You know those conversations with friends? Somebody pitches something -- a business idea, an endeavor -- sometimes serious, sometimes not. Usually nothing comes of it. Half-hearted nods turn into paid bills, rides home and forgotten impulses. But every so often, and very rarely indeed, a moment just like that turns into something special.
Here’s the story of the idea that sprouted Asheville City Soccer Club.
The Birth of a Soccer Family
ACSC Owner Jimmy Wheeler and five high school friends found an article about how to start a professional team from scratch. It became the blueprint as they began laying the foundation for their own club.
“It was a semi-serious idea to start with.” Wheeler said. “But then a week or two later we all got together and were like ‘Hey I think we could actually do this.”
Due diligence led to meetings with town officials – and the seed of a plan to start Asheville City Soccer Club was a go. The first game came on May 6th, 2017 against the Georgia Revolution – in the NPSL, a nationwide amateur league which will send eight of its clubs to this year’s Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. In front of over 2,000 fans, ACSC – only a flicker of an idea months earlier -- emerged with a 2-1 victory behind goals from Christian Szalay and Cameron Saul.
When the final whistle blew that day, Wheeler knew that what started off as a lark, and later a fun hobby, was going to be something altogether bigger.
“We had a couple of long days trying to figure out, how do we throw on this event, how do we get ready for a crowd of -- is it going to be 500? is it going to be 1,000?” said Wheeler. “Gates were slated to open at 6 for a 7:30 game and we looked around at 5:30 and realized this was much bigger than expected.
“It was a cold, rainy night and there were still 2,000 folks -- and we were off and running from there.”
Since then Asheville has added a women’s side, changed leagues from the NPSL to USL League Two, changed stadiums, won a South Central Division title, and qualified for their first-ever U.S. Open Cup (the 2024 edition, which will see ACSC kick off at home on March 20 against Division III pros One Knoxville SC from USL’s League One). And while much at the new club has changed, some things remain the same: a familial feeling and a tight-knight culture.
“Everyone cares. Through every struggle everyone has always pulled together and found a solution. Once I played there a couple of summers I wanted to go back, it felt like it was my home,” said Jamie Smith, a defender who played three years with the Blues before moving to the professional ranks with USL League One’s Greenville Triumph (also in this year’s Open Cup).
That culture extends far beyond the locker room. It suffuses the front office, the vendors and the fans and community of Asheville – a city in the shadow of both the Smoky and Blue Ridge Mountains known for welcoming all sorts and fostering a culture of inclusion.
“I was a day-zero fan following the announcement from the fall of 2016 through that first rainy cold early May 2017 match,” said died-hard superfan Tim Blekicki. “I went with my girlfriend, who is now my wife, and I knew next to no one and – this is going to sound cliché – but I immediately felt at home.”
South Slope Blues
The soul of Asheville City’s strong fan support is the South Slope Blues. The chants, the banging of the drums, the words of encouragement on social media -- the way they love the club makes the SSBs the beating heart of Asheville City SC.
“As soon as I came to Asheville I felt loved by the fans. They’d show up no matter the weather, no matter the day of the week, they’d show up playing their instruments, singing songs.” said former player Alex Andersson. “It gives you a little extra drive…Their support means more than they’ll probably ever know.”
The rambunctious fans even draw compliments from unlikely sources -- opposing players.
