ASBURY PARK, N.J. — In most every way, Asbury Park F.C. is like any professional soccer club in the world. It has slick jerseys manufactured by a major sporting goods brand, with a shirt sponsor and a recognizable logo in the club’s black-and-white color scheme.
The team is nicknamed “the Tillies,” a somewhat mystifying shorthand to new followers befitting a historic team. Even the F.C. suffix connotes a more European “football club” rather than a less authentic-sounding “soccer club.”
Naturally, A.P.F.C., as it is referred to by those in the know, maintains carefully curated social media accounts and sells an extensive merchandise line, including new and retro replica jerseys.