Watching Toronto FC live has become a hollow act of fanaticism. It pains me to put that into words, but denial hinders progress. Built from scratch as an expansion team, the early years were by no means successful on the pitch, but I would trade anything we’ve had at BMO Field since then to recapture the way the south end used to sing.
Since this sport gripped my attention growing up, that passion has grown on me like a religion. I travelled abroad to explore why following your team can genuinely evoke the deepest of emotions. I stood with some of the most famous fan bases in Europe’s most historic grounds, hearing their stories and singing their stories.
Football is not always about the silverware. It obviously can make it better to follow a team that plays well, but to those who support their local club, match day means infinitely more than the trophy haul.
Football is an exercise in passion, rooted in ancestry and driven by community. You can find interest in a club’s history, a season, a single game, or even a single play if you can find a way to be genuinely engaged and excited in your team’s development. Consider this in the context of Toronto FC. The football isn’t necessarily world class, but there are moments and stories to be invested in.
Issues between players, coaching staff and management have plagued the club’s history. I’m not here to discuss this or present my opinions or solutions. What I care about is how this impacts the supporter experience.
The constant chopping and changing has prevented a single notion of what/who Toronto FC truly is. We have memories of Danny Dichio and Jim Brennan, or the miracle in Montreal back in 2009. The fact of the matter is though, we’ve seen over 150 players wear the club’s crest since 2007. The manager/coach turnover rate is equally as baffling.
Without the consistency, we’re forced to cheer for this transient notion of our club. We sometimes only feel the passion when there in person, because that is the only place where the sense of community is cultivated. Beyond that, it is very difficult to find the appreciation for the art of footballing tactics and the progress of the club’s personnel.
In the past few weeks, from Leiweke, to Nelsen, to Defoe etc., more changing in vital positions leaves the fans in limbo yet again. Whether you agree or disagree with what happened recently, this is entirely the wrong topic of discussion in my opinion.
Instead, I propose that this energy should be focused on the impact these decisions have on the supporters. After all, our presence in the stands through all the hardships, this is the only fragment of regularity tying the present to Toronto FC’s inauguration.
I’d like to open that dialogue here on Red Nation Online by taking a closer look at the current state of the 12th man at BMO Field. I will explore the match day experience and humbly offer my suggestions for improvement. In the same capacity, I’d invite you to do the same either in the comments section below articles, or on Twitter (@Eric_RNO).
And so it begins.
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