The 914th Infantry’s 2026 Supporters Kit Is About More Than a Shirt

Randy Medina
2 days ago
3 min read

Members of the 914th Infantry and Westchester SC supporters gather inside 18th Ward Brewing holding a Westchester SC scarf during the launch of the 2026 supporters kit.

Supporters, Players, and Local Football Culture Come Together at 18th Ward Brewing to Celebrate 914th Infantry Kit Launch

On a cloudy Tuesday night in New Rochelle, 18th Ward Brewing once again found itself at the center of football supporter culture in Westchester County. Inside, members of the 914th Infantry gathered alongside Westchester SC players, as well as 18th Ward General Manager Andrew Vitolo, to celebrate the official launch of the 2026 supporters kit.

And while we were there to celebrate Westchester SC, the rest of the global game could still be heard echoing throughout the taproom. There was Arsenal fan gloating, Spurs supporters licking their wounds, and plenty of talk about NYCFC’s upcoming match. More signs that Westchester SC is becoming a vital link in the region’s growing soccer culture.

Because like most things surrounding this club, the night quickly became about more than just a shirt.

You see, in much of the American sports landscape, fan apparel is something sold to supporters. It’s packaged, marketed, and released with carefully planned fanfare. In football culture, however, supporters often create symbols of their own.

For the 914th Infantry, this yearly kit is our chance to embrace that identity. From nearly our very first match, the group has embraced the bee as our symbol. It’s a not-so-subtle nod to the Bee-Line buses that have carried so many of us around the county and to the idea that, much like the club itself, they help connect the many corners of Westchester together.

But the symbolism goes beyond public transit. The worker bee represents something deeper about Westchester itself. For all of the county’s wealth and prosperity, it is still held together by hardworking people from every walk of life doing their part to help our little hive thrive. A place that is not quite New York City, but certainly not upstate either.

This is why a partnership with 18th Ward felt natural from the start. General Manager Andrew Vitolo has welcomed the 914th Infantry with open arms since day one, helping turn the brewery into one of the group’s true social homes.

It may not be the flashiest or largest spot in the area, but that has never been the point. What Andrew has created is something far more important: a place where football culture genuinely feels alive.

That atmosphere was fully on display throughout the night. The moment you walked through the door you were greeted by Westchester SC and 914th scarves hanging from the walls, while conversations about the game echoed throughout the taproom. From South American leagues, to MLS, to Europe, to the USL, football in all its forms is loved here.

And what made the night feel uniquely Westchester was that it wasn’t just supporters in attendance. Westchester SC captain Conor McGlynn and forward Ermin Mackic, fresh off scoring an absolute worldie on Friday night, were there too.

Not because the club told them to be. Because they genuinely wanted to spend time with the people who support them every week.

You don’t always see that in modern sports. But moments like these are becoming part of the culture surrounding Westchester SC.

As for the shirts themselves, they were once again produced by Icarus, the same company responsible for last year’s supporters kit. Founded in England, Icarus has earned a growing global reputation for producing quality kits for clubs and supporters groups around the world, and this year’s design is no exception.

This year’s design is a vibrant gold featuring a subtle hexagonal beehive pattern, another nod to the symbolism woven throughout the identity of the 914th Infantry.

On the wearer’s left sleeve sits a pennant bearing the motto “For the County,” a reminder that this club does not belong to any one of the six cities, 19 towns, or 23 villages that make up Westchester County.

It belongs to all of them.