Phil Imhof

Co-Founder, Fishtown Football Club

Philadelphia, PA

“Don’t be a sucker’ was a wink at the fact that the original form of Fishtown wasn’t a real club, but rather a jovial tool to bring people together.”

Socrates, 399 B.C.

We are in a time of craving a sense of togetherness and community more than ever before.  This week we have our eyes on a Fishtown local who used the power of sports to bring together a group of athletes, and the greater Philadelphia community, to create something greater than himself.

A soccer fan through and through, Phil Imhof, founder and CEO of Fishtown FC, and friend Jon Turner, always joked about starting a fake team in their neighborhood as an excuse to get people together, drink beer and watch soccer.

 “Prior to the pandemic, I played in a few indoor leagues, and was running small-sided pick up matches every Sunday morning. I had made a few connections with some people that were looking to play on a competitive team. So we had made the decision around February to start up a team.”

Rewind about 25 years, Fishtown FC was renowned as the most successful club in the city.  The team, which took a hiatus in 1994, has always had a history of supporting local youth soccer organizations.  After the US failed to qualify for the World Cup, Phil and Jon, decided to leverage their collective (full-time) retail experience to raise money for local youth clubs through the production of clothing items.  Since 2017, the club has raised over $3600.

When the opportunity arose to revive the team and grow the game of soccer in Philadelphia, the decision to do so seemed natural.  “I had already made the connections in person so it wasn’t difficult to put the team together.  The hardest part was just uncertainty around if we would even have a season in 2020.”

Half-way through their debut season, Phil has lead Fishtown FC to a solid 3-2-2 start. By building partnerships and hosting events around the city to connect the community of soccer fans, Phil and the volunteer players of FFC are growing team recognition and support, particularly with their slogan "Don't be a sucker."

“‘Don’t be a sucker’ was a wink at the fact that the original form of Fishtown wasn’t a real club, but rather a jovial tool to bring people together.”

 So, don't be a sucker! Support Fishtown FC.