Philadelphia Lone Star FC

History

Philadelphia Lone Star F.C. began in 2001 as Junior Lone Star Football Club, founded by a group of Liberian American immigrants who played soccer. The original name honored the Liberian national team, reflecting the players' heritage. That first year, the club consisted of just one team of 11 players. Over time, it expanded to three teams with more than 70 players.

By 2012, the First Team competed in the National Premier Soccer League, the Reserve Team (U-23) in the US Club Soccer National Adult League, and the Junior Team (U-19/20) in the USL Super-20 League. The club's first major title came in 2008, when the U-23 squad won the Eastern Pennsylvania State U23 Cup. That team then represented Eastern Pennsylvania in the 2008 USASA Region I Men's U-23 Cup, beating West Chester United SC in the semifinals and FC Delco in the final.

They went on to represent Region I at the 2008 USASA National Men's U-23 Championship, where they lost in the semifinals to Ela Elite, who eventually won the tournament. Philadelphia Lone Star F.C. holds affiliations with the United States Youth Soccer Association, the United States Adult Soccer Association, and US Club Soccer.

Colors and badge

Philadelphia Lone Star FC wears white home kits with red and navy stripes on the sides. Their away colors have traditionally been either navy or red, but in recent years the team has used a variety of different shades. The club’s color scheme mirrors that of the Liberia national football team. Before adopting their current crest on September 5, 2018—when the club changed its name to Philadelphia Lone Star—the Stars had used two earlier badges.

The first badge, created when the club was founded in 2001, was a circular design based on official club documents from the mid-1960s. It featured the same shield as the current crest inside a circle that carried the club’s name. In late 2011, that badge was replaced by a circular crest split in half by the words “Junior Lone Star FC.” The top half showed red and white stripes, while the bottom half contained a shining white star and the year 2001 set in a blue field.

The current crest is a pointed shield, chosen to represent strength and togetherness—values central to the Lone Star identity since the club’s start. Its 13 vertical stripes, alternating red and white, stand for the 13 original players who formed the first squad in 2001. The Liberty Bell appears on the badge, a symbol of Philadelphia, which welcomed the club’s West African members. The bell’s name also echoes the Liberia National Motto: “The Love of LIBERTY Brought Us Here.”

Two different blues appear around and inside the crest: the left shade comes from the Philadelphia city flag, and the right shade comes from the flag of Liberia. The red and white stripes, blue field, and white star directly reference the Liberian flag, while the year 2001 marks the club’s founding.