A little rain never hurt nobody
There were fireworks exploding in the air over Chattanooga back toward Cameron Hill on the evening of July 4.
Some were from personally-purchased stashes, while some of the bigger ones were being shot post-game at AT&T Field, where the Lookouts are in the midst of a historic run.
Already having clinched the Southern League North Division first half title and a spot in the Southern League playoffs, the Lookouts - fresh off a five-game sweep of the Mississippi Braves - took Game 1 of the series against the Tennessee Smokies on this night, doing so in dramatic fashion with a two-out rally in the 14th inning in front of a soldout crowd of over 6,300 fans.
The Lookouts (5531 at the time of this writing) are on pace for the club’s best ever season in the Southern League. Not something to be sneezed at considering how many decades they’ve been a part of the league.
July 4 is traditionally a day for baseball all over the country, and for over 6,300 fans, it was a day for baseball in Chattanooga.
But just across town, there was another Independence Day sporting event going on, one that has already become a tradition that folks in the Scenic City look equally as forward to.
Nearly 5,000 fans were standing for the national anthem in Finley Stadium, getting set to watch Chattanooga FC - the all-amateur, fourthdivision, but first-class soccer club that has won the hearts of metroChattanoogans and become the standard bearer for the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) since the club’s inception in 2009 – kick off against the Georgia Revolution.
Since that debut season, the club has won six conference titles, three regional titles and has played for the NPSL national title four times. OK, so they have yet to win the big one, but that hasn’t quelled the passion and excitement for the club for its rabid fan base.
In a league - now totaling 96 clubs in 29 states - where some clubs’ home match attendance figures are lucky to reach 1,000 for the entire season, CFC has been packing Finley Stadium for nearly a decade now.
The club was drawing close to 1,500 by the end of that first season and attendance has only grown since then. According to a published report, they averaged 3,104 fans for 12 home matches in 2014, 4,673 fans for 14 home dates in 2015 and 4,813 for 16 home dates in 2016, including drawing an average of 11,177 for its two playoff matches.
Of course, no one who was in attendance at Finley the night of Aug. 9, 2015 will ever forget the NPSL national championship match against the New York Cosmos B and the electric atmosphere produced by 18,227 loud and rowdy CFC fans. It was a record attendance for an amateur soccer match in United States history and the crowd drew praise and publicity from literally every corner of the soccer globe.
Things haven’t slowed down either. There were over 12,400 fans on hand to see Chattanooga FC take on one of the two newest Major League Soccer clubs - Atlanta United FC - in a pre-season match back in Feb. and several thousand were on hand for this year’s July 4 match, including yours truly.
But just as the ball was placed to get ready for kick off against the Revolution, something happened. Rain began to fall.
It began as a sprinkle, but rapidly began to turn into a familiar Southern summer shower - brief, but very wet. My wife quickly threw on her rain jacket and grabbed her umbrella, while I quickly tried to open and unfold a brand new, clear plastic emergency poncho. Of course, by the time I finally managed to get it over my head, it was too late. I was soaked to the skin from head to toe.
Normally, I hate standing out in the rain. I’m usually the first one to run for dry shelter. But that night was different. Maybe I just felt a kindred spirit with the other fans there. We were all drenched, but happy. In the pouring rain, CFC managed to score just 40 seconds into the match and the cheers only got louder as the rain came down harder. “Who cares about the weather?”, I found myself thinking. “What’s a little rain amongst 5,000 friends?”
A lightning delay stopped the action about nine minutes later and we were forced to seek shelter in the concourse under the stands, but a halfhour later, the rain was finished and we all returned to our seats to finish watching our Boys in Blue polish off the peppermint-striped crew from the Peach State, 7-0. Close friends and total strangers high-fived and toasted after every goal, linked by our passion for soccer and this soccer team.
Even though most of my clothes were mostly back to dry by the time the match ended, my sockcovered feet squished inside my shoes every step of the way to the car. Normally, that’s as bad as nails on a chalkboard to me, but I truly didn’t care.
Pruny feet and toes were a small price to pay for another fun night watching CFC. The Chattahooligans were at a fever pitch all night, the crowd was into it, as usual, and our boys came to play, fueled by the spirit of the fans. The players even walked over the Chattahooligan section after the match to help lead the post-match cheer and dances.
Yes, July 4 baseball will always be an American tradition, but I hope we never have to go another July 4 without a Chattanooga FC match on the holiday. It’s become a huge part of who we are around here and what we’re all about.
Although it wouldn’t hurt my feelings if it were a little drier next time.
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