Chattanooga Football Club, in a joint announcement with Asheville City Soccer Club, announce the inaugural derby between the two cities, to be played Wednesday, July 19, 7:30 p.m. at Finley Stadium. Dubbed "The Blue Ridge Derby", the matchup will be played annually and rotate between Chattanooga FC's Finley Stadium and Asheville City SC's Memorial Stadium.
"In Europe, it's traditional to have these annual matchups, or derbies, between rival clubs," said Sean McDaniel, general manager, Chattanooga FC. "Through our discussions with ACSC leadership, we thought that having a derby between our two great cities would enhance the tradition of both clubs, highlight the vibrance of our communities, and continue to bring the beautiful game to the fans."
As part of the rivalry, the teams will play for a trophy with both team's logos. The trophy will be an actual keg painted in both team's colors, sporting both team's logos. The score from each competition will be etched on the keg, and the trophy will reside with the winning team until the next derby.
"We have immense respect for Chattanooga FC, from the front office to the players, staff and supporters, and we attribute much of our early success to the relationship we have been able to build with the club over the last year," said Ryan Kelley, president, Asheville City SC. "Backed by our brewery partners, we are honored to begin this annual matchup and celebrate two of the best cities in the Southeast represented by two of the best supporters' groups anywhere."
In recognition of both cities' history of brewing, both teams' brewery sponsors, Hi-Wire of Asheville and Chattanooga Brewing Company, will carry each other's beers during game week. There may even be a friendly wager between the two breweries to make things more interesting for the fans.
Tickets are on sale now for $7.25 at ChattanoogaFC.com and AshevilleCitySC.com.