ST. LOUIS — Enduring traditions of excellence are coming together to bring outdoor professional soccer back to St. Louis. The Electrical Connection is joining Mercy Hospital in sponsoring the Saint Louis Football Club and its inaugural season in the United Soccer League (USL). The team’s jerseys sport the Electrical Connection and Mercy logos along with the team logo, a tie-in to the city flag of St. Louis and a patch with the newly designed USL logo. See KMOV-TV's coverage of the new jerseys at a gala event at Union Station in Downtown St. Louis on Feb. 16, 2015. The Electrical Connection is a partnership of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local One and the St. Louis Chapter, National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA).

“Much like NECA/IBEW, soccer has a long tradition of excellence in St. Louis,” Electrical Connection Executive Vice President Jim Curran said. “We are proud to be part of that tradition through our support of Saint Louis Football Club. We understand the hard work it takes to build and sustain a great team that delivers its best every day.”

"Saint Louis FC is proud to partner with Electrical Connection and their more than 5,000 members," Saint Louis FC Executive Director Patrick Barry said. "Their contractors and workforce embody what our new franchise strives to be: a skilled team that works hard every day to make St. Louis a better place to live, work, and play. We look forward to representing the NECA/IBEW partnership and the City of St. Louis every time our players pull on their jerseys."

The team is affiliated with USL’s Chicago Fire and will play its first pre-season game on February 28, 2015 at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. The team will play its home games at St. Louis Soccer Park in Fenton, Mo. and will have its home opener on April 11, 2015. The 2015 Saint Louis FC jersey will be available for purchase in early April and can be pre-ordered by visiting the team’s web site http://saintlouisfc.com.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for our IBEW membership,” said Frank Jacobs, business manager, IBEW Local One. “You’ll find our workforce throughout the community supporting boys and girls soccer from the little ones first learning to kick the ball to the schools, churches and soccer leagues that ultimately develop the talent that defines St. Louis’ soccer tradition.”

“In the schools especially, our NECA contractors and the IBEW workforce they employ have become synonymous with building excellence,” said Doug Martin, executive vice president, St. Louis Chapter NECA. “By sponsoring the Saint Louis Football Club team, the benefits of our partnership will get even more exposure to families and businesses throughout the St. Louis area.”

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