What is your background with the sport?
I’ve been a fan of soccer my entire life. As a kid I remember trying to play whenever I could. When I was 7 my family had actually moved to Europe and that’s when I started to truly follow the sport.
What motivated you to establish a soccer team here in Eugene?
I chose Eugene because I live here. I actually attended college here at the University of Oregon and I worked up in Portland for a while. Back in 2000, when my wife decided to go to graduate school, we moved back to Eugene. Around a year ago I started looking into Civic Stadium and I began to wonder how difficult it would be to get a soccer team going. So I looked into it. Once I had gathered some preliminary information I was able to use my brother’s connections to get this project going. John knows a lot of guys who have knowledge on how to go about this.
What obstacles have you faced thus far?
Just finding a place to play. Unfortunately the best soccer fields in Eugene belong to high schools. We looked into some of those fields and the scheduling seemed as though it was going to be a huge conflict considering most schools use that area for different activities throughout the year. Not only that but we would have to go through the city of Eugene for payment, which we decided we didn’t want to do. There were also several other issues with 4j that we didn’t want to deal with.
What is one obstacle you faced that sticks out above the rest?
We essentially wanted to find a location that could offer the best game day experience for the fans. Our concerns with Willamalane were regarding concessions and the fact they didn’t have grandstands.
Could you give me a quick rundown of your sponsors and what they bring to Lane United FC?
Well Oakshire is our title sponsor and we signed on for a three-year deal with them. They are very community based and into local craftsmanship. We both feel as though we can help promote each other. Our other sponsor is a golf resort up in Bend called Tetherow. We like that we both have similar interests and the fact it helps us get our brand to other parts of Oregon. When we first started talking to them we found out that one of the founders was a pro golfer from the Netherlands that happened to be a huge soccer fan. Because of that connection they were very willing to partner with us. And actually yesterday we officially announced that we have a new partnership with Slocum. We will have three team doctors that will be on the field during games to assist with any injuries that may take place. They are great and really want to be involved with athletics here in Eugene. Slocum will also be the youth jersey sponsor since we thought it would be an issue having little kids running around with Oakshire on their chest.
Was there ever a time where you thought that this might not work?
No, at a certain point I knew I was committed.
Is it difficult establishing a soccer team in a college town primarily known for football?
We haven’t had any problems in that regard. The only problems we’ve had is using Pape Field.
Do you feel as though it’s helped your organization that the northwest recently got teams such as the Portland Timbers and the Seattle Sounders?
Well the northwest is already a great location for soccer so I would say those teams helped promote the idea more than anything else. Soccer fans here in the northwest are crazy!
What is your vision for the future of Lane United FC?
For the short term we’d like to win the top rookie PDL franchise award. Next year we want to increase attendance and make the playoffs. Then after that we want to be U.S.L. Pro.
Can you give me a rundown of the people working for you and the skills they bring to the table?
Sure. John deals with all things team related. He does scouting, housing for players, player registration, and he helps out with sponsorships when he can. Connor is our assistant coach and essentially John’s right hand man. He helps out a lot with away travel. Chris is our media coordinator and controls everything that appears on any social media connected to us. We also have other interns who come in different days of the week to help out with projects we may have going.
What’s been the easiest part of establishing Lane United FC?
The easiest part has been getting our brand out there through word of mouth. Our fans have been great! They’ve been using social media to spread what our team is trying to do. We really do have some hardcore fans.
Contact Info:
Dave Galas
Managing Director for Lane United FC
541-335-2170
400 International Way, Suite 280, Springfield OR
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