I am the editor of the Delaware County Daily Times.
Not the Philadelphia Daily Times.
Not the Delaware Valley Daily Times.
Not the Philadelphia Region Daily Times.
Not the Brandywine Daily Times.
We tend to focus on things that are going on right here in Delaware County. Oh, we certainly cover the city, as well as the region, but the bulk of our time we zero in on what’s happening right here in our back yard. We also cover all the Philly pro sports, all of which currently make their home inside the city limits.
That may be about to change. Not our coverage. The location of one of the teams.
That possibility is taking shape on the Chester waterfront. This week another glittering gem was unveiled in what is quickly turning into an economic juggernaut in this troubled city.
County Council announced it would in essence become a partner with the folks who are going to build a stadium beneath the Commodore Barry Bridge in an attempt to lure a Major League Soccer franchise.
It’s not what you would call a small investment. Unless you think $30 million is chump change. In total it’s a $115 million project.
Yesterday, in this space, I decided to have some fun with this whole idea of a stadium and a pro sports franchise in Chester.
Since it was going to be located in this once-vibrant city, why not, I suggested, have the city prominently mentioned in the team’s name.
In fact, I reached into the city’s proud economic history and suggested the team be called the Chester Sun, harking back to Sun Shipbuilding, as well as Sun Co.
Do I think this has any chance of happening? Yeah, right. About as big a chance as me being elected to County Council.
We might as well get used to it, this team very likely is going to be called the Philadelphia Somethings, regardless of the fact that it will call Chester home.
My blog did, however, get noticed. As with just about anything involving the push to bring pro soccer to the region, the Sons of Ben, which has been in the forefront of the move to bring Beckham and Posh to Delco, noticed my thoughts. And they posted a portion of my blog on one of their soccer forums.
The soccer zealots who reside there proceeded to kick me around pretty good. Let’s just say Chester Sun went over about as well as a group of rowdy Man-U fans in enemy territory. One poster thought Chester Sun sounded like a WNBA team. Ouch!
I don’t think they realized I was, for the most part, joking.
I also didn’t realize that Sons of Ben has already done a poll on the name for the team that has not yet been granted to the region.
Leading the pack is Philadelphia Athletic, drawing on the city's baseball past, and a team name widely used in England, which gives it soccer credibility. Others being kicked around – literally – include IndependenceFC and Philadelphia IndependenceFC.
Here are a few others, courtesy of Bryan James, the president of Sons of Ben: Keystone Athletic, Philadelphia Athletic, Philadelphia Independence, FC Delco (which I think is a fairly big youth travel team in the area already). Chester City FC already exists in England.
These guys already have a color scheme they like – yellow gold and light blue. Think Eagles retro unis.
Check out their Web site by clicking here.
I remain committed to Chester being a pro town.
And I again volunteer the newspaper’s service if the owners want to run a contest to name the team.
Just don’t ask the editor for his opinion.
Not the Philadelphia Daily Times.
Not the Delaware Valley Daily Times.
Not the Philadelphia Region Daily Times.
Not the Brandywine Daily Times.
We tend to focus on things that are going on right here in Delaware County. Oh, we certainly cover the city, as well as the region, but the bulk of our time we zero in on what’s happening right here in our back yard. We also cover all the Philly pro sports, all of which currently make their home inside the city limits.
That may be about to change. Not our coverage. The location of one of the teams.
That possibility is taking shape on the Chester waterfront. This week another glittering gem was unveiled in what is quickly turning into an economic juggernaut in this troubled city.
County Council announced it would in essence become a partner with the folks who are going to build a stadium beneath the Commodore Barry Bridge in an attempt to lure a Major League Soccer franchise.
It’s not what you would call a small investment. Unless you think $30 million is chump change. In total it’s a $115 million project.
Yesterday, in this space, I decided to have some fun with this whole idea of a stadium and a pro sports franchise in Chester.
Since it was going to be located in this once-vibrant city, why not, I suggested, have the city prominently mentioned in the team’s name.
In fact, I reached into the city’s proud economic history and suggested the team be called the Chester Sun, harking back to Sun Shipbuilding, as well as Sun Co.
Do I think this has any chance of happening? Yeah, right. About as big a chance as me being elected to County Council.
We might as well get used to it, this team very likely is going to be called the Philadelphia Somethings, regardless of the fact that it will call Chester home.
My blog did, however, get noticed. As with just about anything involving the push to bring pro soccer to the region, the Sons of Ben, which has been in the forefront of the move to bring Beckham and Posh to Delco, noticed my thoughts. And they posted a portion of my blog on one of their soccer forums.
The soccer zealots who reside there proceeded to kick me around pretty good. Let’s just say Chester Sun went over about as well as a group of rowdy Man-U fans in enemy territory. One poster thought Chester Sun sounded like a WNBA team. Ouch!
I don’t think they realized I was, for the most part, joking.
I also didn’t realize that Sons of Ben has already done a poll on the name for the team that has not yet been granted to the region.
Leading the pack is Philadelphia Athletic, drawing on the city's baseball past, and a team name widely used in England, which gives it soccer credibility. Others being kicked around – literally – include IndependenceFC and Philadelphia IndependenceFC.
Here are a few others, courtesy of Bryan James, the president of Sons of Ben: Keystone Athletic, Philadelphia Athletic, Philadelphia Independence, FC Delco (which I think is a fairly big youth travel team in the area already). Chester City FC already exists in England.
These guys already have a color scheme they like – yellow gold and light blue. Think Eagles retro unis.
Check out their Web site by clicking here.
I remain committed to Chester being a pro town.
And I again volunteer the newspaper’s service if the owners want to run a contest to name the team.
Just don’t ask the editor for his opinion.
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