraries and parks and plan to donate to these areas whenever possible.

Another component of “Community first, always” is in the arts - we had a local St. Louis designer create our crest and branding, and most of our merchandise is made in the St. Louis area. To the extent that we can spotlight and support the local arts community, we will do it.

If there were one or two teams, within a 100 miles of you, to play a friendly against – who would you play and why?
Absolutely it would be St. Louis CITY SC, our local MLS team. I’d love to face them at Energizer Park in an Open Cup match. We have much respect for that team and the players, but we are doing things differently. We think different is better and more fun! You cannot beat the energy and vibe of lower league soccer fans supporting their team on a big stage. Alternatively, if we could bring back the St. Louis FC team that reigned in the USL Championship and played their final season in 2020, that would be an epic friendly. There is a rich soccer history in St. Louis, and we are nothing without the legacy players and teams that came before us. We hope to honor that legacy with every minute on the pitch.

Follow the Forest Park Rangers and give them a follow on Instagram HERE