It seemed rather ambitious when the Annapolis Blues announced that their home games would be played at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. After all, why would a minor league soccer team featuring primarily amateur college players need a 34,000 seat stadium?
Lo and behold, the Blues needed a large facility for their inaugural season in the National Premier Soccer League as they captivated the city of Annapolis. The Blues averaged nearly 8,000 fans per game last year, an astounding number for a franchise competing in the fifth division of United States soccer.
“It’s been amazing to see the support across the board,” said Michael Hitchcock, majority owner of the Annapolis Blues. “There were some really positive early signs that this market would embrace the team. We took a community first approach from the outset and have steadily built it step by step.”
That community engagement began shortly after it was announced that Annapolis would be home to an NPSL team. Hitchcock put together an ownership group that included several prominent Annapolis business executives and the most famous soccer player to come out of Anne Arundel County.
Kyle Beckerman, an Arundel High graduate who played 21 seasons of Major League Soccer and was a longtime member of the United States national team, was among the first minority owners announced. The Crofton native was inducted into the Anne Arundel County Sports Hall of Fame in 2021.
Broadcaster Dave Johnson, longtime voice of the Washington Wizards and D.C. United, is another part owner. The Gambrills native is also an Arundel High graduate and member of the Anne Arundel County Sports Hall of Fame.
Coffee shop owners Brandon and Caite Bartlett, SIXGEn cybersecurity CEO Ethan Dietrich, and Watermark Tours, Charters and Cruises owner Jake Iversen are among the local business folks in the ownership group.
Hitchcock says it was a brilliant move to allow soccer fans in the Annapolis area to name the team. A large number of local residents voted and the overwhelming choice was the Blues with team management creating a logo that features a Chesapeake Bay blue crab using its pincers to hold a soccer ball.
Aggressive marketing and a seemingly nonstop presence on social media helped raise the profile of the Annapolis Blues, who made a strong statement right out of the gate. The Blues drew a whopping 8,368 fans for their home opener, setting an NPSL regular season record for attendance.
The Blues also set the NPSL postseason attendance record as 8,480 fans packed into the lower bowl of the home side of Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium for the Mid-Atlantic Conference championship game.
“We’re obviously thrilled to have such widespread support from the Annapolis community. People have just gotten behind this team and the momentum keeps building,” said Fred Matthes, the team’s general manager. “Folks are coming to games and having a great time then telling their friends. We have a good product that people enjoy watching and a great atmosphere that people want to be part of.”
Within days of the 2023 season ending, the Annapolis Blues began selling season tickets for 2024 and set a goal of exceeding last year’s total of just over 3,000. Throughout the offseason, the Blues mounted what team officials termed a “shellout” campaign to attract 10,000 fans to Saturday night’s home opener against DMV Elite.
Hitchcock and Matthes said the response on both fronts has been amazing. The Blues have already surpassed 5,000 season tickets sold and the attendance tally for Saturday night has exceeded 8,000.
“Saturday is going to be really special. We still have some work to do over the next two days, but all signs are looking really positive that we can hit that 10,000 mark,” Hitchcock said Thursday night. “We set some aggressive but attainable goals in terms of selling tickets and I’m really proud of our staff, which was so laser focused and worked so hard. It’s been rewarding to see the response to this campaign and the Annapolis community rally around it.”
The Annapolis Blues website lists 62 sponsors, including such heavy hitters as Luminis Health, Giant Food and Westfield Annapolis. The Blues have an apparel partnership with Puma and their uniforms (known in soccer parlance as the kit) are a billboard for other sponsors.
Forward Brewing has the coveted spot on the front of the jerseys, while SIXGEN, Rise Up Coffee and Picante Mexican Restaurant are also displayed. Cam Bowdren, who owns Forward Brewing along with his wife Claire, acknowledged the value of being prominently associated with the Blues considering the fan support.
“I never imagined there would be this much exposure,” said Bowdren, whose brewery hosted a jersey pick-up party on Thursday night. All season ticket holders are given an exact replica of the game jerseys worn by Blues players.
Bowdren attends all the Blues home games with his two young children and is bringing his entire kitchen staff and brewers to Saturday’s home opener. He praised Blues management for doing a “remarkable job” of promoting the team.
“After seeing the response last year, I’m not surprised to see it continue to grow this year. There are more and more people jumping on the Blues bandwagon,” Bowdren said. “I think the price point is a key factor with tickets as low as $8. You can’t do much else around Annapolis for $8.”
Success on the field helped build excitement surrounding the Blues, who compiled a 10-2-1 record and captured both the regular season and postseason championships of the Mid-Atlantic Conference during their debut campaign. The Blues were beaten by West Chester United in a National Premier Soccer League East Region semifinal.
“Winning is the No. 1 marketing philosophy for any team. You always want a team that’s fun to watch and wins games,” Matthes said.
Fans show up to Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium wearing their Blues jerseys and scarves, blowing blue horns and generally creating an electric atmosphere. Coach Colin Herriot said the impact of such raucous crowds cannot be underestimated.
“I think the fan support has been unbelievable. All credit to the leadership of the club for doing so much work behind the scenes to build interest and sell tickets,” Herriot said. “The people of Annapolis consider the Blues their local club. It’s the people’s club. These fans have gotten the team across the finish line many times and their support is greatly appreciated.”