Blindsided: WNY Flash fans react to club’s impending move

WNY Flashers gather at the Buffalo/Niagara International Airport to welcome their team home as NWSL champions and pose with MVP – Sabrina D’Angelo. Photo courtesy of the WNY FLashers.

The 2016 season for the the Western New York Flash was written like a fairy tale from beginning to end, but now the story permanently ends in Rochester. While neither the NWSL or the Western New York Flash have confirmed that the 2016 NWSL Champions are relocating to North Carolina, numerous sites have reported the sale and Steve Malik (owner of North Carolina FC) has scheduled a press conference for noon on Monday; evidence that a move is inevitable. While franchises work out the final details, the fans of the WNY Flash are faced with the fact that their beloved team is leaving Rochester after almost a decade.

Since 2008, the WNY Flash have been an integral club in every professional women’s soccer league that has formed in the United States. First known as the Buffalo Flash, the club has won a championship in the W-League, the WPS, the WPSL-Elite and most recently the NWSL. Through each league or name change the steady constant of this Rochester club was their fan support.

The WNY Flashers formed during the NWSL’s inaugural season to organize the fans of WNY. In 2015 they became the biggest supporter group of the Flash. The Flashers came to every game and even created a Player of the Match (POM) award. As is the way with any supporter group, the club was a part of their soccer family and their relocation is devastating to their fans. With the team’s departure looming, Nicole Karek and Melanie Motz, two of the main organizers of the Flashers, spoke with me about the impending move and what the Flash have meant to them.

1. How are the Flashers taking the news?

Flashers enjoying pregame snacks. Photo courtesy of the Flashers.

The club has given us all something wonderful to look forward to each year. We had established such a great (and growing) group of people that we would enjoy the game with, tailgate with, and even take road trips with. It was so nice that we could hang out with some of our best friends while enjoying a game and team that we all love. And not only that, but all of the players were such wonderful and genuine young women. The opportunity to support them was something we never took lightly. It was a true honor to us. So you can only imagine when we found out on twitter early Friday morning that the club was never playing a game here again, we were completely blindsided and crushed. We are a mixture of confused, furious, and devastated that this has happened and are especially angry that there was no forewarning at all.

2. What are your thoughts on the move and do you believe it was motivated by anything in particular?

A couple of weeks ago, management was offering season ticket packages and holiday deals for the upcoming season. Just yesterday, they signed an international player who (as far as we know) had no inkling that this club was moving locations. This move is a complete slap in the face to everyone but the very few that were clued in on the situation. As far as motivation, we can only think of ownership as being most plausible. Attendance wise, we weren’t at the top of the league, but we also weren’t at the very bottom and towards the end of last season, the numbers had actually improved. If you add in the fact that this team won two extra time nail-biters to win the championship in the postseason – they had a good possibility of seeing improved attendance next season.

It never appeared that the management wanted to put their money and effort into making this club successful in a business sense and it is truly sad to see what it has come to. Rarely did we see any sort of marketing outside of our soccer circle. We fully believe if they really wanted to sell, they could have found options within the WNY area. If not Rochester, Buffalo. It is a city full of soccer fans and it is also where the team trains and lives during the season. We would definitely love and support a reconsideration of the move, but unfortunately it doesn’t appear that’s going to happen.

3. Will you still support the team despite the move?

Absolutely. As we mentioned, the team and players are what made us love them in the first place. No matter where they are located they will continue to have our love and support. We want nothing but success in their soccer careers and lives and we are ecstatic that many are finally getting the chance to play for the US Women’s National Team. We may not be able to see them play in person as often, but they will always have our support.

4. Any message you’d like to pass along to the team?

We would like to thank them for their tenacity on the field and their kindness off the field. During the games, they always left everything on the field and never gave up until that final whistle. They were a true joy to watch and it was obvious how much they enjoyed playing with each other as well. Off the field, they often took the time to have real conversations with us after games and listen to our ideas and thoughts. Sam Mewis had even discussed ideas for next season to try and improve things between supporters and the club. Moments like that will always stick with us and we could never thank them enough for that. No matter what, they will always be our WNY Flash. “Let’s get Flashy!”