CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A half decade ago, David Tepper took center stage of the Charlotte sports scene after purchasing the Carolina Panthers from Jerry Richardson. 

After the acquisition, Tepper soon launched another team in Charlotte, the Major League Soccer franchise Charlotte Football Club. 

Five years after introducing himself to Charlotte and its sports fans, some of those fans tell Spectrum News 1 it’s been a rocky road so far, but they have hope for the future.

For example, David McClelland and his passion for the Panthers would be hard to miss if you visited his house. On a quiet suburban street, his screened-in garage is a shrine to the Panthers and McClelland’s memories with the team.

Photos, decals, patches and other icons touch every wall, nook and cranny. In one corner, there are bobble heads and a stuffed-Panthers pillow. In another, there's an adorned kilt with patches from dozens of Panthers fan clubs across the country.

“I have a very understanding wife too, which is lucky,” McClelland joked. “This got started really during the pandemic. Had a group of friends that wanted to come over and watch games, which we traditionally did. But nobody wanted to be in the house together with masks on and all that. So, I offered to set up my garage to watch the games with a projector.”

In the years since, McClelland’s collection has grown thanks to fellow fans, friends and neighbors. He said after first starting the fan cave, visitors started bringing over more items, which then encouraged others to bring him even more.

“This is probably the newest picture, we were lucky to be selected as part of the Panthers’ inner circle to attend the draft in Kansas City,” McClelland said, gesturing to a photo of him with 2023 NFL first-round draft pick Bryce Young. 

When not at the cave, McClelland is a 10-year season ticket holder for the Panthers and longtime member of the Roaring Riot fan club. But, McClelland also remembers when the future was in doubt as former Panthers owner Jerry Richardson sold the team after scandal accusations.

“The transition was a little jarring because of how kind of abruptly the first ownership ended. And suddenly, the team is for sale and there’s uncertainty about who’s going to buy it. There were a lot of people who were afraid it might be moved, or something odd might happen,” McClelland recalled.

Enter billionaire David Tepper, who bought the team five years ago and brought new hope to the region and its fans. Five years later, those same fans said the start was rockier than they had hoped.

“The first five years have been a struggle. Overall. But, not only do we now have the number one pick in Bryce Young, but we also have a coaching staff that I think is equipped is to make the most out of him, and the team as well,” McClelland said.

Since Tepper became owner, the Panthers have yet to have a winning season. They recently fired head coach Matt Rhule and left hurt feelings and legal woes in South Carolina after a failed practice facility project was never completed.

There is some hope beginning anew after the team's recent draft of Young, a potential franchise quarterback, and putting together a new, experienced coaching staff. 

“We also have a coaching staff that I think is equipped to make the most out of him,” McClelland said. “I think we’re entering into a period of a lot of success.”

Closer to Uptown Charlotte in a local beer shop, the attention is more on European football as opposed to American. Tepper brought Charlotte its newest professional team, Charlotte FC, to the pitch last year, with a dazzling home opener meant to showcase the future of the new franchise. 

“But what do you do with it afterwords? What do you do with the community? Do you fulfill your promises? Do you try to improve the product on the field? Do you improve their facilities?” asked Salud owner, Jason Glunt. “With the amount of money we have, that should be in process. And it seems like it’s a constant change, or there’s always somebody leaving, or the plans change. It seems pretty unorganized for someone that successful.”

Glunt’s beer shop and bar in the NoDa neighborhood has become a hotspot for soccer watch parties across fans from every league.

“We were really excited. We were excited to bring another element to our business. And it’s been great. We’ve actually gained soccer fans from not just FC, but from the World Cup, from European teams, from South American teams,” Glunt said. 

Glunt is also a Charlotte FC season ticket holder and east Charlotte resident. He said separate from the team’s on-pitch performance, the franchise’s decision to leave the old Eastland Mall revitalization project soured some of the fun.

“I’m a resident of the east side of Charlotte, and that left a bad taste in my mouth when they kind of abandoned that project. That would have been really really important for our community, and much needed for our community,” Glunt said.

Like McClelland and the Panthers, Glunt is also frustrated with the rocky start Charlotte FC has experienced. 

“You know they still don’t have a proper training facility, there’s still no plans. If there’s a new stadium, is it going to be soccer specific? Is it going to be a separate one from football? There’s a lot of turnover in the front office. The sporting director seems disjointed from the team on the field with what the coach wants to do. So there’s things that we definitely need to improve on. With those resources of the owner, I think we should have a better record,” Glunt added.

Despite Glunt’s misgivings, the team says it does have future plans in the area. A permanent training and team facility is nearing completion along the Monroe Road corridor in Charlotte, according to team officials. It is the area the franchise selected after leaving the Eastland Mall project.

Spectrum News 1 asked Tepper Sports and Entertainment to comment on the first five years and will update this story with its response. 

In the meantime, both McClelland and Glunt said they would look to the next five years and what might happen on and off the field. 

“I mean, I really hope it’s a success,” Glunt added. “I hope he learns from the mistakes that have been made, which, it’s... obviously, I understand running a business is hard, especially that size.”

Back in his garage, McClelland added, “I think that when you’re a fan for long enough you start to be able to better sort of ride out the highs and the lows.”