There is no club in the United States, at any level, quite like San Francisco City FC. They might not be the only club which is majority supporter-owned. They are not the only club who adhere to a strict code of ethics and hold one another accountable. They are certainly not the only club who rock unique kits or sell fashionable swag to keep the lights on. They are not the only club in the US to start from scratch and work their way up to sustainability with an eye on a higher level of soccer in the future. But they may be the only club who has successfully combined all of these attributes and represents their community in a way that (nearly) every other club in The City is friendly, if not respectful, of what they have accomplished.

Current SF City FC President, Aaron Mansfield, consulted with current board members as well as past representatives of the club to make sure we got a good history lesson, an account of how it operates now, and what they hope to accomplish eventually.

Tell us the origin story of San Francisco City FC - when was it founded? By whom and what is its mission?
San Francisco City FC traces its roots back to 2001, when it was founded as a member of the San Francisco Football Soccer League — a league with history dating to 1902. The club's ambitions grew beyond that level, but an early bid to join the fourth-division National Premier Soccer League was blocked by fellow Bay Area club San Francisco Stompers, who cited territorial rights. Though a grievance filed with U.S. Soccer was later decided in City's favor, the club had by then moved to join the NorCal Adult Premier League instead.

The turning point came when City, lacking a strong enough playing roster to compete at that level, merged with Ticket Arsenal FC — a club built around a talent pool of former NCAA Division I players and named for co-founder Jordan Gardner's ticket-sales startup. The merger, finalized in January 2015, paired City's off-field community-and-membership infrastructure with Ticket Arsenal's on-field talent, under head coach (and Jordan's brother) Andrew Gardner. The newly combined club dominated NorCal competition, going 10-1-0, and won a postseason tournament to qualify for the 2015 U.S. Open Cup — the first amateur team from San Francisco to reach the tournament since 1997. That qualification, achieved with a 3-0 win over Stanislaus United Academica in front of nearly 500 fans, set the stage for City's Open Cup debut and its supporter-ownership model, in which members (not traditional season-ticket holders) hold 51 percent ownership and voting rights over the club.

Supporters at SF City vs Ventura. Photo by Joe

Tell us about your badge and colors – how does it connect to the community?
Our badge is a rounded top triangle shaped shield featuring a dynamic image of three iconic parts of the SF skyline arranged in a day/night theme :a tower of the Golden Gate Bridge, the Transamerica Pyramid, and Sutro Tower. There are 3 small stars over the bridge that represent the 3 original founders. Above that image are the words "SF CITY FC." Our primary colors are iron(black) & gold to mirror the motto of SF "Oro en Paz, Fierro en Guerra." There's a complimentary red as well.

The badge has been updated over time with some elements adjusted for clarity and impact, namely changing the original SFCFC lettering to SF CITY FC, and improved color palette.

Our alternate badge is nicknamed "the sutro badge" because it features a stylized image of Sutro Tower above an old style football with 7x7 on the ball, which is a reference to the fact that SF is 7 square miles. That badge has undergone major changes and updates as well. The current one is extremely popular with our members & fans. We also have a fairly new monogram logo with an intertwined "SFC" keep an eye out for that on upcoming merch...

La Bahia attending Futbol on Film at the Roxie. Photo provided by Killian Page

What league or leagues does your club participate in and why did you choose those to join?
SF City FC participates in USL2, as well as San Francisco Football Soccer League (SFSFL). We have been participating in the SFSFL since 2001, and we joined the Premier Development League (PDL) back in 2016, which has grown into USL2. Both of these leagues are important to us; the SFSFL because it supports local soccer at its most grassroots level, and USL2 to develop and push local players into the next level. We are really proud of the successes we’ve had within both these leagues - it proves that the community ownership model isn’t just for the fans, it works for the sporting side too.

How does the club cover its costs, and how can people support you?
San Francisco City FC is known locally and abroad for its unique kits. We have shipped our kits worldwide, to almost every continent. These kits showcase our local business partners, municipal transit, as well as local artists who help bring them to life. This helps us fund our mission, as well as get our values in front of others locally and beyond.

That said, San Francisco City is first and foremost a member-run and member-focused club. We operate on the 50+1 model used in the Bundesliga, meaning 50% + 1 vote will always belong to our members, insulating the club from outside interests. Members have real authority to enact changes, set priorities, and make decisions for the club. The number one way to support SF City is to join up, become a member, and be a real part of what we’re building.

City offer an array of beautiful kits annually.

How did you finish last year and what are your goals for next season?
We finished as NorCal State Champions of USL League Two, which we followed up with an incredible playoff win at Kezar Stadium in front of over 2,000 fans against FC Tucson in the conference quarterfinal, before falling to Ventura County Fusion in the conference semifinals.

For next season we have qualified for the US Open Cup, so the goal is to expand our season to incorporate that competition and bring more games against new opposition to our fans. Of course, we will have a target on our backs in USL League Two in 2027, but this is exactly the position we want to be in.

How does SF City FC participate in or give back to their community?
SF City is not only made up of the San Francisco community, we are very active within it. On the sporting side, we partner with youth soccer organizations all across the city, our sister club the SF Nighthawks, are active in Soccer Camps, and do donation drives for soccer gear for kids who can’t afford it.

On the community side, we partner directly with organizations that we find close alignment with, such as the SF Public Library and Transit Authority, the American Society for Suicide Prevention, QueerLife Space, and anti-ICE, pro-detainee efforts. Our community programs and initiatives are driven by our members - if it’s important to them, it’s important to us.

If there were one or two teams, within a 100 miles of you, to play a friendly against – who would you play and why?
Within 100 miles of us there are some incredible organizations: MLS side San Jose Earthquakes, USL Championship clubs Monterey Bay FC, Sacramento Republic, and of course Oakland Roots. We've already played Earthquakes II and Monterey Bay II in preseason, Project 51O (Oakland Roots' second team) is in our league, and we faced Sacramento Republic in our last US Open Cup entry. Oakland Roots would bring a Battle for the Bay crowd to our stadium. Maybe the US Open Cup can weave its magic and bring that game to life.

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