United Premier Soccer League Announces Granite City FC as New Midwest Conference Expansion Team

LOS ANGELES - March 28, 2018 - PRLog -- The United Premier Soccer League (UPSL) is excited to announce Granite City Football Club as a new member starting with the 2018 Spring Season.

Based in St. Cloud (Minn.), Granite City FC begins UPSL Pro Premier play in the Midwest Conference North Division, and will host its home games at 4,400-seat Husky Stadium at St. Cloud University (720 4th Avenue, St. Cloud, MN 56301) in compliance with UPSL's Minimum Standards.

United Premier Soccer League Commissioner Yan Skwara said, "The United Premier Soccer League continues this explosion of new teams and we're happy to welcome Granite City FC to the UPSL. Minnesota has always been a fertile ground for the game, and we're excited to be a vehicle to help continue that proud tradition. We wish Owner Amer Main every success as Granite City FC prepares for the UPSL Spring 2018 Season."

Amer Mian is Owner and President of Granite City Football Club. A native of Pakistan, Mian, is an entrepreneur in the soccer gear and apparel industries.

Granite City Football Club Amer Mian said, "We want to take the next step, so we've gone from playing non-league games to participating in tournaments and now we're joining the UPSL. We want to play in a competitive environment and after doing a little research we like the UPSL's Pro/Rel Model. Here in central Minnesota there aren't a lot of options but there's a lot of talent. There are a lot of players with a dream and a passion for the game so having a local club will draw a lot of the diverse, young talent."

Mian, 50, is a graduate of John Dewey High School in Brooklyn (N.Y.), and was a youth player for Polonia Soccer Club in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. He later spent time as a semi-professional cricketer in England and the Caribbean before settling in central Minnesota in 2004.

"The soccer in New York City is farther advanced then you hear about and certainly farther along that it is here in Minnesota," Mian said. "But we have players from Japan, Sudan, the Latin America countries, Saudia Arabia, Nepal (and) a lot of African countries so I think our diversity will represent our community very well."

Tim Singleton, 42, is the club's Social media Manager. He previously owned FC Duluth.

Granite City FC is hosting tryouts at Husky Stadium from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 31.

The club soon will announce its game schedule.

About Granite City FC

Granite City FC is an American Soccer club currently based in St. Cloud, Minn., and a new member of the United Premier Soccer League. Granite City FC plays in the UPSL Pro Premier.

Founded in 2016, Granite City FC can participate in the qualifying rounds for the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup through their affiliation and membership with the UPSL, the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) and the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA).

Contact:
Amer Mian
Direct: 516-244-2600
Email: amernmian@gmail.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/granitecityfootball
Twitter: @gcfcUPSL
Instagram: @gcfcrocks

United Premier Soccer League

The UPSL was formed in 2011 and currently includes more than 150 teams in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin. UPSL is the fastest growing Pro Development League in the USA, with 140-plus teams targeted for 2018 Spring Season. Each UPSL team is individually owned and operated, and is responsible for maintaining either UPSL Pro Premier Division or Championship Division minimum standards.

UPSL teams are all eligible to participate in the U.S. Open Cup Qualifying Rounds through the leagues affiliation with the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) and the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA).

More information about UPSL can be found at www.upslsoccer.com or by following the league on Facebook (www.facebook.com/upslsoccer) and Twitter (@upslsoccer).

Contact UPSL:
info@upslsoccer.com
Direct: 310-415-5691

Media Relations:
Dennis Pope
dennis@upslsoccer.com
upslcommunications@gmail.com
Direct: 951-675-3963
www.upslsoccer.com
www.facebook.com/unitedpremiersoccerleague
www.twitter.com/unitedpremiersoccerleague