Tara FinleyWhile 2019 was no stranger to exciting new developments in Irvine and Orange County athletics, it seems 2020 has even more in store for youth and professional athletes alike.
The Orange County Soccer Club (OCSC) recently announced that they have successfully secured a partnership with the celebrated Rangers Football Club of Scotland. The partnership’s intent is to advance the sport of soccer in Southern California with a focus on youth development for casual and career players alike.
The partnership was formed after the Glasgow team accepted OCSC’s invitation to meet and view local club facilities.
“We’re excited and proud to announce our relationship with Orange County Soccer Club,” enthused Rangers managing director Stewart Robertson. “After an initial approach from OCSC, my team and I visited Orange County earlier this year and saw the opportunities at first hand that this relationship could create.”
The international alliance between the clubs will be multi-faceted, including new programming, activities and exciting opportunities for player movements between the American and Scottish clubs. To kick off the partnership, three professional OCSC youth players were welcomed to join the Rangers on a trial basis. December’s inaugural trade saw USA youth internationals Francis Jacobs, Aaron Cervantes and Diego Lopez playing in Academy matches.
“We are thrilled to join the Rangers family and create this revolutionary bond with one of the most successful clubs in the history of European football,” shared OCSC owner James Keston. “In the coming years, we hope to see many members of the OCSC nation on the pitch and in the stands with 50,000 raucous fans at Ibrox. We also hope to make Orange County a second home for the Rangers’ U.S. faithful and their families.”
Currently, OCSC plans to welcome full-time members of the Rangers staff to Orange County. These seasoned professionals are intended to become a permanent part of the OCSC family by summer 2020; their roles will be to execute all soccer and commercial activities brought forth by the partnership, delivering the program at all levels.
This programming will be to the benefit of the professional team, with additional planning scheduled for youth players, fans and the community as whole.
Planning includes a friendly football tournament with the Rangers Squad in Orange County in the summers of 2020 and 2021.
For the young players, OCSC and Rangers Soccer Schools will join together to provide coaching sessions and clinics to youth in Irvine and Southern California.
“Rangers will serve as the aspirational peak of the one of a kind ‘Pathway to Professional Soccer’ that Orange County SC has built for youth soccer players in Southern California,” detailed Orange County SC President of Soccer Operations Oliver Wyss. “Our players will now be joined by some of the most talented young Rangers professional and academy players that we expect to have an immediate impact on the field for OCSC’s first team.”
Inspiring Southern California athletes will be the opportunity to travel to Glasgow and train with coaches at the Hummel Training Centre, home of the Rangers. In turn, Scottish players and teams will be welcomed to Orange County for clinics, tournaments and soccer-centered family vacations.
While these world-class training sessions across the pond will be priceless in their value and meaning to soccer enthusiasts, they do come with a cost; however, OCSC has plans to provide partial scholarships in order to ensure that the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is available to all promising players. For those that make the trip, there is a chance for the most impressive players to be invited back to join the Academy team.
The partnership will also allow for the commercial and media teams of both clubs to embark on mutual sponsorship opportunities and digital content projects, widening the presence and impact of both OCSC and the Rangers on both American and Scottish soil.
“The club’s international strategy is a core-pillar to our growth plans and this relationship gives Rangers a permanent presence in the U.S. and a platform to develop further,” explained Rangers managing director Robertson. “Rangers already has incredibly strong support across North America, and this relationship will help us engage with our existing fanbase in the United States, attract new fans and provide exciting commercial opportunities. Rangers Academy should also benefit with exciting new talent from America.”
Orange County SC owner James Keston believes that the partnership will solidify the soccer fan base both locally and nationally, saying, “The Orange County SC partnership is another positive step for Rangers global expansion, following on from the club’s tie-up with Bengaluru FC in India. These relationships will form the key pillars underpinning Rangers international development strategy.”
Adds Rangers sporting director Ross Wilson, “It is our belief that together we can create an effective global player development network while also progressing a number of other football and non-football benefits.”
OCSC is proud to solidify Orange County as a premiere destination for soccer players and fans alike.
“Orange County SC is one of America’s newest and most ambitious professional clubs,” says Wilson. “It is a club that in the last four years has aimed to become a prime destination for some of the most talented young players from the United States. The training environment is strong and supported by a determined and forward-thinking staff.
While the partnership will be heavily focused on player development, it will also bring new opportunities to fans, including the chance to witness the talents of some of the best young local and international players in what is virtually their own backyard.
How can the Irvine community support this impressive endeavor? “By embracing Orange County SC as their professional soccer team and coming to our games in our state-of-the-art soccer stadium,” urges Chad Romiti, Orange County Soccer Club public relations manager.
Surely, this is a wonderful time to be a soccer player and fan in Orange County.
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