I know this is bad karma to ask before there is officially a team, but what kind of support do people expect in Saint Louis? I've lived in Central Illinois for a few years, and I don't know a great deal about STL. Obviously I know there is a wonderful, historical support for the game - when I last went to a PDL match in Saint Louis, I was amazed at how many really old white people were there. I don't know that you see that at any other city in the US. But would a team have fervent, loud support? Obviously, it's never going to be Toronto - but Midwestern fans have a bit of a rep of being courteous and a little staid. Growing up in California, I remember the MLB playoffs when Jeffery Leonard did the one-flap-down home-run trot, and that riled up the Cards fans - but it still wasn't exactly Philadelphia, you know? Plus, as far as I know, Saint Louis does not have a very international population, Bosnians excepted, and a very small Hispanic population. So what will be the template for fan support there?
Actually, that's not a bad assement of St. Louis fans. I would say we are passionate, knowledgable and not rowdy. So I think we will be loud when we need to be, but also cheer at the little things. In other words, I expect our Soccer fans to be more like our Cards fans than the "crusty old" Rams fans. But I wouldn't expect us to get "riled up" often. I mean, its not in our nature to do something ridiculous like throw batteries at a player who didn't sign with your team. What kind of city would do that?
I hope we're not pussies like Cardinals fans. Cards fans are loyal (and I'm one of them), but they're all goddamn pussies. I can't stand how wimpified everyone is when we play the Cubs. Aww, how cute, a cubs fan sitting next to a cardinals fan. Let's all blow each other. :| I hate that sh1t. But as for us, I have a bad feeling we'll be like that; but maybe we'll be able to yell the c word a couple times.
This will be a fascinating topic to observe as things get closer. A lot will depend on the supporters group(s), and organizing ahead of time. My fear is that the "default" StL fan would be close to what you described -- passionate but reserved -- so I think it will take loud, active supporters making a statement at those first few games (when the hype is high and the attendance includes a lot of non-regulars getting their first taste) to leave a lasting impression on the casual fan about "this is the way the atmosphere is gonna be." On the bright side, Blues fans at The (old) Arena used to be incredible. Piped-in music was not needed to get the fans loud and chanting, back before a lot of people were priced out by the cozy Kiel Center, where the expensive lower bowl neutered the atmosphere. Still, if that element of St. Louis fan comes to soccer games, we'll be in good shape.
Don't be misled by the nicey-nice reputation of Cards fans. Baseball breeds that kind of gentility, and anyway that rep is way overblown. (On the other hand, actual violence is indeed rare with Cards fans, which is fine with me. Sam Lakey may disagree.) I hope/predict that our MLS fans will be a mixture of that Cardinals passionate-but-polite fan and the old Steamers-type fan who turned the Arena into the infamous "St. Louis zoo". In other words, still as loud and passionate as in almost every other MLS city (Toronto, DC, and maybe Chicago being the most obvious exceptions). To the first poster: yes, soccer in St. Louis (unlike a lot of places) is very much a multi-generational thing. My grandpa played and coached soccer, and he and my grandma took me to my first Steamers games. (No, they weren't first- or second-generation immigrants or anything, either.) I'm not surprised at all that "really old white people" would be at a PDL game.
This a good question. StL Fans are more reserved, but at the same time are passionate. It would be great to get a good number of supporters who can chant and sing to get everyone else to do the same thing. With our roof, we have the potential to be really loud.
St. Louis fans are normally very loyal as well. I think the Cards could lose 90 games next year and still draw the same crowds. Yes, everyone would be calling for someone's head, but they would still support the team. As for violence, I think we'll hit back if someone starts it, but don't look to us to start a fight. We have a motto at my work for violence, "I don't care who started it, I'm gonna finish it."
I think the Blues fans are the loudest, Cardinal fans are good fans but not very loud and Rams fans are the worst, the dome has alot to do with the poor atmosphere but mainly old/rich people. I can see more vocal people going to MLS games and one-flap-down, didn't everyone bring cowbells to the next game at Busch
Cards fans aren't p*ssies. I think they are more reserved because they are watching and discussing the game. But if you've ever been to a game where we have a late inning rally you know we can get fired up (like when So came up to bat in the ninth Friday and everyone was chanting "Let's Go, So") I expect that there will be a group of fans that are rowdy and fired up during the soccer games (probably the people on this forum), but there will also be the reserved people who are sitting back and discussing how the "finer points of the game," if you will. But I'm sure they'll get loud at the right times. I do doubt that there will be a supporters group like La Barra Brava because you can't really watch the game when your making all the noise they do, but who knows.
So basically, you want St. Louis fans, who have a reputation as "the best fans in baseball" to start acting like New York fans, and be vocally critical of every little thing the team/players/coaches does or doesn't do.
The lack of an international population in St. Louis will not be a factor in the success of a club in the region. A city does not necessarily need a cosmopolitan makeup to have a strong soccer fanbase. Although I can't say much about the fervent, loud support you mentioned, I can say one thing. When it comes to sports (most notably baseball) St. Louis can be compared to a small college town in that it is extremely loyal to its team. This loyalty has bred a more knowledgeable fan base which is hard to find in other cities. Let us not forget, we weren't voted as best sports town by ESPN magazine for no reason at all.
I see that most of this thread has vanished. Heh. Yeah, Saint Louis can perhaps divine its own modern soccer fan culture. Most cities have a kind of starting template they use though, typically English I guess although I quite enjoy the South American style of El Batallon in Houston. Perhaps DC has the most original or American style support culture, as it seems to be built around tailgating. Saint Louis could have a niche just by being really into the game. When Toronto started, one of the neat things was hearing the crowd collectively go "OHHHH" when a shot was blocked or skittered wide. They seem to have an entire crowd paying attention to the game, unlike some places where mother's precious are chasing each other around the bleachers and eating cotton candy and the biggest cheers happen when the T-Shirt cannon comes out.
Anybody who's been to a Rams game knows we aren't best sports anything in anywhere. Those are just terrible, Rams games...
I have to agree. The constant noise (not cheering but just noise of the announcers doing music and commercials) just drives me nuts - I turn down Rams tickets often. The entire thing reminds me of one huge electronic football game. The field crisp and clean and a constant buzzing. Add to that some horrible fans. Screaming "throw it" from the upper sections as if Bulger forgot what play he called. Yelling at the ref on every play. While officials are not always correct, the Rams do occasionally commit a foul. I always feel like I need a shower when I leave that place.
Next time snag one for me. I'd like to see a game at least once. I think. How can you support them if you have no idea what is going on?
Don't take it literally (hence ), we obviously do both but active participation should not go at the expense of watching (of course we still have dopes that just stand there and watch, but every group in the world does. IMO they're in wrong sections). As for original post, that's interesting. I don't know much about St Louis other than there's buncha Bosnian muslims living there Maybe if bunch of them got together it would end up good as they had decent groups in Yugoslav league. Otherwise, no offense, I'm guessing another Salt Lake or KC
Wow, this comment just shows how completely right you are when you say you "don't know much about St. Louis." I would try to explain how different St. Louis is from KC and Salt Lake sports-wise and fan-wise, but my hands would fall off from all the typing that would be required.
You mean the Salt Lake with the FOURTH highest median attendance in the league... with exceptionally knowledgeable fans in every corner of the stadium... who are also reasonably loud... and continue to turn out in those loud, knowledgeable droves despite a shit team. I'll take it! Except, of course, for the shit team thing.
Excuse me, Mr. Dumas, You do realize that RSL is averaging only 1600 fans less than you? (16,015 v. 17,640) Do you also realize that if you take that number vs. capacity, they are ahead of you (35.1% vs. 31.1%) Now when you consider that you have more than twice (almost 4x if you count Baltimore) the amount of people to draw from, your numbers look pretty poor. On top of that if you knew the level of soccer history in St. Louis vs KC, SLC or even DC, you'd know that we will be just fine. Thanks for your concern. Barra Brava people drive me nuts - every few hours they search big soccer to see if someone mentions their name and if so, they are immediately all over you like nasty little gnats.