Submitted by Lacey Pocket Gophers
The Lacey Pocket Gophers Football Club is an exciting brand of semi-pro adult men’s soccer aiming to bring live, family fun sports & entertainment starting May 5 at 7:30 p.m. at North Thurston’s South Sound Stadium versus Federal Way for “Youth Sports Night.”
The first 500 kids will receive a free 20oz sport water bottle courtesy of ThurstonTalk as they pass through the gates.
Every kid in attendance will have the opportunity to play free video games for 10-minute periods courtesy of Elite Mobile Gaming’s 28-foot trailer, part of the Pocket Gophers’ enhanced children’s area during home matches. (Elite Mobile Gaming Picture). The area includes bounce houses courtesy of Charlie’s Safari, face painting and balloon animals by JLO Magic, and Italian gelato by Olympia’s Sofie’s Scoops.
The Pocket Gophers are seeking to change how fans engage and interact with a live local sporting event, through enhanced promotion that exists both on and off of the field, said Chairman Troy Kirby.
That includes having the “JumpRope King” Nat Jackson, a 74-year-old world record holder who has appeared on Steve Harvey, performing at halftime with kids selected from the audience.
Pocket Gophers Chairman/President Troy Kirby says this is all about creating a unique value and great can’t-miss-theater for the crowd.
“We aim to be the KISS of amateur soccer,” said Kirby. “You’ve either seen our gopher mascots everywhere in the community or you will end up seeing them. By the time May 5 hits, you’ll have an opinion on it, good or bad. Our goal is to be the pride of the Lacey community and beyond.”
Any adult who purchases a $35 “invasive species fan support scarf” gets into every match for free.
Every kid who purchases the $25 kids club scarf gets into every match for free, plus 10 additional minutes of e-gaming time in the Elite Mobile Gaming trailer.
This doesn’t even include some of the other mayhem and circus that the Pocket Gophers are planning, Kirby said.
“You never know what our group is capable of creating for a promotion next, which makes it more fun that you should be legally allowed,” Kirby said.
GopherBingo will also be available for fans to utilize; it allows those fans who log-on and play bingo for prizes during the game, all from their mobile device.
The food offerings for Pocket Gophers patrons are full of excitement as well, with Bus 49, a local business that retrofitted a city bus into one of the best concessionaires around. Their meal choices include Gopher Burgers, “EPA” Nachos (pulled pork & loaded), and Gopher “Tails” (Andouille Sausage). Patrons can wash it all down with “Invasive Species” Slushees or “South County Soda” (Italian Soda w/ Red Bull).
The Pocket Gophers & Bus 49 are introducing The Butt Pucker Challenge – 6 chicken drumlets soaked in BBQ/Carolina Reaper sauce (1.539 million units on the Scoville Scale, in 2013 named the hottest pepper in the world by Guinness Book). Entrants to the Butt Pucker Challenge will receive a limited edition t-shirt as well as a small bottle of milk of magnesia for their cruel efforts to their lower intestines, provided they sign a waiver and can hold out on not drinking anything for 10 minutes after eating the hot drumlets, of course.
Kirby said that the Pocket Gophers have plenty of promotions planned unique for all five home matches this season.
“Each match is an event, and we plan to treat it that way,” Kirby said. “We’ll maximize your dollar, in every way possible.”
None of this takes away from the action on the field, which will be a top-flight semi-pro soccer action.
“We have great adult men’s soccer coming, right down to our amazing uniform design,” Kirby said. “Our head coach Chris Crowe is a renowned educator in the area, and our team is full of young talent ready to take on the league for the championship.”
The Lacey Pocket Gophers Football Club is a member of the newly formed Western Washington Premiere League, with seven soccer clubs including Centralia, Grays Harbor, Gig Harbor, Issaquah, Kirkland and Federal Way. It is owned by Troy Kirby, Andrew Rose, Nick Schmidt and Trevor Altman.
“You can’t even go to the movies alone on the price we’re charged, but you’re still not going to get the value that we’ve got anywhere else,” Kirby said. “We only have five home matches, but we aim to have the best fan experience for the value. Hopefully we’ll have enough room for all of the interest we’ve already gotten from the local community.”
Tickets are $10 or less for adults, $6 for seniors or kids. A family pack (two adults, two kids) is $20 total and a military family pack (two adults, two kids with military I.D.) is $16. Purchase tickets on the Lacey Gophers Eventbrite site.
