Do the Red Bulls Want Supporters?
Or do they want consumers, perhaps? Disturbing news out of New York (or rather, New Jersey), as Tim at Notes From a Soccer Junkie reports on heavy-handed security at last nights New York Red Bulls-Chivas USA game:
Paid attendance was a miserable 10,500+ for a nationally televised scrap with a decent side from the Western Conference. As always, the only section striving to create some sort of atmosphere was the Empire Supporter’s Club in section 101. Unfortunately, Giants Stadium security were three games into their inexplicable war on section 101 and the ESC. The game against Chivas was marred by frequent invasions of the ESC section by security to do things like confiscate balloons, streamers, and whistles.
Oh, and it gets even pettier:
Security also went through camera phones and countless pockets, going so far as to temporarily take inhalers, of people seated in the ESC section, 101 in Giants Stadium. Security’s needless provocation reached it’s apex towards the end of the game when a Red Bulls supporter was carted away for chanting that a security guard had a “fake tan,” and another was dragged away for trying to give a dollar bill to a friend.
The Red Bulls are a struggling franchise off the field, with disappointing attendance given their catchment area and the fact they actually have a decent team with a few well-known players (Reyna, Angel, Altidore, Mathis) on it. The ESC are a small but lively group, and one has to respect the fact that they show up and make all the noise they can in an otherwise hauntingly empty arena, often barely a fifth full in a place that holds over 80,000.
It’s a mystery, then, as to why security has decided to crack down on the ESC: why alienate your few remaining harcore fans? It’s not clear if this a decision by the Red Bull organisation, or one taken by stadium management on their own initiative. And it’s hardly the first time MLS supporters’ groups — who are remarkably passionate yet who cause very little trouble — have been targeted in this way. There’s obviously something of a cultural issue going on here too, with security often run by people who only have previous experience and knowledge of American sports, and may well suspect soccer fans of being one beer away from turning into rampant hooligans.
But as Tim concludes, there’s only so much abuse these groups will take, and if they go, what exists in terms of atmosphere at MLS games will also disappear.
Giants Stadium security is waging war on the ESC, Red Bulls most vociferous and active supporters club. Take ESC away and Giants Stadium is a Franciscan monastery.
It’s your move Red Bull. Are you gonna stand with the heavy-handed security at Giants Stadium or with, well, the rest of the world?
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Thomas Dunmore
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I am truly disgusted by this story. I’ve seen what the MLS is like in Boston and Columbus, and they are certainly no better. It’s incredible what is allowed in Toronto, but you know what: it works. You have a few bits of trouble here and there, but certainly no worse than the trouble you see when security takes on fans for petty crap. Best leave the fans to put on their show, which by the way the general football attendance as well as the players appreciate. ACK, so pissed off. The league should hear of this from ALL fans. We won’t stand for this!
Appalling, but not surprising.
It should be noted that both Red Bull and the Metrostars have prior “convictions” in this regard.
When Red Bull took over Austria Salzburg, changed the colours, renounced the honours, and wiped out almost 100 years of history overnight, they encountered massive supporter protests that they responded to with heavy handed stewarding and banning orders.
While nowhere near as bad, the Metros’ relationship with ESC was also marked by periodic explosions of sanctimonious nonsense on the part of the club.
The ideal answer to this would be the formation of a real New York club in MLS that would embrace the incredibly rich and diverse supporter culture of the city and show up the Swamplands Crap Energy Drinks for the Ersatzverein that they are.
As I posted in another blog, I just wanted to say thank you for helping get the word out about this. The 2-3 numbskulls who do intentionally do things to get kicked out and are then appropriately escorted out doesnt warrant the the 200-300 rest of us to be treated like criminals for supporting our club afterward with singing and pogoing, and god-forbid some streamers and balloons.
Seriously, 40+stocky guys staring you down for the whole game who jump at the smallest reason to get in your face really isnt much fun nor is it something that someone would pay for.
Security cites property damage as the reason for the clamp down. It was claimed that some thiry seats were severely damaged, at a repair cost of $75 per seat. The red flag at the Chivas match was the miserable excuse for a smoke bomb that someone ignited.
That provoked security to go into over kill, collaring anyone who had streamers, balloons, an off-color chant coming our of his/her mouth, a cell phone, a camera, and for all I know a tattoo readiing MOM.
Even in the best of days, security yellow shirts would sit or stand with their backs to the game, glowering at the fans in 101. That is their job as described by NJSEA, I suppose: keep those fans in order, and remove those who break stadium rules, which includes fouls language. If they actually enforced that one, the section would be vacated within ten minutes of the opening half.
They content themselves with decimation, tossing the few they can who particularly annoy them, and for any reason. Is someone taking pictures of their invasion? Remove him or at least confiscate the camera or cell phone.
I think if one of the yellow shirts attempted to seize my inhaler (evidently one was seized) I would give serious resistance, and find myself tossed and banned. Why they would seize prescribed medications from anyone is beyond reason.
Nevertheless, it is crucial that ESC — and I am a member — police itself on game day. We know that security is looking for any excuse to roust us, and that is not going to change. It is a simiple matter to not give them any excuse, even if that means an end to streamers and balloons. I suspect the Stadium honchos have calculated that clean up after a soccer game just costs too much. Clean up after a Jet/Giants game is another matter, of course.
Our singing, chanting and drumming is our best feature, anyway, along with the quick wit and sense of comedy that gives rise to impromptu chants (‘One shoe! We only need one shoe’ with the ESC removing shoes en mass to wave in the air at the DC game ).
We have to remember our mission: to support the team, long and loud, and have fun doing it. This is still possible, and it needs to be done at every game.
Way to look after the only people attending you’re matches, RBNY!
You can barely get 10,000 into the turnstiles and the ones that do make it out to a game are left to deal with this bullshit? If Major League Soccer wants to ever make it big as an alternative sport to NLF Football, Baseball, and NASCAR, they’re going to have to let the Supporters do what it takes to make the experience exciting.
Even in Toronto we’ve come across a few obstacles, but the stadium personnel have always been eager to compromise with us. Why? Because they know that with the atmosphere the fans bring, soccer will never fly in any North American city if marketed like any other sport.
This may happen to most supporter groups around the MLS. I know we used to have an issue with security with my Section 8 (Chicago). Lately the communications between us, the FO, and the security management have gone better. There are still issues but at least the lines for communication are open. This is all due to our officers.
It’s funny that the MLS loves to promote all supporter groups in their ads. But do nothing to help promote that “European/Latin American” feeling that everyone in the world associates with soccer/futbol. They are too busy pandering to the soccer moms and corporate heels.
They forget that it’s people who make up Section 8, L.A. Riot Squad, Barra Barra, The Fort, and other supporter groupls that bring the passion that this league needs.
You take the heart out of the game and it will die.
I was one of the 150 Revs fan who were at Giants Stadium for the match in July. Security were flat out thugs towards us. After the Revs scored and we threw streamers onto the field, security came out of nowhere and were watching us like hawks. Eventually one of our members was thrown out of the game and served with a summons for throwing a streamer, which is nothing more than a ball of crepe paper.
After the game, we had a small incident with a handful of wannabe ultras (who were NOT members of ESC), and one of our members was hit in the head with a water bottle. Security saw it, even the kid who threw the bottle, and laughed. When he filed a complaint, the security guards laughed even more.
NJSEA security are a joke. They are glorified mall guards who are abusing the inch of power they have over people. The sooner Red Bull Park opens, the better.