Leviathan FC launches unique deal with Scottish soccer club

AVON, Ohio – In a kind of sports exchange-student deal, Lorain County Leviathan FC has teamed with Inverness Caledonian Thistle on a partnership aimed at strengthening player development and expanding tourism links between Scotland and the United States. Under the agreement, the Leviathan FC players, who compete in USL2, will be observed by Inverness Caledonian Thistle’s staff, offering increased visibility for players seeking opportunities abroad. Club officials believe the arrangement is among the first structured partnerships of its kind at USL2. The partnership also will promote tourism and cultural exchange between the Scottish Highlands and Lake Erie region, with collaborative events planned in both areas. Inverness is on the banks of the River Ness near Loch Ness. Leviathan Chairman Andrew McDonnell called the partnership a win-win for the players and region. It works like this: On Saturday, May 2, Inverness’ final game of the regular season, the Lorain County contingent will head to Scotland. A contingent from the Inverness club’s front office will come over here Saturday, June 13. The trips are for four days. “We’re doing a multi-location visit with the community, and when they come here they are going to do the same thing, go to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Cedar Point, Lorain County Lighthouse,” McDonnell said. Players also will share via video what they like about the other’s location. The Scottish folks will compare fish and chips back home to French fries in the United States. “Not only is it the physical on-the-grounds stuff, but it’s also some cute back and forth,” he said. The agreement expands the teams’ global reach, particularly across emerging football markets in North America. The Leviathan FC begin its inaugural season Wednesday, May 20, at Steel City FC, before their home opener against FC Buffalo on Monday, May 25. The teams said the partnership provides international credibility, direct access to UK football networks and increased visibility. “It came about because of communication regarding player development pathway,” said McDonnell, who said soccer clubs, like baseball, often have affiliations with those in other, higher leagues. “We were looking for a team we could connect our players to. If they are successful, there is a future for them on a roster somewhere,” he said. He said the deal doesn’t have to stop with the Scottish League One club, that the Leviathan have had “some decent talks” with teams in the Bahamas, the Caribbean and one in England. Leagues often have passport restrictions, so a program like this could lay the groundwork to smooth out logistical concerns about players competing abroad. A tertiary effect of the deal involves Disney World, the No. 1 tourism destination for English travelers, McDonnell said, with the soccer officials looking at involving representatives there as well. For Inverness Caledonian Thistle, the move represents an opportunity to widen scouting networks while strengthening ties between two communities united by football and water. Andrew Benjamin, commercial director of the Inverness club, said in a press release the partnership aligns with the club’s ambitions on and off the pitch: “It is a natural integration to draw American eyes not only to the team but to the Highland community itself. The region welcomes more than 8.8 million tourists each year, and this partnership allows us to showcase Inverness and the Highlands to a new audience while strengthening football connections internationally.” It’s not the first relationship between soccer teams in Northeast Ohio and across the pond. In the 1960s, a sister city-style of arrangement paired clubs. The Cleveland Stokers were aligned with Stoke-on-Trent, located 150 miles northwest of London. The Stokers played in 1967 and 1968.