Atlanta City FC Draws a Large Crowd for Its First Celebration

Atlanta City FC drew a large, enthusiastic crowd to its launch party Sunday, with supporters arriving well before the official start.

By 11:30, lines were already wrapping around the building. Inside, people were smiling, taking pictures, buying merch, and taking part in activities spread throughout the Southern Exchange Ballrooms. There was plenty of excitement in the room for a team still a year and a half away from playing its first match.

There were also signs early that the event was struggling to handle the crowd. Lines crisscrossed throughout the building, and it was not always obvious what they were for or where they ended.

Inside the Launch Party

You could feel the energy as soon as you turned the corner into the ballroom.

The entry room was rocking. DJs were dancing and cranking the music from the back of the room. A well-stocked bar greeted the guests, with a large phoenix sculpture sitting in the middle of everything.

There were plenty of familiar faces walking through the room. Mauricio Culebro, Josh Blank, Cindy Parlow Cone, Arthur Blank, Deandra Duggans, and Rich McKay were among those I saw, many of them there with their families.

People were excited. They were laughing, taking pictures, and taking in the first public celebration of Atlanta City FC. The feeling was palpable.

Toward the back of the room, two main lines began to separate. That was not obvious when you first entered, and neither had a clear sign explaining where it went. One led toward the merchandise area. The other headed downstairs. I found myself downstairs, which opened into another large ballroom. Soccer was playing across televisions lining the room. Food was available on either side, while drinks were tucked into a separate corner.

Steel Magnolias, the club’s first recognized supporters’ group, had a booth in another corner. It stayed busy while I was there, and from the amount of traffic around it, they appeared to be having a good afternoon.

There was plenty for kids to do. They could kick a soccer ball at a large inflatable dartboard, get their hair braided, or help color a mural. Small soccer balls were being handed out. I saw some families kicking them around wherever they could find enough space.

Through the middle of it all, founding members snaked their way through the room waiting to receive their bracelets. The crowd was dense, but the mood was upbeat.

The Crowd Issues

The size of the crowd created logistical problems. Nearly everything seemed to involve a long line. There were lines to get inside, lines heading downstairs, lines for giveaways, and lines for merchandise. I personally spent more than three of the event’s four scheduled hours standing in them.

The bigger problem, though, was communication.

There were few indications of where people should be going, when something was about to happen, or what was taking place elsewhere in the building. If you were downstairs, there was little way of knowing what was happening upstairs.

I later learned that while I was downstairs, a full drum-line performance and speeches were taking place upstairs. There were no announcements that I heard letting us know the program was starting. So we missed it. We were inside the event, watching soccer and trying to talk with friends over the music, with no idea the main program had taken place.

A fire marshal was also called to the event at some point during the afternoon. We have reached out for more information about that visit but have not yet received a response.

These are of course, first world problems. There is now NWSL in Atlanta.

The Merchandise

The merchandise area had hats, scarves, shirts, sweatshirts, jackets, and plenty of other items carrying the new Atlanta City FC branding. I will also say that an ATL CTY-branded axolotl may have been the cutest thing in the store.

The prices were harder to love. One all-black sweatshirt with the phoenix across the front was $168. But that did not seem to slow people down much. The merchandise line stayed busy until near the end of the event.

And the flaming phoenix gives the club plenty to work with. It is a logo that should translate well onto clothing, and just about anything else the team wants to put it on.

Closing Thoughts

The launch party had real problems. The lines were long. The music was too loud. Communication throughout the building was poor.

But that was not the whole story.

People were having fun. They were laughing, taking pictures, buying merchandise, joining the supporters’ group, watching soccer, and bringing their children to celebrate a team that is still more than a year away from taking the pitch.

Young girls were everywhere, and they were visibly excited about the new club. That may have been the most encouraging part of the afternoon.

Atlanta City FC has plenty it can improve before its next large public event, particularly with crowd flow and communication. But Sunday also showed that the club already has something valuable.

And people want to be part of it from the very beginning.