Philadelphia Lone Star Football Club is an American professional development soccer club based in Southwest Philadelphia, Pennsylvania that competes in

USL League Two USL League Two (USL2), formerly the Premier Development League (PDL), is a semi-professional developmental soccer league sponsored by United Soccer Leagues in the United States and Canada, forming part of the United States soccer league syst ...

and the

National Premier Soccer League The National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) is an American men's soccer league. The NPSL is a semi-professional league, comprising some teams that have paid players and some that are entirely amateur. The league is officially affiliated to the Uni ...

, both leagues which sit in the fourth tier of the American soccer pyramid. Nicknamed "the Stars", the club was founded as Junior Lone Star Football Club in 2001, but changed its name to Philadelphia Lone Star F.C. in 2018.

History

Philadelphia Lone Star F.C. was established in 2001 under the name of Junior Lone Star Football Club by a group of

Liberian American Liberian Americans are an ethnic group of Americans of full or partial Liberian ancestry. This can include Liberians who are descendants of Americo-Liberian people in America. The first wave of Liberians to the United States, after the slavery ...

immigrant soccer players. The club was named ''Junior Lone Star FC'', after the Liberian national football team, because most of the team's players were from Liberia at that time. In 2001, the club had a single team with 11 players but the club has grown over the years with the addition of three teams with over 70 players. In 2012, the First Team will be participating in the

; the Reserve Team (U-23) will be participating in the

US Club Soccer US Club Soccer is a national organization and member of the United States Soccer Federation that works to develop and support soccer clubs in the United States. It was founded in 2001 as the National Association of Competitive Soccer Clubs (N ...

National Adult League; and the Junior Team (U-19/20) will be participating in the USL Super-20 League. Junior Lone Star FC won its first major championship in 2008 when the club's U-23 team won the Eastern Pennsylvania State U23 Cup. The club's U23s then represented Eastern Pennsylvania in the 2008 USASA Region I Men's U-23 Cup where they defeated West Chester United SC and FC Delco in the semi-finals and final, respectively. The club's U23s subsequently represented

USASA Region I The United States Adult Soccer Association Region I, is one of the four regions in the USASA. This region is for USASA-affiliated soccer clubs that play in the Northeast corridor of the United States. Member Associations *Connecticut *Delaware ...

at the 2008 USASA National Men's U-23 Championship where they lost to eventual champions Ela Elite in the semi-finals. Junior Lone Star FC is affiliated with the

United States Youth Soccer Association The United States Youth Soccer Association (US Youth Soccer) is the largest youth affiliate and member of U.S. Soccer, the governing body for soccer in the United States. US Youth Soccer includes 54 State Associations, one per state except for ...

(USYSA), the

United States Adult Soccer Association The United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA) is a national organization for amateur soccer in the United States. It consists of 55 state organizations as well as national, regional and state leagues. The National Premier Soccer League, NI ...

(USASA) and the

(USCS).

Colors and Badge

Philadelphia Lone Star's home colors are white along with a red and navy stripes on the side. Traditional away colors have been either navy or red; however, in recent years several different colors have been used. Philadelphia Lone Star colors are similar to that of the

Liberia national football team The Liberia national football team, nicknamed the ''Lone Stars'', represents Liberia in men's international football and is controlled by the Liberia Football Association. Although the nation produced the 1995 FIFA World Player of the Year, ...

. The Stars have previously worn two badges on their shirts, prior to their current badge which was implemented on 5 September 2018 after their name change to Philadelphia Lone Star. The Red/White stripes, blue field and white star is a direct reference to the

Flag of Liberia The flag of Liberia or the Liberian flag, sometimes called the Lone Star, bears a close resemblance to the flag of the United States, representing Liberia's founding by former black slaves from the United States and the Caribbean. They are bot ...

while 2001 is in reference to the year the club was founded. The first, introduced at the club founding in 2001, consisted of a circular badge was based on designs which had been used on official club documentation since the mid-1960s. It consisted of a circular badge which used the same shield as the current badge, inside a circle bearing the name of the club. In late 2011, this was replaced by a circular crest divided into half by the club's name: ''Junior Lone Star FC''. The upper portion of the crest had red and white stripes while the lower portion had a shining white star and the year ''2001'' within a blue field. On 5 September 2018, the club rebranded to Philadelphia Lone Star and after members consultation, a new design of the badge was voted for. The shape of the crest is a pointed shield, a symbol of strength and togetherness which has been a staple of the Lone Star ethos and message since our formation in 2001. The 13 vertical stripes of red alternating with white symbolize the 13 original players who formed the first squad of the club in 2001. The Liberty Bell is synonymous with the City of

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

, a city that openly welcomed the club members from West Africa. The name of the Bell also resonates with Liberia National Motto : “The Love of LIBERTY Brought Us Here.” There are also two different shades of blue around and within the crest. The left color is taken from the Flag of Philadelphia and the right color is taken from the

Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors

Notable former players

* Anthony Allison * Derrick Jones

Year-by-year

NPSL

USL League Two

UPSL

''As Philadelphia Lone Star II''

WPSL

Honors

; U.S. Open Cup : 2017, First Round (Qualified as an amateur side through local qualifying) : 2019, First Round (Qualified as a member of the NPSL through 2018 season results) :

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...

(Qualified as a member of the NPSL through 2019 season results) ; Eastern Pennsylvania Soccer Association : State Open Cup Champions: 2016, 2018 : State Amateur Cup Champions: 2016, 2018 ; Northeast Elite Soccer League : Regular Season Champions: 2018 ; Philadelphia Sierra Soccer League : Champions: 2011 ''Source''

Stadiums

* Stadium at Monsignor Bonner High School's Turf Stadium;

Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania Drexel Hill is a neighborhood and census-designated place (CDP) located in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. The population was 29,181 at the 2020 census, up from 28,043 at the 2010 census, and accounting for over a third of Upper Darby's population. ...

(2013) * Stadium at Northeast High School's Charles Martin Memorial Stadium;

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

(2012)

References

External links

* {{Philadelphia Sports Soccer clubs in Philadelphia Soccer clubs in Pennsylvania Diaspora soccer clubs in the United States Amateur soccer teams in Pennsylvania Association football clubs established in 2001 2001 establishments in Pennsylvania