Jacksonville, FL — After months of “turmoil”, including changing ownership and questions about the stability of their league, the Jacksonville Armada soccer club now has a strong vision for the future.
That's coming from their new owner, businessman Robert Palmer, who has formally taken control of the team from the NASL. Palmer says he's always been interested in sports ownership, and he's also driven to continually grow RP Funding- so this was the perfect opportunity.
“The Armada really checked that box of helping me do something great in Jacksonville, and helping me expand my brands up north,” he says.
Palmer is from Lakeland and his businesses are currently based in Orlando, but his wife is from Jacksonville and it’s a city where he says he plans to live one day. He sees Jacksonville as the right market for the plan he has in mind, which is not just moving the Armada forward, but increasing their exposure and growing the at-home fan base, among other things.
“When Robert approached us with the same mentality that’s made him successful in his other businesses, that’s what won me over. Because sports, it’s a passion. We all have a deep passion for it, but we have to make the business work to, so we can grow the passion. Robert’s going to do that,” says Interim NASL Commissioner Rishi Sehgal.
Palmer says he plans to use the marketing and advertising capabilities and funding within his business to showcase the Armada and boost their exposure. This will be done in part through an increased broadcast deal for the fall season, which will help create loyal fans who don’t get to make it out to games. This “fan acquisition strategy” will test out ideas to grow the team’s base and potentially be used for other sports ventures in the future, according to Palmer.
He has the capital to invest, and plans to do that in many ways, including building the Armada a permanent home.
“We have the capital to put the deal together, so I’m not just up here saying this and then hoping the City or someone is going to come fund it for me. We’ll pay our own way. I’ve got the funding in place to build the facility, we’ve just got to find the right place and the right opportunity,” he says.
This facility would include practice fields for the Armada, a “world-class” gym, a kitchen and chef, apartments for the team and community, and office space for Palmer’s businesses to set up permanently in Jacksonville. He likes the beach, but will let the location be driven by what makes the most economic sense.
The Armada's home games will continue to be at Hodges Stadium at the University of North Florida in 2018. Palmer praised UNF for stepping in to provide a location for the team to play, after the NASL assumed ownership and determined it wasn't fiscally possible to continue paying at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville. He says he hopes to build the fan base to the point where they outgrow Hodges Stadium, but that's a more long-term plan.
Palmer also praised the team's Technical Director Nathan Walter and Head Coach Mark Lowry for holding the team together amid what he called the turmoil of the past year. Both Walter and Lowry have now signed contracts through the 2021 season. Palmer says having "soccer people" around him will create the strong partnership and foundation needed to move the team in to the future.
The NASL itself is expanding in the 2018 season, adding new two teams.
All smiles in Jacksonville.
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— NASL (@naslofficial)
[ July 18, 2017 ]