AFTER leaving its longtime home Bacolod City in 2020, Philippines Football League (PFL) champion United City FC (UCFC) has finally found a new home.
UCFC, formerly Ceres Negros FC, announced on Monday, June 14, that the club forged a partnership with New Clark City as its new home starting this season.
“This is a historic day for all of us within the organization as we are finally able to announce New Clark City as our permanent home. This has been in the works for several months, and we would like to thank Vivencio B. Dizon, president and CEO of BCDA (Bases Conversion and Development Authority), and his team for their support in bringing professional football to the Province of Pampanga and New Clark City,” said UCFC president Eric Gottschalk in a statement posted at the club’s official Facebook page.
“Our move to Pampanga has a lot to do with the already existing sports mentality within the community, especially the love for football, and since the PBA has no foothold in Clark, UCFC will be the only professional sports franchise in the province.”
UCFC has already mapped out its plans for the future and will make the state-of-the-art New Clark City Athletics Stadium its home for the meantime.
“Our community work will start right away with many plans already developed. The UCFC football academy will take shape before the end of 2021, and we continue to finalize the location for our future football stadium,” said Gottschalk.
“We have already identified a prime location, and we are just waiting to complete the paperwork before the plot will also be announced. In the meantime, the newly built 20,000-seater athletics stadium will serve as our home venue, with our inaugural friendly match planned for early August,” he added.
UCFC will also drop the “City” in its name and will be called United Clark Football Club after the 2021 PFL season.
UCFC is deep in preparation in Dubai, UAE for its historic upcoming debut in the AFC Champions League.
UCFC is in Group I with China’s Beijing Guoan FC, Japanese champion Kawasaki Frontale and South Korea’s Daegu FC. (EKA)