FANS SELECT VAQUEROS AS NAME FOR FORT WORTH TEAM

Viva Vaqueros!

Vaqueros now roam Fort Worth, not on horseback, but on the soccer field after more than 1,000 supporters voted online or in-person for the name of Fort Worth’s new NPSL minor league soccer club.

The Fort Worth Soccer Group unveiled the name Vaqueros on Thursday in a special ceremony in the Fort Worth Stockyards. The event featured supporters, team officials, coaches and city leaders such as Fort Worth city council member and director of the Fort Worth Sports Authority, Dennis Shingleton.

“Fort Worth is excited to now have a soccer team to call its own,” Shingleton said. “The expectations are high for this challenging initiative, but the rewards are great for our citizens and devoted soccer fans. This is the beginning step for professional soccer in Fort Worth and we could not be more enthusiastic. Let’s get started.”

Fort Worth city council member Sal Espino represents the Fort Worth district that includes LaGrave Field, the Vaqueros home field beginning May 9.

“We are excited to have the world’s most popular sport in Fort Worth at historic LaGrave Field,” Espino said.

The name Vaqueros appropriately fits a Fort Worth soccer club considering the city’s rich history including the Stockyards, the Stock Show, the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame and the overall cowboy culture.

“We had complete faith in the Fort Worth soccer supporters to choose a meaningful name,” Tobias Xavier Lopez, director of business operations said. “Intelligent fans want a name that is indicative of their city and culture. The name Vaqueros features completely unique imagery that speaks to the city’s history and the Hispanic community. It’s original, relevant and provides the Fort Worth Soccer Group and our supporters the opportunity to build a powerful brand that can become a point of pride for Fort Worth.”

The next stage of fan involvement now begins as the supporters will be encouraged to design and then vote on the Vaqueros logo. Details concerning the logo contest will be announced Friday Feb. 14.