The Norwich City Soccer Club was formed in the fall of 1992 under the leadership of Brad Jewett. This was the forerunner of the Chenango Soccer Club. 

Before 1992, the only competitive youth soccer was at the academic level through the public schools of Chenango County. Any soccer interested players or family were resigned to playing with their respective school teams, to informal play or if of a more serious mind, to travel outside the immediate Chenango County area. The outside opportunities available convinced a core group of spirited “Chenango-ites” to band together, put some teams together to travel every Saturday during the fall to play in the popular and well-established Oneonta-based Jaycee Youth Soccer League.

As interest grew over time from that recreational soccer experience, it ultimately prompted the growing ranks of soccer people to realize that local teams could be formed with competition held right here in Chenango County. In the fall of 1992, it was through the Norwich City Soccer Club that one team was enrolled in the Broome County Soccer Association’s Spring Travel League. After the inaugural season, it became quite apparent that to be competitive on the pitch, the best players from Norwich needed to be augmented with the players from throughout the County. In the 2nd season, 3 teams were entered into the Broome League made-up mostly of Norwich players with other players from Oxford, Sherburne and Gilbertsville. As county-wide player participation continued to grow, Club leaders felt it was appropriate to try and grow the Norwich City Soccer Club to reflect that more comprehensive role.

In 1995, the name and orientation of the lead soccer organization became the Chenango Soccer Club. Under the new soccer structure, that same year, a recreational program started with teams participating from throughout the county. Most of the towns in the County fielded teams. The purpose of the Recreational league was to serve as a feeder system to the more competitive programs.

By 1997, there were 12 teams playing competitively and around 400 children were playing recreationally. This incredible growth put an unbelievable strain on area fields.

At that point, the rapidly maturing Club set about the assessing the prospect of developing a fields complex of its own and named a committee to lead that effort. The rest, as they say, is history!!

With a strong Club leadership group at the helm, the word got out and with advice and support from people outside the organization, things began to move forward. David and MaryEl Emerson of Oxford felt that a good central location for a field development project would be in Oxford and agreed to donate 21 acres of land on NYS Route #12 for the Soccer Park. A site plan was created, donations were made, BOCES conservation students began the preliminary earthwork and grants were applied for. Local businesses such as NBT, The Raymond Corporation, The Pennysaver and The Evening Sun plus other generous local individual families made donations to the project. Local and State Politicians added their support as well as Chenango County itself and the Town of Oxford.

Clark Companies started the field construction leading to the Groundbreaking/Dedication Ceremony, September 27, 2001. The club offered and the Emerson Family agreed to name the emerging $750,000 facility in honor of the late family patriarch. The David L. Emerson Soccer Farm was born.