In 1980, an ad was placed in the Village Voice looking for gay men interested in playing soccer in an area of Central Park known as the Ramble. This was the birth of the New York Ramblers, the world’s first organized openly-gay soccer club. The club provided a safe space for Ramblers all with a mutual interest and love of soccer to meet and socialize outside of the traditional settings of bars and clubs.

Since the inception of the club, the mission of the Ramblers remains largely unchanged: to provide a comfortable and fun atmosphere for all people to enjoy the competition and camaraderie of soccer, regardless of skill level, sexual orientation, gender, race or religion; to break down stereotypes about LGBTQ+ people in sports; and to forge new friendships as part of an ongoing Ramblers family.

The New York Ramblers Soccer Club is a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization.

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PRACTICE

Practice is a chance to sharpen your skills, get more touches on the ball and scrimmage in friendly play in a relaxed environment.

You'll need shin guards, socks and turf shoes. Try to arrive 15-20 minutes prior to the start of practice to get ready. No slide tackling permitted.

LEAGUE

We organize an internal Ramblers league three times a year. Game Play is short field, 7v7 (6 + a keeper), sub on the fly, no off-sides. 2 x 20 min halves with 2:00 half time.

You'll need shin guards, socks and turf shoes. Try to arrive 20-30 minutes before to get ready and warm up. No slide tackling permitted.

EXTERNAL & TOURNAMENTS

We play in men's leagues throughout New York City, and participate and organize multiple tournaments throughout the year.

Be sure to follow our social media accounts and subscribe to our digest at the bottom of our page to stay up to date on our offerings.

PRACTICE

Spring - MONDAYS
7-8:30p, Gansevoort Field

Summer - SATURDAYS
1-4p, Pier 40 First floor, back half

Fall - SUNDAYS
7-9p, Pier 40 Rooftop

Practice Info

LEAGUE

Spring - MONDAYS
Chelsea Waterside Park
23rd & 11th Ave

Spring - THURSDAYS
Pier 40 Courtyard West
Houston & Westside Highway

Summer - MONDAYS
Chelsea Waterside Park
23rd & 11th Ave

Fall - MONDAYS
Chelsea Waterside Park
23rd & 11th Ave

LEAGUE INFO

SOCIALS

Our social calendar changes every season, but we have our favorite hang outs.

GYM BAR Chelsea

STONEWALL West Village

ROCKBAR West Village

JudyZ’s West Village

BOXERS Hell’s Kitchen

The EAGLE Chelsea

CALENDAR

VOLUNTEER

There are a number of ways to work with our club. We're always looking for extra hands with events and social outreach, League management, Practice, The Indoor Classic, tournaments and fundraising.

With our Scholarship in its eighth year and many external tournaments
we can use your help with planning and fundraising!

Learn More

BECOMING A MEMBER

All prospective members are allowed to attend two free practices before deciding to join.

Once you’re ready to join, all members are required to pay Annual Dues.

Annual Dues help the cover club wide operational costs, including but not limited to website, equipment, field permits, referees, annual events, swag, collateral and other club needs. Dues paying members receive access to:

FREE practice spring, summer and fall, once a week, with days changing seasonally.
ACCESS to our reduced price leagues averaging $90/per player. The standard league price in NYC (Urban Soccer, Metro, NYCoed, Zog, etc) is $130-150 per season.
EVENTS thrown monthly, if not more frequently, at affiliated sponsor bars and clubs around NYC. Socials, brunch events, outings and other activities.
TOURNAMENT access with potential subsidies (e.g. brunch, jerseys) and the chance to represent the Ramblers within the US and around the globe.
LOCAL league opportunities to play in competitive men's leagues throughout the greater NYC area, and represent the Ramblers.
EQUIPMENT with our apparel partners UPPER 90 Soccer, with two locations in NYC and online.
ANNUAL awards party to celebrate and commemorate the club and its members

Click the button below to sign the liability waiver prior to your first practice or pay annual dues!

BECOME A MEMBER

CALENDAR

New to the Sport?

We’ve curated a few videos to help you get started. The first will show you the rules of the game (we modify our rules for 7-a-side soccer), and the four videos under the main video will teach you how each position is played. Be sure to attend our weekly practices to iron out the skills, and keep an eye out for our BetterPlayer practices too!

Reach out to President@nyramblers.com or VicePresident@nyramblers.com if you have any other questions.