TULSA – “As a family, we believe in the power of sports to strengthen, unite, and inspire communities,” said FC Tulsa owner Ryan Craft. “We believe the Tulsa Roughnecks can become a critical part of the heartbeat of this community and we are committed to making that dream a reality.”
Those words were uttered one year ago today, on August 20, 2019, a landmark day in Tulsa pro soccer history. Brothers J.W., Ryan and Kyle Craft, on stage alongside USL Championship officials, announced their purchase of Tulsa Roughnecks FC. With the purchase came promise, a chance at reinvigoration and most importantly a glimmer of hope for the future, one the franchise desperately needed.
Flash forward 364 days and 2,200 fans were seated around ONEOK Field witnessing FC Tulsa score its first home goals in history while nearly hitting its safe attendance limit for the second consecutive match with a reduced capacity allowed at ONEOK.
Even spread out and with every other row closed off, FC Tulsa fans were engaged from whistle to whistle, riding the highs and lows of the match alongside the players. From yelling at the officials, to celebrating each goal scored and applauding another result from their club, the fans threw their unequivocal support behind their team.
“Currently I would say we have the best fans in the league,” said midfielder Lebo Moloto after he scored the first of two FC Tulsa goals on Wednesday. “The organization has done well to get [fans to come out], it’s been loud, it’s been awesome, it’s been energetic, and you can even tell with the goals. Every time there’s a goal there’s excitement, and there is a big roar from the crowd. Even simple things like tackles and all that stuff, it means the fans are engaged which is good for us as a team and also as an organization.”
Moloto’s postmatch comment is a far cry from last year when the then-Roughnecks had meager home crowds and missed the USL Championship Playoffs for the fourth time in five seasons. The franchise seemed like an afterthought, both nationally and locally, and the club was near or at the bottom of the league in almost every category related to investment and revenue. Tulsa sports fans needed a reason to support the club again.
In stepped the Craft brothers, three locals who wanted to give back to the city they called home, to fill a professional sports void in Tulsa while rallying a community behind one team. The trio purchased the Roughnecks and immediately provided a new vision to reinvigorate both the club and the city in support of professional soccer.
“My brothers and I have a passion for Tulsa and a passion for soccer,” said J.W. Craft in the press release announcing the purchase in August of 2019. “We are committed to significantly increasing the investment in this franchise and developing the Roughnecks into a team Tulsans can enjoy and be proud of for years to come.”
In the one year since that statement, the Craft brothers have rebuilt the club from scratch, bringing in an entirely new front office led by president James Cannon and rebranding the club as FC Tulsa after hiring the services world-class designer Matthew Wolff. They have also kept their commitment to investing on the pitch as well with some of the USL Championship’s top talent added to head coach Michael Nsien’s roster. In addition to the on-field product, the matchday experience at ONEOK Field has been overhauled as the pitch has been reoriented to provide better sightlines and seating for the fans.
“It is great to have the fans behind us,” said Nsien following the club’s home opener on August 12. “You could hear them, they were loud, even though they were spread out you could still feel the vibes. We did a good job here tonight in terms of the organization and what it was.”
The fans have made a difference in each of the two home matches. Despite social distancing restrictions and ticketing limitations in 2020, FC Tulsa has had two crowds bigger than the franchise has seen in years, showcasing the drastic turnaround for the club in the last calendar year.
“Outstanding. Unbelievable, and I would say it’s a testament to what this front office, our owners, their vision and what they wanted for this club and this organization,” said Vice-Captain Bradley Bourgeois. “I mean we’re in the middle of a pandemic, this is the middle of us socially distancing, and I mean look at the crowd. Look at the fanbase, look at the support. That’s a credit to them and to this front office, selling those tickets, building the hype. Credit to those guys in the locker room because we have to put the product on the field, and I think this organization has done a very good job of putting this team together.”
By no means is the rebuild of the franchise complete. That won’t happen until FC Tulsa is standing on the pitch celebrating a USL Championship Title with trophy in hand. But, the one-year shift under the ownership of the Crafts is abundantly clear. Just ask any one of the 5,000 fans who walked through the gates at ONEOK Field last week.
TULSA – “As a family, we believe in the power of sports to strengthen, unite, and inspire communities,” said FC Tulsa owner Ryan Craft. “We believe the Tulsa Roughnecks can become a critical part of the heartbeat of this community and we are committed to making that dream a reality.”
Those words were uttered one year ago today, on August 20, 2019, a landmark day in Tulsa pro soccer history. Brothers J.W., Ryan and Kyle Craft, on stage alongside USL Championship officials, announced their purchase of Tulsa Roughnecks FC. With the purchase came promise, a chance at reinvigoration and most importantly a glimmer of hope for the future, one the franchise desperately needed.
Flash forward 364 days and 2,200 fans were seated around ONEOK Field witnessing FC Tulsa score its first home goals in history while nearly hitting its safe attendance limit for the second consecutive match with a reduced capacity allowed at ONEOK.
Even spread out and with every other row closed off, FC Tulsa fans were engaged from whistle to whistle, riding the highs and lows of the match alongside the players. From yelling at the officials, to celebrating each goal scored and applauding another result from their club, the fans threw their unequivocal support behind their team.
“Currently I would say we have the best fans in the league,” said midfielder Lebo Moloto after he scored the first of two FC Tulsa goals on Wednesday. “The organization has done well to get [fans to come out], it’s been loud, it’s been awesome, it’s been energetic, and you can even tell with the goals. Every time there’s a goal there’s excitement, and there is a big roar from the crowd. Even simple things like tackles and all that stuff, it means the fans are engaged which is good for us as a team and also as an organization.”
Moloto’s postmatch comment is a far cry from last year when the then-Roughnecks had meager home crowds and missed the USL Championship Playoffs for the fourth time in five seasons. The franchise seemed like an afterthought, both nationally and locally, and the club was near or at the bottom of the league in almost every category related to investment and revenue. Tulsa sports fans needed a reason to support the club again.
In stepped the Craft brothers, three locals who wanted to give back to the city they called home, to fill a professional sports void in Tulsa while rallying a community behind one team. The trio purchased the Roughnecks and immediately provided a new vision to reinvigorate both the club and the city in support of professional soccer.
“My brothers and I have a passion for Tulsa and a passion for soccer,” said J.W. Craft in the press release announcing the purchase in August of 2019. “We are committed to significantly increasing the investment in this franchise and developing the Roughnecks into a team Tulsans can enjoy and be proud of for years to come.”
In the one year since that statement, the Craft brothers have rebuilt the club from scratch, bringing in an entirely new front office led by president James Cannon and rebranding the club as FC Tulsa after hiring the services world-class designer Matthew Wolff. They have also kept their commitment to investing on the pitch as well with some of the USL Championship’s top talent added to head coach Michael Nsien’s roster. In addition to the on-field product, the matchday experience at ONEOK Field has been overhauled as the pitch has been reoriented to provide better sightlines and seating for the fans.
“It is great to have the fans behind us,” said Nsien following the club’s home opener on August 12. “You could hear them, they were loud, even though they were spread out you could still feel the vibes. We did a good job here tonight in terms of the organization and what it was.”
The fans have made a difference in each of the two home matches. Despite social distancing restrictions and ticketing limitations in 2020, FC Tulsa has had two crowds bigger than the franchise has seen in years, showcasing the drastic turnaround for the club in the last calendar year.
“Outstanding. Unbelievable, and I would say it’s a testament to what this front office, our owners, their vision and what they wanted for this club and this organization,” said Vice-Captain Bradley Bourgeois. “I mean we’re in the middle of a pandemic, this is the middle of us socially distancing, and I mean look at the crowd. Look at the fanbase, look at the support. That’s a credit to them and to this front office, selling those tickets, building the hype. Credit to those guys in the locker room because we have to put the product on the field, and I think this organization has done a very good job of putting this team together.”
By no means is the rebuild of the franchise complete. That won’t happen until FC Tulsa is standing on the pitch celebrating a USL Championship Title with trophy in hand. But, the one-year shift under the ownership of the Crafts is abundantly clear. Just ask any one of the 5,000 fans who walked through the gates at ONEOK Field last week.
