Flint City Bucks is an American soccer team based in Flint, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1995, the team plays in USL League Two.
The club was founded in 1995 as the Mid-Michigan Bucks, playing in Saginaw, and began playing in 1996. In 2004, the club changed its name to the Michigan Bucks following a move to Plymouth. In 2008, they moved to Pontiac. In 2019, they moved to Flint and changed their name to the current Flint City Bucks.
Starting in 2019, they began playing their home matches at Atwood Stadium. From 2008 through 2018, the team played its home matches at the soccer-specific Ultimate Soccer Arenas, one of the few teams to play regularly on a full-size indoor soccer field.
Throughout their existence, the Bucks have been one of the most successful amateur soccer teams in the United States, qualifying for eleven U.S. Open Cups, winning eleven divisional championships, and four national titles—the first team to reach that mark in USL League Two. In 2000, the Bucks became the first USL League Two (then known as the Premier Development League) team to defeat an MLS team in the US Open Cup when they beat the New England Revolution at Foxboro Stadium. They won their first PDL championship in 2006, defeating the Laredo Heat 2–1. They defeated the Kitsap Pumas 1–0 at Ultimate Soccer Arenas to win the 2014 PDL championship. In 2016, they defeated the Calgary Foothills FC 3–2.
On August 3, 2019, the Flint City Bucks defeated Reading United AC for their fourth national championship in their inaugural season at Flint's historic Atwood Stadium.
Contents
History
The Bucks organization entered the competitive soccer landscape in 1996, competing in the USISL Premier League. Almost immediately, the Mid-Michigan Bucks were a competitive outfit. They finished third in the Central Northern division in their debut year, making it all the way to the final Premier Six tournament, and despite being beaten by the San Francisco Bay Seals and eventual national champions Central Coast Roadrunners, they nevertheless set themselves up to be a successful team in years to come.
The Bucks won their first divisional title in 1997, eight points clear of second place Detroit Dynamite with 12 wins on the season. They made it to the national semi-finals, beating Grand Rapids Explosion, Kalamazoo Kingdom and Des Moines Menace before eventually falling 2–0 to the Central Coast Roadrunners in the final four. The Bucks also made their debut in the US Open Cup with a 3–2 victory over USISL D3 Pro League side Wilmington Hammerheads, before losing to the A-League's Rochester Ragin' Rhinos in the second round. At the end of the season, Steve Burns was named PDSL Coach of the Year.
The Bucks finished second to Detroit Dynamite in 1998 with a 11–5–1 record, and again made the regional finals, losing 3–2 to finalists Jackson Chargers after victories over Indiana Invaders and the Dynamite in the divisional playoffs. The Bucks won the Great Lakes division of the newly renamed PDL in 1999, but lost 2–1 to Sioux City Breeze in the Conference Semifinals. They also reached the third round of the US Open Cup, after defeating the Austin Lone Stars and Minnesota Thunder, but were eliminated by the Tampa Bay Mutiny of the MLS.
In 2000, the Bucks took their second PDL Great Lakes title in a row and their third overall, finishing 27 points clear of second-place Dayton Gems. The Bucks received a bye to the national playoff semi-finals, and secured their first ever championship game berth with a 5–2 win over Yakima Reds. The Bucks were beaten in the final by the Chicago Sockers. The Bucks also made it to the third round of the US Open Cup in 2000. They won 3–0 over Maryland-based amateur side Jerry D's, and defeated MLS's New England Revolution 1–0, with Chad Schomaker scoring the winning goal in the 90th minute, before losing their next game on penalty kicks to Miami Fusion after a 3–3 draw in regulation time. Head coach Joe Malachino was named PDL coach of the year, the second Bucks coach to receive the honor.
Supporters
Prior to the Bucks' inaugural season in Flint, Michigan, a group of their supporters met at the Soggy Bottom Bar in Flint. At this meeting, they formed the River Rats. The River Rats have established their "curva" in section 11 of Atwood Stadium, also known as the Rats Nest.
On match days, the River Rats gather at Soggy Bottom Bar for a pre-game provocation before marching a half-mile through Carriage Town to the Atwood Stadium turnstiles.
The River Rats are a community-oriented independent supporter group that participate in LGBTQ+ advocacy, community service, and philanthropy. The River Rats are a member of the Independent Supporters Council.
Notable former players
This list comprises players who went on to play professional soccer after playing for the team in the Premier Development League, or those who previously played professionally before joining the team.
History vs. Professional Teams in U.S. Open Cup
6/24/97 – First Round – Wilmington Hammerheads 2 vs. Mid Michigan Bucks 3; E.A. Laney High School in Wilmington, N.C.
7/8/97 – Second Round – Mid Michigan Bucks 2 vs. (Rochester Rhinos) 3; Hershey Park Stadium in Hersey, Penn.
6/8/99 – First Round – Mid Michigan Bucks 3 vs. Austin Lone Stars 2; White Pine Stadium in Saginaw, Mich.
6/23/99 – Second Round – Minnesota Thunder 1 vs. Mid Michigan Bucks 2; National Sports Center in Blaine, Minn.
7/12/99 – Third Round – Mid Michigan Bucks 1 vs. Tampa Bay Mutiny 2; White Pine Stadium in Saginaw, Mich.
6/14/00 – Second Round – New England Revolution 0 vs. Mid Michigan Bucks 1; Foxboro Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.
7/25/00 – Third Round – Mid Michigan Bucks 3 vs. Miami Fusion 3 (5–6 PKs); White Pine Stadium in Saginaw, Mich.
6/27/01 – Second Round – New England Revolution 7 vs. Mid Michigan Bucks 1; Foxboro Stadium in Foxborough, Mass.
6/25/03 – Second Round – Mid Michigan Bucks 2 vs. Long Island Rough Riders 1; Hurley Field in Berkley, Mich.
7/16/03 – Third Round – Mid Michigan Bucks 0 vs. MetroStars 4; Hurley Field in Berkley, Mich.
6/14/06 – First Round – Michigan Bucks 2 vs. Pittsburgh Riverhounds 0; Rochester Adams High School in Rochester, Mich.
Honors
League
USL Premier Development League / USL League Two
Playoff Champions: 2006, 2014, 2016, 2019
Regular Season
Champions: 2000, 2008, 2012, 2015, 2016
Central Conference
Champions: 1996, 1997, 2000, 2006, 2007, 2014, 2016, 2019, 2022, 2023
Great Lakes Division
Champions: 1997, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2023, 2024
USISL Premier League
North Central Division
Champions: 1997
Hank Steinbrecher Cup
Champions: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2022
Head coaches
Steve Burns (1996–1999)
Joe Malachino (2000–2001)
Dario Brose (2002)
Don Gemmell (2003–2004)
Paul Snape (2005)
Dan Fitzgerald (2006–2009)
Gary Parsons (2010–2013)
Demir Muftari (2013–2017)
Paul Thomas (2018)
Demir Muftari (2019–present)
Stadiums
Hurley Field; Berkley, Michigan 14 games (2003–2005)
White Pine Stadium; Saginaw, Michigan 1 game (2003)
Stadium at Plymouth-Canton Educational Park; Canton, Michigan 4 games (2003)
Stadium at Oakland University; Rochester, Michigan 4 games (2005)
Stadium at Stoney Creek High School; Rochester Hills, Michigan (2006)
Stadium at Athens High School; Troy, Michigan 1 game (2007)
Independence Park; Canton, Michigan 4 games (2007–2011)
Stadium at Andover High School; Bloomfield Hills, Michigan 1 game (2007)
Stadium at Saline High School; Saline, Michigan 1 game (2007)
Stadium at Lake Orion High School; Lake Orion, Michigan 5 games (2007–2008)
Stadium at Rochester High School; Rochester Hills, Michigan 1 game (2007)
Columbus Crew Stadium; Columbus, Ohio 1 game (2007)
Ultimate Soccer Arenas; Pontiac, Michigan (2008–2018)
Stadium at Walled Lake Central High School; Walled Lake, Michigan 1 game (2011)
Atwood Stadium; Flint, Michigan (2019–present)
Attendances
Attendance stats are calculated by averaging each team's self-reported home attendances from Kenn.com
https://kenn.com/blog/soccer/all-time-usl-league-two-attendance/
Mid-Michigan Bucks
1996: 498 (16th in USISL Premier League)
1997: 567 (12th in PDSL) Playoffs: 730 Overall: 579
1998: 824 (3rd in PDSL) Playoffs: NA
1999: 987 (3rd in PDL) Playoffs: 752 Overall: 969
2000: 576 (4th in PDL) Playoffs: 873 Overall: 616
2001: 461 (9th in PDL)
2002: 838 (8th in PDL)
2003: 424 (18th in PDL) Playoffs: NA
Michigan Bucks
2004: 424 (21st in PDL)
2005: 603 or 611 (11th in PDL)
2006: 268 (36th in PDL) Playoffs: 826 Overall: 338
2007: 566 (15th in PDL) Playoffs: 857* 1 Game missing Overall: 624* 1 Game missing
2008: 726 (13th in PDL) Playoffs:NA
2009: 581 (18th in PDL)
2010: 473 (23rd in PDL)
2011: 616 (16th in PDL) Playoffs: 870 Overall: 666