Players, fans find a bond at BMO
“Remember how you make them feel.”
That was a big mantra for Greg Vanney and Toronto FC last year, an acknowledgment that fans are always part of the equation.
“The ‘you’ is the fans,” the TFC coach said on the opening day of preseason this year. “If we could create some excitement and some buzz then we knew we would excite the fans and that, in return, would give us some energy.”
The Reds did just that with the run to the MLS Cup final last season. And as Toronto kicked off its 2017 season again on the hunt for a trio of trophies — the Voyageurs Cup (for the Canadian championship), the Supporters Shield (for finishing first in the MLS regular season), and that elusive MLS Cup — Vanney had one message to fans: Stick with them.
“It’s going to be a long season and we’d love to have the same amount of support that we got at the end of the season at the beginning of the season, to get this thing off to a good start,” he said.
TFC’s supporters groups gearing up to make sure that happens. The entities that occupy the stadium’s south end — U-Sector, Red Patch Boys, Inebriatti, Kings in the North and Original109 — banded together like never before last year, members of the groups agree. Those ties created an increasingly intimidating atmosphere for visiting teams.
“I just think we all united and it was just something special. I think (TFC) realize that and I think they appreciate that. We felt totally part of the process,” said George Sourtzis, a member of Original 109’s leadership.
There is a bond with this group of players that Sourtzis has not seen with any past iteration of Toronto FC. “You see their appreciation of what’s going on in the stadium and you just feel it. It’s a different vibe. When did you ever see a mob scene at the end of the south end with the players jumping over and getting in there with us? It doesn’t feel fake.”
Part of that comes from fewer roster changes, said David Pinto, the leader of Kings in the North. a
“When things first started out, the team was terrible, players weren’t here for a month, let alone a year. It’s hard to build that kind of bond with the players when there’s constant turnover.”
The supporters groups have always been there, though. Pinto believes keeping last season’s momentum going will require the whole stadium staying engaged. “There’s more to TFC than just going to the games. It seemed like people really picked up on the atmosphere and the entire event around TFC.”
While expectations vary, the groups all believe success is here to stay.
“Success is something that’s going to be expected and delivered upon on a regular basis,” said Phil Tobin of the Red Patch Boys. “Anything can happen, but I think there’s a great foundation.”