Richmond Ivy News

The new videoboard will revolutionize the matchday experience and bring total stadium investment to over $4 million since 2019

RICHMOND, Va. – 22 Holdings, LLC, the ownership group for the Richmond Kickers and Ivy Soccer Clubs, in conjunction with the RVA Sports Foundation are pleased to announce the addition of City Stadium’s new state-of-the-art video scoreboard. The video scoreboard was privately funded and the installation is tentatively scheduled to finish ahead of the Kickers’ home match on Thursday, Aug. 29th.

The new video scoreboard measures 65.62 feet wide by 35.43 feet tall – 40 percent larger than the current scoreboard size – with a 10 mm LED display with nearly 2.2 million pixels offering a picture quality greater than full high definition (FHD). It will offer fans a top-flight viewing experience at Kickers and Ivy home matches as well as the over 150 events hosted at City Stadium per year.

Fans will enjoy high-definition replay, interactive activities, animated graphics, fan cams, and other visual information and displays to amplify the matchday experience. The board will allow for numerous new community events at City Stadium as well, including viewing parties for the FIFA World Cup 26™ and other major tournaments.

PlainView LED, digital signage experts based out of Chattanooga, Tenn., worked with the club to replace the existing scoreboard installed in 1994 and continue modernizing City Stadium. PlainView LED previously worked with Chattanooga Red Wolves SC of USL League One and Fort Wayne FC of USL League Two.

The addition of the video scoreboard marks the next major renovation at City Stadium made by the club since signing a 40-year lease in 2016. The club previously installed new stadium lighting, a new sound system, fiber internet, and a new field irrigation system in 2020. 

Since 2019, 22 Holdings LLC has invested over $4 million into modernizing City Stadium, originally built in 1929.

More upgrades to the concourse continued in the following years with new premium seating areas including the pitchside patio and buffet, expanded South End Suites, Roos Brews Zone, as well as additional food and beverage points of sales with bars featuring local breweries.

The modernized video scoreboard also opens up new opportunities for partners and sponsorship. If you’re interested in working with the Kickers and Ivy Soccer Clubs, please reach out to Vice President of Corporate Partnerships, Drew Norris (dnorris@richmondkickers.com).

Rob Ukrop, Richmond Kickers and Richmond Ivy Chairman and CEO said:

“We are excited to partner with PlainView LED to bring this incredible videoboard to RVA. Since 2019, our goal has been to create an incredible game day atmosphere for fans. This new videoboard will be a game changer for the way fans experience Kickers and Ivy games at City Stadium. Thank you to the City of Richmond for working closely with us through the new zoning and permitting process. Hope to see everyone next Thursday when we debut the board in our match against Spokane Velocity.”

Camp Peery, Richmond Kickers and Richmond Ivy President and COO said:    

“We are beyond thrilled to bring this larger-than-life videoboard to City Stadium for the Richmond community.  From an enhanced matchday experience for the Kickers and Ivy, to new partnership opportunities for local businesses and even more stadium events year-round, the benefits this upgrade brings are immense.  We can’t wait to show off its capabilities this Fall and beyond – You won’t want to miss it!”

Derek Markey, PlainView LED COO said:    

“Our experience working with 22 Holdings LLC has been truly unbelievable! They have hands down been the most proactive and hands-on group we have ever worked with! 22 Holdings LLC has treated us like family and welcomed us into their home of City Stadium. The City of Richmond has been wonderful to work with and truly understand how many “magic memories” the Jumbotron will create for the families and residents of Richmond, VA. Talley Signs, the installer of the massive monopole structure and our Jumbotron have been amazing. Very few sign installers can handle a project of this scope and they have performed flawlessly. 

“We are beyond honored to be a part of City Stadium. To install a state-of-the-art Jumbotron in a stadium that was built in 1929 is truly something spectacular. We cannot wait to bring the bling when the Kickers fire up the screen for the first time.”

Stay up to date with all of the Kickers news at RichmondKickers.com and on social media on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.

Ivy 0, Marauders 4

WINCHESTER, Va. — The Richmond Ivy embarked on their first road trip Sunday afternoon to take on the Virginia Marauders for the second time this season. The Ivy ultimately fell to the Marauders, 4-0 behind two goals in each half for the hosts. 

The Marauders opened the scoring, finding the back of the net in the fourth minute. 

In the sixth and seventh minutes, the Ivy sent two beautiful balls through to Kanna Matsuhisa up the left side but both slipped just out of her reach. 

In the 14th minute, Kam Simmonds ripped a shot from the top of the 18 that deflected off a defender and forced a corner. The corner from Sarah Flammia found the head of Maysen Nelson who put it on frame but the Marauders’ keeper got in the way of both the header and Kiley Fitzgerald’s attempt on the rebound. 

The Ivy forced another corner, this time sent in from Kanna Matsuhisa, but the Marauders were able to clear it away from danger.

In the 41st, the Ivy forced a free kick and two shots from the Ivy hit the posts, bouncing back from the face of the goal. 

Another Ivy corner in the first minute of stoppage time created another opportunity but the hosts were able to clear it. Just before the halftime whistle, Marauders would sneak another through.

Back from the half, the Ivy reset and continued to knock on the door but the Marauders would break through first again in the 56th and in the 62nd. 

In the 70th, the Marauders broke away to force a two-on-one situation on Camryn Miller. Miller stood tall in her goal though, blocking the shot and allowing Simmonds to corral the rebound and send it up field. 

The road trip continues into this week for the Ivy, on Wednesday the squad takes on Northern Virginia FC. 

The Ivy then return to the City Stadium pitch on Saturday, June 1 to host Christos FC. The match will kick off at 2 p.m. as a part of a wider RVA Soccer Day. During the match, the team will host a Pride Party. Once the match is over, fans will be invited to join us at Three Notch’d for a USWNT watch party at 5 p.m. and a Kickers watch party at 7 p.m.

The match on July 31 will mark the first time NWSL teams have faced each other in Richmond since 2018

RICHMOND, Va. – The Richmond Kickers and Richmond Ivy SC are excited to announce that City Stadium will host an NWSL x LIGA MX Femenil Summer Cup Match on Wednesday, July 31 between the Washington Spirit and Chicago Red Stars.

The National Women’s Soccer League and LIGA MX Femenil will compete in the first-ever NWSL x LIGA MX Femenil Summer Cup. The tournament will feature all 14 NWSL clubs and the six teams with the most points achieved in LIGA MX Femenil Clausura and Apertura during 2023, including Tigres UANL, Club América, Chivas de Guadalajara, Rayadas de Monterrey, Pachuca and Tijuana. 

Kicking off on July 19, the 33-match tournament will consist of 30 group stage contests, followed by a four-team semifinal round slated for the week of August 4. The championship match will take place the weekend of October 25-27.

The match between the Spirit and Red Stars will be the first between NWSL sides at City Stadium since 2018 when the Spirit faced NC Courage in a preseason match in March 2018.

Presale tickets for the match will go live for Washington Spirit season ticket members and CityStadium+ members on Monday, May 6 at noon. Tickets will go live to the public on Thursday, May 9. 

Stay up to date with all of the Kickers and Ivy news at RichmondKickers.com and RichmondIvy.com!

About Richmond Kickers and Richmond Ivy SC

The longest, continuous-running professional soccer club in the country, Richmond Kickers Pro Soccer looks to strengthen community connections by curating a joyful, authentic American soccer experience.

Announced on July 15, 2023, Richmond Ivy is one of the latest USL W League expansion sides preparing to kick off its inaugural season in 2024. 22 Holdings, LLC, the ownership group that runs the Richmond Kickers, founded the W League side to create a new level of competition for women’s soccer in the region.

The Ivy are set to begin their inaugural season on May 11, 2024

RICHMOND, Va. – USL W League Richmond announced, Wednesday, that the club’s official name will be Richmond Ivy Soccer Club. The new USL W expansion side will take the pitch for the very first time on May 11, 2024 under a brand new crest and the new name: Richmond Ivy.  

Richmond has grown into a city where we lift each other up and look to grow in order to build a more tight-knit community. This city has provided a space in which women and women’s soccer have been able to thrive. 

“Welcome to Richmond Ivy!” Sporting Director Madeline McCracken said. “We are so thrilled to have our players represent this brand and this crest out on the pitch. The work Alex, Alyn and the rest of the team put in has been nothing short of thorough and it shows in the identity we are able to share with you. We hope every Richmond soccer fan can get excited to gear up for May 11th now that they know they’ll be cheering on the Ivy.”

Bringing a USL W League team to the River City means to invest further in the women around us and their visions. Here in Richmond, we provide a place to grow as athletes, as people, and as leaders in the community.

Richmond Ivy Soccer Club fits perfectly into that vision. This club and this city are made of many. Bringing together the best talent the city presently holds, in tandem with the return of some of Richmond’s most incredible players, creates a sturdy foundation for Richmond Ivy to grow, as leaves of the same vine. 

To form the brand identity, Richmond Kickers and Richmond Ivy Director of Branding and Marketing Alyn Carr called on Alex Kocher, Creative Director at Easy Friday Company, to establish a brand design plan. 

“Working with Alex was such a fun experience,” Carr said. “His creativity and thoughtfulness at every step of the way allowed us to come away with the best brand identity possible. Whether it was leading us in thought experiments or helping us to discern what we liked and didn’t like about a certain option, he was patient and turned our feedback into such a successful project. We’re excited for the city of Richmond to embrace the Ivy as tightly as we have.” 

The naming and design process encompassed nearly a year, with early planning meetings starting well before the expansion side was announced. 

“To begin the brand design process, we first discussed the ideas and themes that we felt represented Richmond and that helped us align on a set of values for the club,” Kocher said. “Every decision along the way – from the name, to color, font selection and iconography – were guided by these common ideas.” 

Club leadership then evaluated hundreds of potential names, cross checked them with these identity goals, made moodboards, explored potential design spaces for each of those names and held focus groups with women who serve as leaders in the community to garner their opinions. 

Through the careful consideration at each of those steps, the club arrived at Richmond Ivy Soccer Club. 

From there, Kocher pivoted to working on the crest. He presented several freehand sketches to the team before moving on to vector imagery. Ultimately, Kocher developed the design that resonated beautifully with the group. The crest references the iconic James River bridges, seven points to represent the seven hills of Richmond, and our founding year: 2024. 

“I am incredibly proud and grateful for the opportunity to work on a project like this that has the potential to create a real impact on the soccer community and city of Richmond,” Kocher said. “I think fans will be surprised by the name. It’s a little unexpected – but it embodies so many of the characteristics we want this club to represent. And once you know the name, you’ll begin to see it throughout Richmond and realize its connection to the city.” 

Finally, Kocher added color into the equation and worked with the group to get the crest right on every level, finding the perfect shade of Ivy green and Virginian brick orange to hold it steady as we climb ever higher. 

“We have been so humbled by the incredible enthusiasm and energy to support this new W League team!” Richmond Kickers and Richmond Ivy Chairman and CEO Rob Ukrop said. “Highlights include welcoming over 550 Founders Club members, an exciting expanded partnership with Carmax for the front of the women’s jersey, and incredible interest by young women who want to compete for their new hometown team. We were intentional about creating a new brand, and thanks to the leadership of Alex Kocher, additional input from several women community leaders, and our Kickers internal staff, we are thrilled to introduce Richmond Ivy.  As our friend Catherine Davidson stated: we believe that Ivy is a reflection of modern young women: strong, resilient, and ready to take on any challenge together. See everyone at City Stadium on May 11 for the opener!” 

Richmond Ivy Soccer Club Manifesto

Richmond’s hillsides, riverbanks and historic homes are united by the bonds of Ivy’s twisting vines. Ivy is elegant and beautiful but it is also creative and tenacious. Ivy is always striving for greatness, overcoming obstacles and climbing ever higher.

When you’re an Ivy, you’re part of something so much bigger than yourself. You become part of something that continues to grow with every season, athlete, fan and supporter of the beautiful game in Richmond, Virginia.

Made of many, Ivy forms impossibly strong bonds, always lifting each other up, and defying adversity with determination and unity.

About the USL W Expansion Side – Richmond Ivy

Announced on July 15, 2023, Richmond Ivy is one of the latest USL W League expansion sides preparing to kick off its inaugural season in 2024. 22 Holdings, LLC, the ownership group that runs the Richmond Kickers, founded the W League side to create a new level of competition for women’s soccer in the region.

This team competing in 2024 marks the first time Richmond has fielded a pre-professional women’s team since the Richmond Kickers Destiny that operated from 2005 to 2009. As players did while playing for Destiny, W League RVA players will have a platform to develop their talents as players and serve as role models to lead the growth of women’s soccer in our wider community. 

About The USL W League

The USL W League is a leader in pre-professional soccer in North America, developing the next generation of women’s talent both on and off the field. The USL W League strives to use women’s soccer as a force for societal good by creating a national platform to increase opportunity, gender equity, and career development. The League and its member clubs are committed to investing in women’s soccer – through not only financial resources but also with time, energy, and attention – and are united in our mission to grow the women’s game.

The USL W League will serve as the nation’s premier pre-professional league developing the next generation of women’s talent both on and off the field, enhancing the women’s soccer pipeline between college and professional soccer. With 44 teams across 20 states in its inaugural season, the USL W League will bring elite women’s soccer to communities across the U.S., creating more opportunities to play, watch and work in the women’s game.