Next Step Football Club of the Cambodian Second League are to be rebranded as Angkor City Football Club, according to coach and owner Charlie Pomroy in an exclusive interview with BPVE.
The news follows weeks of speculation and comes before a press release due from the club later today.
To read about the Cambodian Premier League click here.
Why the name change?
According to Pomroy “We began Next Step FC as a developmental side, but since then have transitioned into a professional club taking part in the Cambodian league system. With this in mind we wanted to change our name in order to not only project, but create a more professional environment and team”
The “city” moniker was also chosen for deliberate reasons with obvious connotations to the City Group of clubs headed by European Champions Manchester City, although there is no imminent Arab takeover expected, at least for now.
It was also revealed that part of the reason for the name change was related to the controversial club licensing regulations now in place for the Cambodian Premier League. Said system has since in part at least led to the demise of six professional clubs.
The move comes at an exciting time for fans, clubs and sponsors as BTV recently agreed rights to broadcast CPL games.
To Angkor City FC
Chief Media officer for the club Gareth Johnson confirmed that the name change was official “as of today”, but that there would also be a transition phase. “We are as of today Angkor City FC, but we will also take time to transition all of our social media accounts and websites. At least for the time being we are both Next Step FC and Angkor City FC”.
Would this mean the end of Next Step FC as a brand? Not according to Pomroy who stated “We will keep our old name alive most probably as part of our developmental programs, but much of this is yet to be finalized”.
Who are Angkor City FC?
Originally formed by Pomroy as Next Step FC in 2013 the club began as an academy and during their time saw many players into the professional game.
In 2022 the club embarked into the professional game entering the CPL 2, where they finished 11th in the 12 team league. Yet despite this the club have not only managed to survive, but thrive during a period where a number of tier-2 sides have ceased operations.
To read why clubs keep going bankrupt click here
Over recent months they have announced a number of key signings both on and off the pitch. This has included sponsorship deals with BPVE, Desportal, WonderPass and Young Pioneer Tours among others, with the club now seen as one of the strongest going into the CPL 2 this season.
This article is adapted from BPVE, (https://bpve.com/) reported and edited from the great team – Cambodia Sports Review. (https://www.cambodiasportsreview.com/)
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