The name 1904 was suggested by a fan, and refers to S and D, the nineteenth and fourth letters of the alphabet (also, the letters S and D resemble the numbers 9 and 0 in the club logo).[4] Commenters on social media pointed out that the number could also be seen as a reference to a joke in the filmAnchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy (in which Burgundy falsely asserts that San Diego was "discovered by the Germans in 1904"), leading journalists to suggest that reference may have been intentional.[5][6][7]
The club's founders include soccer playersDemba Ba andEden Hazard.[8] The club intended to build a soccer stadium inOceanside, approximately 40 miles (64 km) north of downtown San Diego.[9]
The team was originally announced to make its debut in theNorth American Soccer League in 2018.[10] However, due to the cancellation of the2018 NASL season, the expansion team withdrew from the NASL and attempted to reach an agreement to join theUnited Soccer League in 2019.[11][12] On June 7, 2018, it was revealed that 1904 FC's exclusive negotiating window had elapsed without agreement in place to join USL.[13] On September 6, 2018, theNational Independent Soccer Association (NISA), a planned Division III league, confirmed that San Diego 1904 FC was the league's first member club.[14] NISA has applied to theUnited States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer) for sanctioning as a Division III league to start play in 2019.[15] The club played at 70,561-seat capacitySDCCU Stadium for the Fall 2019 NISA season.[16]
On August 29, 2019, Alexandre Gontran was announced as the club's first head coach.[17]
On July 28, 2020, the team announced it would go on hiatus for theFall 2020 NISA season due to theCOVID-19 pandemic and un-sustainability that would come from playing behind closed doors.[19] On September 2, NISA and the team both confirmed it would be returning for theSpring 2021 season.[20] This continued into 2021 when the team was announced as one of nine participating teams in both the Spring season and NISA Legends Cup tournament.[21] On July 7, it was announced that 1904 FC had withdrawn from the 2021 NISA Independent Cup, with the league citing that the club had opted for a "different route to prepare for the fall season".[22]In December 2021, the team announced it would be taken over byAlbion San Diego.[3]
^Trujillo, Héctor."Regresará San Diego 1904 para la Temporada 2021".Noticias Locales, Policiacas, sobre México y el Mundo | El Sol de Tijuana | Baja California.Archived from the original on January 27, 2022. RetrievedMarch 15, 2021.
Lorenzo Ramirez Jr.
Alexandre Gontran
Scott Morrison
Sports teams based inCalifornia
