Photos by Gregory Koch, Stadium Journey
Stadium Info FANFARE Score: 2.57
Segra Field 42095 Loudoun United Dr Leesburg, VA 20175
Year Opened: 2019 Capacity: 5,000
Getting Loud at Segra Field
Loudoun United are a member of the USL Championship that joined the league in 2019. Although top-division soccer in the United States has enjoyed great stability over the last two-plus decades with the success of Major League Soccer, lower-division soccer has not. This means that the USL has changed formats several times over the years. Currently, the USL-C is the second division of American soccer after MLS.
Loudoun United is owned by nearby MLS club D.C. United, and most of the players on Loudoun are affiliated with the parent club in some way. Some are on contracts that allow them to play in both leagues, while others are members of the club’s Youth Academy. Before 2019, DCU had an affiliation with the Richmond Kickers, but as the Kickers were independently owned, United was somewhat more limited in what it could do. The Kickers, now unaffiliated with any MLS side, have moved down to USL League One, which rather confusingly is the third division of American soccer.
Loudoun United plays their home games at Segra Field in Leesburg, located in north-central Loudoun County, which lends its name to the club. The county and team name is pronounced like “LOUD in,” not “low down” as some people will claim to mess with visitors. The stadium is part of Phillip A. Bolen Park, a county park.
Since opening in 2019, Segra Field has undergone additional construction to include the addition of restrooms and improvements to the locker rooms.
Food & Beverage 4
Segra Field has a number of concessions options from local vendors. Paisano’s Pizza sells their pizza on the concourse, as does a local barbecue place which sells various sandwiches and other options. Kona Ice also sells their products out of a truck behind one of the goals. Soft drinks and beer are available throughout the stadium. Prices can vary depending on the stand but are about what you would expect. The quality of the food is quite high here and not just your typical stadium food.
Atmosphere 3
Segra Field is a small stadium, which means there is not a bad seat in the house. There are chair backs along both sidelines, bleachers behind one of the goals, and suites behind the other. All seats are reserved. There is a small scoreboard in the corner of the field which shows only the most basic information.
The club does a decent job at contributing to the atmosphere, by playing music after goals and during pregame introductions to pump the crowd up, but with no breaks in the action except halftime, you won’t find as much extra entertainment as you would in another sport. Additionally, the sound system is so poor you will often have trouble hearing this even when they do play it.
In theory there is a Supporters Group called the Stampede in the bleachers, who would help with the atmosphere if they were actually there, but they weren’t when we went.
Neighborhood 2
Segra Field is located in the middle of a county park, and there are really no restaurants or things to do in the immediate vicinity, nor is there anyplace to stay, unless you count the county jail. Your best bet is to head a few miles into downtown Leesburg, where there are plenty of places to eat, visit, and stay. This can be about a ten-minute drive, but it’s really your only option.
The Leesburg Public House and Tarbender’s Lounge are popular places to grab a drink and a bite to eat. Those looking for something other than a bar may want to check out Melt Gourmet Cheeseburgers or the Leesburg Diner, although the latter is only open for breakfast and lunch. There are many good options in Leesburg, but the fact that all of them are so far from the stadium really brings this rating down.
Fans 2
Loudoun United averages only about 1,000 fans per game in a 5,000 seat stadium. This is not a good look for the team. Theoretically the Supporters should help improve that, but they were not even there when we went. In fact, much of the energy came from a small contingent of visiting fans that almost made this feel like a Loudoun away game despite being only a small fraction of those in attendance. LUFC tries to do some tie-ins with parent club D.C. United such as offering free tickets to their season ticket holders and doing joint promotions, but it doesn’t seem to be working.
Access 2
Unfortunately, Segra Field is difficult to access and difficult to get around. Fans will most likely find themselves taking Exit 3 off the Dulles Greenway (State Route 267) and then proceeding a few miles to the stadium. Part of the trip involves narrow roads, which are unlit and very dark at night, and there is even a one-lane bridge you have to cross. Once you’re in Bolen Park, you will then have to drive a bit more to get to the stadium, and while there are some signs to parking, they don’t always take you to the best, or the closest, lot. Wherever you park, it will cost you $5, and credit cards are accepted.
Keep in mind the Greenway and the Dulles Toll Road (as Route 267 is known east of Dulles Airport) both charge tolls, and you can expect to pay around $10 to get here from Washington, D.C. or other locations inside the Beltway. If you’re coming from closer to Leesburg, the toll will be less.
Once you are in the stadium, it does not get much better. The concourse is basically just asphalt with temporary lighting, and to get to your seat, you need to walk up all the way to the top of the section and then back down to your seat. This does not seem very efficient. Restrooms were finally installed this 2021 season, two years after the stadium opened. They are located in trailers and are of a sufficient size for the small crowd, but are rather cramped.
Return on Investment 4
Tickets start at $20 for bleacher seats and chair backs in the corners and no non-premium seat is more than $30. If you want a suite or one of the VIP seats at midfield you will have to pay quite a bit more, however. Keep in mind the VIP midfield seats are only the first three rows so you can get a good ticket here at an affordable price. Concessions are affordable and of good quality so a visit to Segra Field can be a good deal for soccer fans.
Extras 1
There is a team shop by the entrance where fans can buy Loudoun United gear.
Final Thoughts
Although a visit to Segra Field may not be the same as a visit to a D.C. United game at Audi Field, it is still a chance to see professional soccer in the D.C. area. Many of these players will likely go on to play for D.C. United one day, so it is a chance to see the club’s top prospects while they are young. In the two years since they were founded, Loudoun United has made multiple improvements to the stadium experience, and we hope that continues going forward.
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