Photos courtesy of Columbus Crew SC Communications
There’s a stereotype about American soccer fans.
For about a month every four years, everyone’s an expert. Then it’s radio silence until the next World Cup.
In Columbus, though, soccer fandom isn’t limited to that short stretch. And sure, we have a Major League Soccer team, but even compared to other cities with their own teams, we seem to stand out.
Even Sports Illustrated has taken notice. After it was announced in 2013 that MAPFRE Stadium (then known as Columbus Crew Stadium) would, for the fourth time, host the U.S.-Mexico World Cup qualifying match, the magazine published a story titled, “How did Columbus become the unofficial home of U.S. Soccer?”
Good question.
A Loud, Proud Crowd
One of the biggest and most noticeable points in the city’s favor is the sheer energy of the audiences at games, particularly those of the Columbus Crew SC.
“(The U.S. team) could pick anywhere in the country to have that game, and they pick the first-ever soccer-specific stadium in Columbus, Ohio – and it rocks out every time,” says Frankie Hejduk, brand ambassador for CREW SC.
Soccer’s popularity is growing slowly but surely throughout the U.S., but it’s spirited cities such as Columbus that are helping to foment that growth, says Hejduk.
“Not only are the attendance and the fan base getting bigger, but the sport itself, in America, is getting bigger because of towns like Columbus that are helping to push the sport along,” Hejduk says. “Who would have thought, 15 years ago, that you would have a football town showing so much passion and excitement for soccer?”
Soccer fans in general tend to be among the most passionate, says Clark Beacom, vice president of sales and marketing for Crew SC, who has worked for teams in a number of different sports. When he first came to the Crew SC, he was accustomed to team membership clubs such as the Browns Backers, but was amazed by the level of organization among Crew SC fans.
“Now that I’ve been in Major League Soccer for the last few years, I would say that my respect for central Ohio soccer fans has grown even more,” says Beacom.
One person who’s had a front-row seat – often literally – to the growth of soccer in Columbus is Blake Compton, who for years was a driving force behind Crew SC support group the Hudson Street Hooligans. Compton poured his energy into the Hooligans, helping the group grow and channel its raw energy into visible results – signs, banners, tifos, chants and a whole new level of raucous cheering.
“There was this authentic feeling that I’d never felt before at any other sporting event, where the entertainment in the stadium was (both) the game and the fans,” Compton says.
Columbus soccer fans aren’t just loud, Compton says, though that certainly helps them get their points across. One major difference he’s seen between Columbus and other soccer towns is that the fans here show a tremendous level of resourcefulness. A lot of supporters are far more dedicated to going out and getting things done than in making sure their ideas will please everyone, displaying a work ethic that mirrors that of the players.
“Having visited many of the other cities and met many of the other fans out there, I think we have a level of organic entrepreneurism,” Compton says.
Youth Gone Wild
Another major factor: A huge wealth of youth soccer opportunities helps get kids involved in soccer early and keeps them interested over time.
The pipeline from youth soccer to high school continues into college. In recent years, central Ohio has sent teams to the final four in Division I (The Ohio State University) and Division III (Otterbein University), and the Ohio Wesleyan University team has drawn eyeballs as well.
OSU, which plays its games at Jesse Owens Stadium, gets a good number of its soccer players from central Ohio. John Bluem, who just finished his 18th season as coach of the men’s soccer Buckeyes, says he usually has four or five Columbus players and eight to 10 Ohio players on the team any given season.
Bluem likely sees a lot of his future players well before they ever come to recruiters’ attention; a sizable portion of the team’s audience is children, brought there by their parents to learn more about the game they play.
“It’s a pretty easy evening for a family to bring their kids down to watch the game,” says Bluem.
There’s also a variety of adult soccer programs for those who maintain an interest in the sport, even if they’re not about to make playing it a career. The city even has a team in the Women’s Premier Soccer League, the largest women’s soccer league in the world: the Columbus Eagles.
Now that Crew SC has been around for 21 years – 16 of them in MAPFRE Stadium – an entire generation has grown up feeling the team’s presence in Columbus. That presence is another factor that almost certainly contributes to the sport’s place in the city’s heart, says Linda Logan, executive director of the Greater Columbus Sports Commission.
And now that people who were fans in their younger years are having children, they’re creating a whole new generation of enthusiasts.
“(There are) guys who were kids at the game; now those guys are dads, and are bringing their 2-year-old sons and sitting up with the Hooligans,” Hejduk says.
Home Field Advantage
A discussion of Columbus’ role as a soccer town can’t overlook the importance of MAPFRE Stadium, built in 1999 as the country’s first major-league stadium built specifically for soccer.
Even as other markets, including Portland and Kansas City, have built their own MLS stadiums, Columbus set the precedent.
“Columbus will always have that legacy piece,” says Bruce Wimbish, director of marketing and communications for the Greater Columbus Sports Commission.
The World Cup qualifiers against Mexico and Jamaica have been the most high-profile games played at MAPFRE Stadium, but the venue hosts a vast array of soccer games beyond those and Crew SC games.
And that’s just the soccer games. You can also throw in an assortment of high school football games, Major League Lacrosse match-ups and concerts, including the massive Rock on the Range show, this year scheduled for May 15-17 and headlined by Slipknot, Judas Priest and Linkin Park.
Arena Attributes
Local supporters love to talk about how MAPFRE Stadium was the first major-league soccer stadium built in the U.S. So what’s the difference between MAPFRE Stadium and, say, a football stadium repurposed for soccer?
-The pitch. “The game of soccer is not meant to be played on turf. … It’s meant to be played on natural grass,” says Crew SC’s Clark Beacom.
-The dimensions. A regulation soccer field is much wider than a football field.
-The fan accommodations. “The design of the stadium needs to be such that the fans are closer to the pitch,” Beacom says. On fields designed for football, fans are often pushed too far back.
MAPFRE Stadium Guestbook
Over the years, the stadium has hosted:
- The Major League Soccer all-star game;
- 2003 FIFA Women’s World Cup games;
- A FIFA Women’s exhibition match against Japan;
- The NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Championship;
- Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football Men's World Cup qualifiers;
- The OHSAA boys’ and girls’ state championships; and
- The OHSAA boys’ and girls’ regional championships.
Where to Watch
Whether it’s the World Cup or a high-stakes Crew SC game, if you’re in search of a crowd that appreciates soccer as much as you, there’s a reliable set of local bars that always have the game on, including:
-Fado Irish Pub at Easton;
-Claddagh Irish Pub in the Brewery District;
-4th Street Bar & Grill in the University District;
-Ruby Tuesday in the University District;
-Gallo’s Tap Room in northwest Columbus;
-Zauber Brewing in Grandview Heights; and
-Studio 35 Cinema & Drafthouse in Clintonville.
“I know how proud I was when we had those viewing parties during the World Cup,” says Linda Logan of GCSC.
Crew SC has hosted its own large-scale watch parties for away games at locations including Columbus Commons and Hollywood Casino.
Garth Bishop is managing editor. Feedback welcome at gbishop@cityscenemediagroup.com.
