RICHMOND, VA – (Tuesday, April 4, 2017) – The Richmond Kickers are proud to officially celebrate their 25th Anniversary when Swansea City A.F.C. of the world famous English Premier League returns to City Stadium for an international exhibition on Wednesday, July 19 at 7:30 p.m. The prestigious match will be part of a 10-day, three-game East Coast tour and will mark the fourth consecutive time a team from England’s top flight will appear in Virginia. Following a 48-hour private pre-sale for Season Ticket Holders, tickets for $30/$50 will go on sale on Thursday, April 6 at 9:00 a.m. at www.richmondkickers.com.
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“This is our fourth time in four years hosting a club from the world renowned English Premier League,” commented Leigh Cowlishaw, Richmond Kickers Director of Soccer. “It’s an unprecedented achievement for a USL club and we thank the RVA community for embracing past matches to make Premier League in RVA one of the must-see events of the summer.”
“We encourage all RVA sports fans to join us for a unique 25th Birthday celebration, get behind the Kickers and once again showcase the amazing atmosphere at City Stadium,” continued Cowlishaw. “Our home opener’s record breaking attendance was a fantastic kick off to our 25th season. We believe the time is quickly approaching when you will see 10,000 fans at City Stadium and our goal is to make that a reality on July 19th.”
We are pleased to confirm the tour details earlier than normal,’’ explained Swans vice-chairman Leigh Dineen. “The tour is not only designed to provide Paul Clement with the best environment to prepare the squad for the new campaign, but it also gives Swans fans at home and in the States the opportunity to plan potential trips well in advance.’’
The tour in July marks the fourth time the club have traveled to America for preseason, most recently having visited Richmond, Virginia in 2016 when the Kickers claimed a historic 2-0 victory in front of 7,128 fans. A 90-minute lightning delay at the end of the first half followed a Swansea own goal before Kickers forward Anthony Grant solidified the victory with a 74th minute tally to hand the home side their first victory over a Premier League opponent in club history.
“Swansea are currently in a fascinating relegation battle and it will most likely go down to the final Premier League games of the season,” added Cowlishaw. “Swansea have a talented young manager who has reinvigorated his team and with a favorable run, they will remain one of the teams with the best chance of survival.”
Established in 1912, the Welsh club based in Swansea, South Wales, battled for many years in the lower divisions before making a historic climb from near bankruptcy in the Fourth Division to the Premier League in 2011, becoming the first Welsh team to play in the top flight since the league’s restructure in 1992. Swansea celebrated their greatest success to date by winning the Capital One Cup in 2013, with a record-breaking 5-0 victory over Bradford City, claiming the club’s first major trophy and qualifying for the 2013-14 UEFA Europa League. Swansea finished the 2015-16 season in 12th place in the English Premier League standings with a 12-15-11 record and 47 points.
Previously, the Richmond Kickers hosted EPL sides Crystal Palace and West Bromwich Albion in 2014 and 2015, respectively, in front of a combined 14,632 fans at City Stadium.
Swansea’s U.S. preseason tour has been arranged by PSC Ltd, who also arranged the Swans’ three previous tours to the USA in 2012, 2014 and 2016.
