Here we go! The Fire begin a sixth year of play at Toyota Park this Saturday, a place that feels more like home for more and more Fire fans every season. You’ll notice a considerable change in the Harlem End this season, though: there will be more standing, singing, flag-waving, jumping up and down going-nuts-having-fun Fire fans in Section 8 than EVER before EVERY game!
Last year,
Section
8 Chicago
, the Independent
Supporters’ Association for the Chicago Fire Soccer Club, sat down with the
front office to work out a plan to achieve something very ambitious: to more
than double the number of season tickets in Section 8 from 389 in 2010 to 800
in 2011. To give a little context, that 389 was already a record number in
Section 8. As of today,
722
season tickets have been sold in
Section 8 for the 2011 season. 800 is approaching as fast as the home opener.
Why 800 as the target? Well, the plan encompassed expanding
Section 8 in the Harlem End from two sections (117 & 118) to four sections
in 2011 (116, 117, 118, 119). To
do that, we all agreed we needed to grow the season ticket base and make sure
those sections were filled with Fire fans who wanted to be there every game: to
learn the songs, to make the banners and wave the flags that Section 8 has
become legendary for. To grow Section 8 in the right way and build the noise and
passion across the Harlem End required doubling the number of season tickets to
match doubling the size of Section 8 as the standing, singing Fire supporters’
area.
The past six months
have seen supporters and the front office put in an extraordinary effort to
reach that goal. The S8 forums, S8
Facebook, S8
Twitter, S8 emails,
in-person meetings, tailgates at the end of last season….all have been
constantly peppered by discussion of SEASON TICKETS. For so many fans to become
advocates for “sales” shows this relationship between fans and the club is more
than a transaction, it’s a community people want to grow: because it’s fun,
because it’s passionate, because we have serious pride in our soccer team in
Chicago and we want to show that to the world.
It’s fitting, then,
that the date of the home opener - March 26th – is one with a little Fire
resonance: it was four years ago on that very date when Brandon Kitchens posted
a message entitled “Stand & Deliver” on the old Section 8 forums, a
rallying cry that has found its way into our hearts, into the Chicago
Fire Soccer Club Fan Charter,
and into the handbook given to every Fire player by team management. As Brandon
wrote:
“For the team, as always, we are behind
you, our expectations may be high, but we are not unreasonable. You are in this
league because you have talent, strength, passion, and commitment. I challenge
you, we as fans challenge you to never take a game off, never take a play off,
EVER. We will be your rock, we will be unwavering, and we will stand beside you
always. Bring the strength back, bring the pride back, and put us at the top
forever. We will be strong for you every game, no matter our numbers, all we ask
is you do the same, it is your PRIVILEGE to wear the colors as it is ours, it
is our HONOR to stand behind you, as it should be yours to play for us. If you
leave it all out on the field every game nothing can stop us, no matter who we
play: make 11 into 1, make us proud, and let Chicago be known for all time.”
In this vein, the
mission of Section 8 Chicago is to maximize support for the club and “unite all
Chicago Fire fans, to create a dominant in-stadium force unseen in any American
team sport and to establish a home field advantage whenever the Chicago Fire
play.”
That’s why we’re
shooting for 800 season tickets, and we’re ever so close now (and yeah, there’s
also the promise of free buses to Columbus to show that support away from home
for all season ticket holders in Section 8 as well, if we hit that number). 78
to go!
So let's get louder,
let's see flags and banners flown proudly across the entire Harlem End. If you
don’t have a Section 8 season ticket yet, you
can still snag one for $200 and
spread the payments out through September. 20 games, $200 bucks. The single-game
price in Section 8 is $20 for regular games, more for the high-profile friendly
the club promises to announce soon….do the math!
Home and away, let’s
support the Fire in numbers and keep growing the special community that we have
surrounding soccer in Chicago.
STAND AND DELIVER!
Tom Dunmore
Chairman, Section 8
Chicago
