HARTFORD, Conn. – Following the approval given by the Hartford City Council to rebuild Dillon Stadium, Hartford Sports Group (HSG) announced on Friday it was launching a fan initiative that would help name the club ahead of its anticipated debut in the USL in Spring, 2019.

“We encourage soccer fans to submit their ideas for team names,” said Bruce Mandell, President of HSG. “We are building a franchise by the fans and for the fans, so we want to work together to come up with an identity that reflects the spirit, culture, and heritage of our community.”

HSG has set up a form on its website – USL2Hartford.com – where fans can submit team name ideas and sign up for the latest news as the club moves toward its first match.

Many factors will be considered in the process of selecting the team name including:

The tradition of the sport

The culture and heritage of our city, state, and region

Aspirations for our Club and our community

“We strive to grow the game we love, in the city we love,” Mandell said. “We are creating an organization built to win on and off the field and dedicated to providing opportunity through the world’s game. We aim to make our city, state, and region proud, and in doing so, make our community the best place to live, work, and play. We can’t wait to build with you.”