Fútbol Soccer fans aren’t like your average sports enthusiasts. For starters, they don’t call themselves fans … they’re “supporters.” (It’s a European thing.) And they also happen to be certifiably insane. They count amongst their numbers face-painting, singing, chanting, flag-waving, scarf-raising, opposing goalie–taunting, megaphone-wielding hooligans fanatics. And those are the tame ones. With Seattle Sounders FC season underway, Left Field thought it was high time to introduce you, in no particular order, to the various factions within the local sea of soccer crazies. In today’s installment: City of Rain.
Founded: Early March
Core membership: Seattle University students, with the potential to branch out to other local schools
Number of members: Roughly 30, and growing
Preferred bar: Fuel (for those in the group who are old enough to imbibe)
Website: cityofrain.com
Group bio: Founder Erin Lane was inspired by the biggest local supporters group, the Emerald City Supporters, to cobble together an outfit for Seattle U. kids who happen to like painting their faces and screaming themselves hoarse at soccer matches. Once ECS got wind of what was happening on the Capitol Hill campus, it offered to absorb COR as a sub-group. Lane was more than happy to oblige. “As a sub-group, we can do whatever we want,” he says, “but ECS is there to help out and lend their support.” The group is going along with the ECS flow for now, but Lane says he’s working to hammer out a distinct identity for COR, with its own songs and chants, including one song he wouldn’t identify but he did say it referenced rain — “You know, because our name is City of Rain.”
Supporter philosophy: “Being a supporter of soccer, you have your team, and that’s what you’re all about,” Lane says. “Fans of other sports might have a favorite team for a little while and then decide that they’re not doing very well and then pick another favorite. But in soccer, you have one favorite team in the league. If you ever came down to the general admin section during a Sounders game, you can see everyone putting all of their heart into it when they’re singing these songs or chants. It’s pretty much a from-birth-to-death thing.”
Possible deficiency: Despite professing undying dedication to the team, not all members have season tickets. Lane (who was out looking for a summer job when I called him) blames the financial limitations of undergraduate life. “I think a lot of people wanted to buy season tickets, but they just didn’t have the money,” he says, seriously throwing into question that whole “from birth-to-death” thing.
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