FLINT JOURNAL - JANUARY 24 2004
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Patriots bring semi-pro football to Clio
FLINT
THE FLINT JOURNAL FIRST EDITION
Saturday, January 24, 2004
By Ken Palmer
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER
A semi-pro football team that played in Flint last year will move to Clio
High School this summer and school officials said they couldn't be
happier.
"This is a great situation for us," said Gary Langdon, Clio schools athletic
director . "We understand how difficult it is for minor league sports to
survive, but I think these guys have the business savvy to make this a go."
The Genesee County Patriots, which played its inaugural season at
Atwood Stadium, will play home games at the high school this year under
a one-year contract with the school district.
The team will pay rent for using the stadium, and the district's booster
organization will get 50 percent of the revenue from the tickets the
boosters sell, school officials said. The rental fee will range from $250 to
$1,000 per game, depending on actual costs, they said.
The team also has promised to work with the district's high school, middle
school and youth football programs, Langdon said.
The Patriots went 2-8 last year in the Ohio Valley Football League, whose
season runs from June through September.
Brad Lyon, the team's vice president, said the Patriots drew 1,200
spectators for its first game at Atwood, although attendance slipped to as
low as 240 later in the season, partly because of bad weather, he said.
Lyon said he believes the team could regularly draw about 2,400 fans a
game in Clio.
"It's a great location, with good expressway access," he said. "It's a small
community, yet still right next door to the Flint metropolitan area. And the
whole community is very supportive."
Business partners Leo Lyon and son, Brad, approached Swartz Creek
School District last year but couldn't reach a deal.
Swartz Creek officials said they declined because of concerns about
scheduling, wear on facilities and financial matters.
The team will play seven homes games beginning June 5. The practice
location has yet to be determined.
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Ken Palmer covers the justice system and the Clio area. He can be
reached at (810) 766-6313.
© 2004 Flint Journal. Used with permission
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