Milwaukee Brewers FC History

The influx of immigrants that arrived in Milwaukee in the 20th century spawned clubs like the Croatian Eagles, Bavarian Soccer Club, Milwaukee Sport Club, Verdi Sport Club and the United Serbians–all of which remain today–along with defunct clubs like the Hungarian Tigers. These teams provided recreation and entertainment for Milwaukee’s immigrant communities.

Employees of the Schlitz Brewery, along with the late Willie Knause who did much of the recruitment, founded Brewers F.C. in 1947. Predominantly German immigrants, the players got the brewery to sponsor the team, and the name “Old Milwaukee Brewers” was born. 

During the first two years the Brewers played in the Milwaukee City League and in 1948 a second team, the “Blackhawks,” which had been organized in 1946, merged with the club to become the reserve team.

In 1949 the Brewers joined the First Division of the the Chicago National League and played with the Northern section. After winning the championship in 1952 they were promoted to the Major Division.

In 1951 the Brewers won the Wisconsin Challenge Cup and retained it for five years, being the first team to accomplish this feat.

During this time the Wisconsin league had expanded with an influx of new players. As the competition had become more challenging, the Brewers came back to the Wisconsin State League in the Major Division.

On May 17, 1953, the Milwaukee Brewers Soccer Club became the first local club to take on a foreign team, 1 F.C. Nuernberg. They would play again in 1962. In 1963 the Brewers would also play an international match against F.C. Hertha 03 Zehlendorf. 

In 1961 the Reserve Team won the championship and the Challenge Cup in their respective division, while the majors team tied for first place in their league.

In 1965, the Brewers purchased land at 5401 West Good Hope and went on to build a soccer stadium, chalet, and restaurant. Their 1966 inaugural game was a friendly match against the Fichte-Rams of Chicago. That year they went on to capture the Wisconsin Challenge Cup.

In 1971 the Brewers traveled to Germany in order to take on several German teams in friendly games and in 1975 they won the Majors championship.

By the 1990s, the Brewers had fallen on hard times. A few years earlier, a kitchen fire destroyed the restaurant and chalet at the club’s fields. The fields and property were sold. Only one team survived, run by player-coach Al Werner.

In 1996, Kevin Jahnke stepped forward as President of the club. He was given the rights to the club’s name and set forth to re-establish the Brewers, who were down to just a handful of members. Under Jahnke, the club rejoined the 1st Division and grew to include several women’s, coed and over thirty teams. Although he resigned as president in 2008, he was recognized by the Wisconsin Soccer Hall of Fame Committee in 2011 with a Meritorious Service Award for his revitalization of the club.

In 2008, Billy Thorpe took over as President of the club. In recent years Brewers F.C. has expanded to include several coed and over thirty teams, formed a partnership with FC Wisconsin, and once again rejoined the Majors in the new WSL. Brewers First Division won the championship in 2020 and finished runner up in 2021. Brewers Majors won the Lake Express Cup Trophy in 2016 and finished runners up in WSL Majors Division in 2015, 2017, 2020, and 2021. They were declared Major League Champions for the COVID shortened 2019 season and won the Major League Spring Championship in 2022.