|
6/21/2007
New Jersey Ironmen Set to Join Prudential Center Roster as Professional Indoor Soccer Comes to Newark
Newark, NJ (Thursday, June 21, 2007) – Jeff Vanderbeek and Michael Gilfillan of the Down Neck Soccer Club, LLC, the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL), and Newark Mayor Cory A. Booker, unveiled Thursday at Newark City Hall the birth of the New Jersey Ironmen professional indoor soccer team to commence play in the 2007-08 MISL season. In addition to unveiling the team name and logo, the organization also introduced a 20-year banking and business executive, Tony Novo as its General Manager and Vice President of Business Operations. Additionally, two-time MISL Coach of the Year Omid Namazi was introduced as the Ironmen’s Head Coach and Vice President of Soccer Operations. The team will play a 15-game home schedule at Prudential Center in the Downtown Core Redevelopment District of Newark.
“We are welcoming another piece of Newark’s transformation and a new resident to our city in welcoming the New Jersey Ironmen to Prudential Center,” Mayor Booker said. “They will bring visitors to our downtown, excitement and luster to our soccer fans, and strength to our economy. The New Jersey Ironmen will kick a winning goal for Newark.”
The team identity for the New Jersey Ironmen results from an online team naming campaign waged during the month of February. The interactive online campaign, supported by the Newark Star-Ledger, solicited feedback from soccer fans from Newark, all across the state of New Jersey, as well as throughout cyberspace. Fans were asked to select from a compilation of five names, or fans could submit their own nicknames. Among the 4,500 responses, the nickname Ironmen, symbolic of the industrial origins of the Ironbound neighborhood, was, by far, the leading vote getter. Representative of its community, the steely-looking, hard-edged logo depicts the tough attitude of the predominantly Portuguese-speaking community, made up by Brazilian and Portuguese ethnicities.
The New Jersey Ironmen will join the Baltimore Blast, California Cougars, Chicago Storm, Detroit Ignition, Milwaukee Wave, MISL Monterrey Club, Orlando Sharks, and the Philadelphia KiXX in the 2007-08 MISL regular season, scheduled to commence in mid-October and conclude at the end of March.
“Today marks the culmination of a journey to return indoor soccer to its historical origin, Newark, NJ,” added MISL Commissioner Steve Ryan. “Not only are we proud to bring the Major Indoor Soccer League to the 1885 site of the first-ever recorded ‘indoor soccer match’ in the United States, but we are eager to have the opportunity to offer affordable and exciting family entertainment to a community rich in cultural diversity. Also, I would like to extend our thanks for the hard work and commitment of Jeff Vanderbeek, Michael Gilfillan, and the many Newark city officials for their support, and especially to the Prudential Insurance Company and all those who have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make this day possible. We are very excited about this opportunity to bring the MISL to such wonderfully diverse ethnic communities from the East Ward, the North Ward, and all across Newark and its surrounding areas. Establishing a Member Club in Newark also provides the MISL brand with a foothold in the nation’s number one media market. I look forward to a tremendously successful team here in Newark and the creation of a strong rivalry amongst Eastern foes, the Ironmen and our Baltimore Blast and Philadelphia KiXX teams.”
“My partner, Michael Gilfillan, and I are pleased to introduce the birth of the New Jersey Ironmen professional indoor soccer club,” stated investor/operator Jeff Vanderbeek, Chairman & President, Devils Arena Entertainment, LLC. “We’re very excited to have the opportunity to launch an MISL Team and bring the excitement of indoor soccer to our area. There is a tremendous level of excitement surrounding our launch. We look forward to providing our diverse fan base, the youth soccer community and our corporate partners with a sports entertainment experience that is unparalleled in its appeal and entertainment value.”
Tony Novo comes to the Ironmen with over 20 years of banking experience having most recently been employed as a Senior Loan Officer for JP Morgan Chase in the retail residential lending area since 2000. Novo has been selected to Chase’s elite Leaders Club for several years. Prior to Chase, Novo worked for United National Bank in Central Jersey as a Branch Manager and Residential Lender from 1995-2000. Novo started his banking career with Barnett Bank in South Florida from 1987 to 1995 as a Mortgage Lender and Branch Manager. Novo has been a business owner in various areas including construction, retail sporting goods and real estate investments.
Over the last 30 years, Novo has coached soccer at various levels including, ODP, High School and college. He has most recently coached youth soccer with the Watchung Hills Soccer Association where he also serves on the Travel Board.
Prior to arriving in New Jersey, Omid Namazi served as the Head Coach and VP of Soccer Operations for the MISL St. Louis Steamers. A two-time MISL Coach of The Year (2005,2006) who has an overall coaching record of 111-75 in the League, Namazi first served as the Head Coach of the Philadelphia KiXX for parts of five seasons (1999-2002), a stint during which he led that club to the 2001-02 MISL Championship.
After departing Philadelphia, Namazi, 41, spent one season as the Head Coach of the San Diego Spirit in the Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA), and guided that team to its first postseason appearance. Namazi then returned to the MISL in December of 2003, as a player for the Cleveland Force. The former MISL Defender of the Year (2001), was named the Force’s interim Head Coach on March 2, 2004, and was promoted to the permanent position in April, 2004, after leading the team to a 5-5 finish and a postseason appearance. Namazi then led the Cleveland Force to the 2004-2005 MISL Championship series, before moving to the St. Louis Steamers for the 2005-2006 season. Once again under his guidance the Steamers were able to reach the MISL finals were they were defeated by the eventual winners, the Baltimore Blast in a sudden-death overtime period. Namazi enjoyed an 18 year career as a professional soccer player during which he garnered many individual accolades and awards. A 4-time MISL All-star player, he was also voted the 2000-2001 MISL Defender of the Year.
“I am honored to be named the Head Coach of the Ironmen,” said Namazi. “I am looking forward to building on New Jersey’s rich soccer tradition. With the resources at our disposal, a brand new, first-class arena, and the market in which we will play, I am going to work hard to build a competitive team that Newark and the entire metropolitan area can be proud of, one that is committed to bringing championships to the city and a team that will stand the test of time.”
The Ironmen also named former MISL player Kevin Sloan as Namazi’s Assistant Coach and club’s Camp Director.
Prudential Center, managed by AEG, is the first major sports and entertainment venue to open its doors in the nation’s top media market in over 25 years, and will showcase 76 luxury suites, 2,330 club seats, and an array of amenities and conveniences for fans. Prudential Center will seat 17,500 people for soccer games, 17,625 for hockey games, 18,500 for basketball games and 19,500 for concerts.
Earlier this year, the New Jersey Ironmen selected five players in the MISL College Draft. The Ironmen will continue to fill out their player roster when they participate in the League’s expansion draft and supplemental draft in July. The League will release details regarding these drafts as they are finalized.
For information regarding the New Jersey Ironmen, please log on to www.NJIronmen.com. Fans can get their season ticket information by calling (973) 273-9100 (Ext. 104). The MISL League schedule for the 2007-08 season will be released in early August.
The Major Indoor Soccer League, a single-entity organization with a coast-to-coast presence, represents the major league of professional indoor soccer, featuring the finest indoor soccer players from 32 countries around the world. The 2006-07 MISL season featured six teams, including the Baltimore Blast, California Cougars, Chicago Storm, Milwaukee Wave, Philadelphia KiXX, and the expansion Detroit Ignition. The MISL Monterrey (Mexico) Club, the New Jersey Ironmen (under NHL New Jersey Devils ownership) and the Orlando Sharks are set to join for competition in the 2007-08 season. For more information on the MISL, visit the League’s official website www.MISL.net.
|
