WEBVTT - Episode 4: Uniting a Fanbase 0:00:03.840 --> 0:00:07.800 Football is all about the fans, There's no question about it. 0:00:10.640 --> 0:00:16.200 The crackle of electricity in the stadium, the noise when 0:00:16.200 --> 0:00:22.400 the players step out onto the pitch, the flags, the drums, 0:00:22.600 --> 0:00:29.240 the smoke, and the chanting. Chanting for their heroes, chanting 0:00:29.280 --> 0:00:36.800 for their team, chanting for their city. Fans can change games. 0:00:37.120 --> 0:00:44.280 It's why they're referred to as the twelfth man. Around 0:00:44.280 --> 0:00:47.840 the world, there are those stadiums whose fans have become infamous. 0:00:48.080 --> 0:00:53.199 The atmosphere fear, where away teams absolutely dread even stepping 0:00:53.320 --> 0:01:13.399 onto the pitch Elasteca, San seedo Anfield. The list goes on. 0:01:13.920 --> 0:01:17.520 But even here in the US, where soccer is still growing, 0:01:18.080 --> 0:01:37.400 there are fans that bring the noise. This is the 0:01:37.400 --> 0:01:46.720 sound of Portland's Timber Army. This is what it sounds 0:01:46.800 --> 0:02:02.760 like when they sing the national anthem. And this is 0:02:02.760 --> 0:02:05.640 what it sounds like when they score in the dying 0:02:05.720 --> 0:02:15.080 seconds of an MLS Cup final. This stupid time, Where 0:02:15.120 --> 0:02:26.840 did I expect to take a brisk game? It was 0:02:26.880 --> 0:02:30.119 at a Portland game back in twenty eleven, actually, when 0:02:30.120 --> 0:02:33.880 a young basketball pundit and budding sports executive Tom Penn 0:02:34.280 --> 0:02:36.680 first caught the bug for the beautiful game. 0:02:36.960 --> 0:02:39.520 What I like to say is I'm an example of 0:02:39.600 --> 0:02:42.840 the enlightened American fan because I went to a Portland 0:02:42.880 --> 0:02:46.240 Timbers game with my kids in twenty eleven and they 0:02:46.280 --> 0:02:48.400 looked up at me, they looked over at the Timbers 0:02:48.520 --> 0:02:51.640 Army and they were just roaring in the corner and 0:02:51.680 --> 0:02:52.160 They're like. 0:02:52.240 --> 0:02:55.480 Daddy, this is awesome. And I'm like, this is awesome. 0:02:55.680 --> 0:02:59.200 I had no idea that was happening in America. And 0:02:59.240 --> 0:03:02.760 the Timbers Army is like this outstanding expression of a 0:03:02.800 --> 0:03:05.920 supporters group, you know, five thousand strong, just singing the 0:03:05.960 --> 0:03:08.160 whole time, and I had never experienced that. 0:03:08.240 --> 0:03:11.800 So I was just like, WHOA. Well, now Tom hopes 0:03:11.880 --> 0:03:15.840 to build something similar in San Diego. Who knows, maybe 0:03:16.120 --> 0:03:20.000 something even better. The only problem is Providence Park in Portland, 0:03:20.000 --> 0:03:23.320 Oregon has twenty five thousand seats and it's taken over 0:03:23.360 --> 0:03:27.440 two decades to create that atmosphere. San Diego FC's new 0:03:27.440 --> 0:03:31.240 home is thirty five thousand seats and they only have 0:03:31.720 --> 0:03:37.240 a few months. In February twenty twenty five, San Diego 0:03:37.360 --> 0:03:40.560 FC became the thirtieth team to enter Major League Soccer, 0:03:40.720 --> 0:03:43.960 now the largest professional league on the planet. But this 0:03:44.040 --> 0:03:47.480 is more than just another football club. At least that's 0:03:47.520 --> 0:03:50.320 the hope of the club's co owners under the leadership 0:03:50.360 --> 0:03:53.320 of Sir Mohammed Montsour, Right to Dream is an organization 0:03:53.480 --> 0:03:57.400 promising to rock American soccer to its foundations with a 0:03:57.560 --> 0:04:02.800 revolutionary approach to coaching and youth development. Anchoring the project 0:04:02.840 --> 0:04:05.320 in the local community is the Sequan Band of the 0:04:05.400 --> 0:04:09.880 Kumiga Nation, the first ever Native American owners in men's 0:04:09.880 --> 0:04:15.240 professional sports, and as the only MLS club officially sanctioned 0:04:15.320 --> 0:04:18.920 to recruit out of Mexico. I mean, this thing could 0:04:19.080 --> 0:04:23.840 really fly, that is, if everything goes to plan. In 0:04:23.880 --> 0:04:26.800 this episode, we go back to October twenty twenty four, 0:04:27.040 --> 0:04:30.000 with the club working hard to bring together a fragmented 0:04:30.040 --> 0:04:34.120 group of fans. But can seven different supporter groups overcome 0:04:34.160 --> 0:04:36.200 their differences in time for San Diego e f c's 0:04:36.200 --> 0:04:39.719 home opener. Captured in the final months before the twenty 0:04:39.760 --> 0:04:43.640 twenty five season kicks off, this series follows sdfc's race 0:04:43.880 --> 0:04:48.400 to field their first ever team. I'm Adrian Garcia, markis 0:04:48.520 --> 0:04:52.039 and this is behind the Flow, the origin story of 0:04:52.160 --> 0:05:03.400 San Diego FC. Luckily, for San Diego Football Club, this 0:05:03.800 --> 0:05:07.640 isn't Tom Penn's first rodeo. His success in launching LAFC 0:05:07.760 --> 0:05:11.640 is now legendary or perhaps infamous, depending on your point 0:05:11.680 --> 0:05:15.760 of view. LAFC has a great stadium, just twenty two 0:05:15.800 --> 0:05:19.160 thousand seats, but its whole north stand is run by 0:05:19.160 --> 0:05:22.120 the fans, a group called the thirty two to fifty two, 0:05:22.160 --> 0:05:33.200 and to be fair, they really bring it. But San 0:05:33.279 --> 0:05:37.520 Diego FC has the opportunity to drown out their noisy 0:05:37.520 --> 0:05:41.640 neighbors to the north. At thirty five thousand seats, Snapdragon 0:05:41.680 --> 0:05:46.159 Stadium could be something really special if they can fill it. Well, 0:05:46.160 --> 0:05:46.680 we have a. 0:05:46.560 --> 0:05:50.000 Big challenge to fill up the biggest building in MLS 0:05:50.400 --> 0:05:55.279 outside of the NFL buildings in Atlanta, Charlotte and Seattle 0:05:55.839 --> 0:05:59.320 were the highest capacity, so we have a much bigger opportunity, 0:05:59.600 --> 0:06:02.760 which it's a bigger challenge too. Right there's three point 0:06:02.839 --> 0:06:05.560 three million people here before we get anybody from Mexico 0:06:05.600 --> 0:06:07.400 across the border, so there's. 0:06:07.240 --> 0:06:08.040 A lot of people. 0:06:08.680 --> 0:06:11.200 I love the belief that once this thing is alive 0:06:11.360 --> 0:06:15.320 and established, it's going to just take off like wildfire, 0:06:15.480 --> 0:06:19.479 because it's going to be a level sports entertainment with 0:06:19.600 --> 0:06:22.760 San Diego on our chest, and people love San Diego. 0:06:24.120 --> 0:06:28.120 The Padres when they're in a playoff run are just electric. 0:06:28.279 --> 0:06:30.600 The whole place goes bonkers. 0:06:30.880 --> 0:06:34.440 He's not wrong. Petco Park has never looked or sounded 0:06:34.480 --> 0:06:43.680 so good. But in terms of the San Diego sports market, 0:06:43.960 --> 0:06:48.720 the Padres are the only Major league competition, leaving MLS 0:06:49.000 --> 0:06:53.120 with a golden opportunity. A point that's not lost on 0:06:53.200 --> 0:06:55.560 head coach mikey Badis. 0:06:55.320 --> 0:06:57.320 San Diego coming to MLS is going to be a 0:06:57.360 --> 0:07:01.240 game changer because this region is been hungry for a 0:07:01.320 --> 0:07:05.120 men's professional soccer team football team, right, you know. I 0:07:05.120 --> 0:07:08.560 think the first amazing step was the women's team, the 0:07:08.600 --> 0:07:10.840 Wave coming in and you could see that the support 0:07:10.920 --> 0:07:12.760 for them has been amazing and they've done a great 0:07:12.840 --> 0:07:16.280 job at really setting the bar. And when you look 0:07:16.280 --> 0:07:19.760 at San Diego, whenever there's a major tournament, the viewership 0:07:19.880 --> 0:07:23.160 TV viewership in San Diego is always amongst the highest 0:07:23.200 --> 0:07:28.080 in the country. Whenever an international club or national team 0:07:28.120 --> 0:07:30.800 comes and plays in San Diego, it's a sellout and 0:07:30.840 --> 0:07:31.400 it's rocking. 0:07:32.120 --> 0:07:35.920 Sporting Director Tyler Heaps is in agreement. In fact, the 0:07:35.960 --> 0:07:40.680 whole organization is aligned on this. Their first priority, perhaps 0:07:40.760 --> 0:07:44.239 their top priority, is to fill the snap Dragon stands 0:07:44.360 --> 0:07:46.160 with passionate local support. 0:07:46.720 --> 0:07:50.120 We need to embrace this community because those fans are 0:07:50.160 --> 0:07:53.640 extremely passionate about their sport, and so we need to 0:07:53.680 --> 0:07:56.680 make sure that we lean into that and we are 0:07:56.720 --> 0:07:59.800 a product on the field that makes them proud and 0:07:59.800 --> 0:08:02.400 it's something that looks like the community here, because that 0:08:02.520 --> 0:08:06.160 is extremely important. The football clubs belong to the community, 0:08:06.440 --> 0:08:09.200 and that's no different here, especially a new one. Right 0:08:09.480 --> 0:08:12.520 we don't have this historical pedigree of being able to 0:08:12.560 --> 0:08:14.720 say we can lean on all of this and all 0:08:14.760 --> 0:08:16.960 these pillars. So we need to create that. And the 0:08:16.960 --> 0:08:19.160 only way you create that is by embracing it. 0:08:19.680 --> 0:08:23.200 The question is how do you build a loyal, vocal, 0:08:23.400 --> 0:08:26.800 passionate fan base in such a short space of time. 0:08:29.560 --> 0:08:30.480 This is Ray Weber. 0:08:30.680 --> 0:08:33.680 I'm a longtime Mission Valley resident here in San Diego, 0:08:33.720 --> 0:08:36.600 and we're at snap Dragon Stadium, home of the San 0:08:36.640 --> 0:08:41.440 Diego State Aztecs, home of the San Diego Wave and 0:08:41.679 --> 0:08:46.000 soon to be home of SDFC, our new MLS franchise 0:08:46.000 --> 0:08:46.880 here in San Diego. 0:08:48.040 --> 0:08:50.720 On a beautiful September day in twenty twenty four, we 0:08:50.840 --> 0:08:55.319 find seventy year old football fan Ray Weber beaming with 0:08:55.480 --> 0:08:58.720 pride as he gazes up at San Diego State University's 0:08:58.920 --> 0:09:02.800 three hundred million snap Dragons Stadium. He stands in the 0:09:02.800 --> 0:09:06.719 shadow of towering banks of seating, the floodlights arching high 0:09:06.760 --> 0:09:12.240 overhead like the proverbial dragon's clause. There are some great 0:09:12.400 --> 0:09:15.360 MLS stadiums already, no doubt, but the biggest are shared 0:09:15.400 --> 0:09:17.880 with NFL teams and don't tend to sell out. This 0:09:18.080 --> 0:09:22.200 beauty will be the largest soccer specific stadium in the league, 0:09:22.520 --> 0:09:25.000 and Ray knows as well as anyone what it will 0:09:25.000 --> 0:09:28.160 take for MLS and SDFC to fill it. 0:09:29.080 --> 0:09:31.160 Number One, you have to get fans in the building, 0:09:31.480 --> 0:09:35.160 So you have to make the games accessible and affordable 0:09:35.280 --> 0:09:39.079 for fans. You just can't play in front of empty stadium, 0:09:39.120 --> 0:09:40.760 So they've got to get people in, and then once 0:09:40.800 --> 0:09:44.199 they're in, they just have to have a great experience. 0:09:44.720 --> 0:09:44.920 Right. 0:09:45.000 --> 0:09:47.680 So we're still very very early on. I like to 0:09:47.720 --> 0:09:51.920 think that all of my soccer tribe will come to games, 0:09:52.320 --> 0:09:55.120 some more than others. Some will come and check out 0:09:55.160 --> 0:09:58.760 a few games. I think most will. Whether they'll commit 0:09:58.800 --> 0:10:01.440 to being ticket holders, that's kind of up to them. 0:10:02.080 --> 0:10:05.040 I think that all soccer fans are going to come 0:10:05.080 --> 0:10:05.720 to games here. 0:10:07.040 --> 0:10:09.960 One thing San Diego FC can be sure of is 0:10:10.000 --> 0:10:12.800 the love of the sport here. Snap Dragon is already 0:10:12.800 --> 0:10:15.560 home to the Wave, the city's women's team. They broke 0:10:15.600 --> 0:10:19.240 the NWSL attendance record on their first ever game and 0:10:19.280 --> 0:10:22.720 never look back. But if SDFC are going to fill 0:10:22.720 --> 0:10:25.560 it week in and week out, they'll need an army 0:10:25.760 --> 0:10:26.800 of diehard fans. 0:10:27.960 --> 0:10:31.440 But I will say this that the fanatics, they'll be 0:10:31.520 --> 0:10:34.160 up to speed very quickly. So I expect a good core, 0:10:34.960 --> 0:10:37.880 maybe a lot of younger fans in particular, They're going 0:10:37.960 --> 0:10:39.959 to rock this place and they'll be up to speed. No, 0:10:40.120 --> 0:10:41.680 I think the passion will grow from there. 0:10:42.320 --> 0:10:44.520 Ray is happy to leave that to younger men, but 0:10:45.040 --> 0:10:48.640 he has faith in San Diego's next generation to come 0:10:48.679 --> 0:10:49.520 out in force. 0:10:50.040 --> 0:10:53.839 That's one thing I like about the younger fans. They 0:10:53.880 --> 0:10:58.400 really get the singing, the drinking of beverages, the scarves, 0:10:58.800 --> 0:11:02.480 the travel. It's the culture and once you're in, it's 0:11:02.480 --> 0:11:03.520 hard to get out. 0:11:10.080 --> 0:11:15.439 Back at SDFC headquarters on Kettner Boulevard, CEO Tumpen has 0:11:15.440 --> 0:11:18.760 a plan to make sure Snapdragon is rocking from the start. 0:11:19.280 --> 0:11:21.840 He never forgot the effect of the Timber Army, which 0:11:21.880 --> 0:11:25.240 is why when he built LAFC he copied the Portland model. 0:11:26.160 --> 0:11:29.360 The Army and the thirty two fifty two aren't just 0:11:29.600 --> 0:11:34.880 ramshackle groups of loyalists. These are official, well structured organizations. 0:11:35.360 --> 0:11:39.480 They are unions, an alliance of different supporter groups, each 0:11:39.600 --> 0:11:44.360 with their own styling culture, unified united under one banner. 0:11:44.960 --> 0:11:48.640 Now he's hoping to repeat the trick here in San Diego. 0:11:50.280 --> 0:11:54.680 So they're force at our matches because they drive the atmosphere, 0:11:54.840 --> 0:11:58.040 because they sing their songs and play their drums and 0:11:58.440 --> 0:12:00.720 throw off their smoke and check their beers in the 0:12:00.720 --> 0:12:03.120 air when we score goals, and it's just super fun. 0:12:04.800 --> 0:12:06.800 But then they become a force in the community too, 0:12:07.000 --> 0:12:10.200 because the way a union works, they can take dues, 0:12:10.240 --> 0:12:13.120 they can raise money, and then they deploy it in 0:12:13.160 --> 0:12:14.880 their own way in the community, and then we. 0:12:14.800 --> 0:12:15.920 Can partner with them on that. 0:12:16.080 --> 0:12:19.680 So they become a real force for good and all that, 0:12:20.400 --> 0:12:23.400 and the fabric of how that comes together and then 0:12:23.600 --> 0:12:25.559 expresses itself at all those. 0:12:25.440 --> 0:12:29.160 Levels is yet to be determined. And that's the fun part. 0:12:29.480 --> 0:12:33.720 It's also the scary part. The reason it's scary is 0:12:33.760 --> 0:12:37.600 because they are creating something powerful, a political entity with 0:12:37.760 --> 0:12:41.040 leverage over the club. Football fans aren't exactly known for 0:12:41.080 --> 0:12:44.120 their diplomacy, but then that's kind of the point, isn't it. 0:12:44.600 --> 0:12:47.319 The men Tom put in charge of uniting San Diego's 0:12:47.600 --> 0:12:51.520 largest supporter groups into a union is Seb Morua, Senior 0:12:51.640 --> 0:12:56.520 Vice President A Brand, Marketing and Community. Luckily, Seb's been 0:12:56.559 --> 0:13:00.160 around the bloc A tenure Right to Dream veterans work 0:13:00.240 --> 0:13:04.240 with grassroots supporters across every continent on Earth. 0:13:05.320 --> 0:13:09.079 The right to dream mindst when it comes to football 0:13:09.440 --> 0:13:14.880 and a community is first and foremost recognizing the unique 0:13:15.120 --> 0:13:19.760 local context of that community and its relationship to the game. 0:13:20.160 --> 0:13:22.520 I can tell you that the passion in San Diego, 0:13:22.800 --> 0:13:26.280 the passion for the game in San Diego is unparalleled 0:13:26.559 --> 0:13:30.599 to anywhere I have been in the US. As a 0:13:30.679 --> 0:13:34.840 Latin American. It really reminds me of the same passion 0:13:34.880 --> 0:13:38.760 that we feel in Costa Rica in other Latin American 0:13:38.800 --> 0:13:40.480 countries that I have worked in. 0:13:41.080 --> 0:13:44.600 Seb knows fan culture and he knows what a force 0:13:44.640 --> 0:13:46.400 it could be for San Diego. FC. 0:13:47.120 --> 0:13:52.840 Supporters are the driver of that movement within the stadium, 0:13:52.920 --> 0:13:56.240 and they're the ones setting the tone and when the 0:13:56.280 --> 0:13:59.000 team concedes or when the team is losing, the supporters 0:13:59.040 --> 0:14:04.160 get louder, and it's a factor that influences visiting teams 0:14:04.200 --> 0:14:08.400 one hundred. So it's it's a competitive advantage for teams 0:14:08.440 --> 0:14:11.880 that do it well. That's a huge component of the match, 0:14:11.920 --> 0:14:15.400 the experience, and more than the match, the experience, that's 0:14:15.480 --> 0:14:18.520 just a huge factor of football culture. 0:14:21.720 --> 0:14:24.800 Since day one, SEB has been attending fan rallies and 0:14:24.840 --> 0:14:28.920 holding focused groups trying to understand the opinions and priorities 0:14:29.160 --> 0:14:31.840 of San Diego sports fans. These are the supporter groups 0:14:31.880 --> 0:14:35.560 that fly the flag at Padres Games, Aztec Games, Wave games, 0:14:35.640 --> 0:14:48.040 and since way back, the soccers groups with names like 0:14:48.120 --> 0:14:52.280 Dago Boys, the Chapels, Frontea, Ultrust, the Riptides, and the 0:14:52.320 --> 0:15:00.080 locals groups that SEB hosts will fill the three one 0:15:00.080 --> 0:15:03.680 thousand seat home section behind the goal in Snapdragon's North 0:15:03.760 --> 0:15:06.440 stand come match day one. 0:15:07.640 --> 0:15:11.120 We've identified a group of leaders that are partnering with 0:15:11.200 --> 0:15:14.400 us to build that section and they're pouring their lives 0:15:14.440 --> 0:15:17.560 into it. And you know, these are volunteers. They don't 0:15:17.560 --> 0:15:19.920 do it as a job. They do it because they 0:15:19.960 --> 0:15:22.800 love the game. They do it because they love their 0:15:22.800 --> 0:15:26.320 community and our job is that they end up truly 0:15:26.360 --> 0:15:29.680 falling in love with the club that represents the game 0:15:30.040 --> 0:15:30.920 in their community. 0:15:31.960 --> 0:15:35.760 The reception SEB received from these groups has been mostly positive, 0:15:36.120 --> 0:15:40.080 but some have reservations about partnering with an MLS club, 0:15:40.560 --> 0:15:44.640 especially a club who's a rival. Coincided with the folding 0:15:44.680 --> 0:15:49.080 of San Diego's very popular second division team as Deloyal 0:15:49.200 --> 0:15:49.800 that this. 0:15:49.720 --> 0:15:52.240 Will be the last season for San Diego Loyal, and 0:15:52.280 --> 0:15:56.480 a very emotional and heartfelt statement Loyal chairman Andrew Vassiliadas 0:15:56.520 --> 0:15:59.600 announcing that year number four of the San Diego Loyal 0:15:59.720 --> 0:16:01.920 will sadly be the franchise's last. 0:16:02.080 --> 0:16:06.000 You know, it's absolutely crushing, you know what you're talking about, 0:16:06.000 --> 0:16:08.800 The Loyal, a team that's poured its heart and its 0:16:08.840 --> 0:16:10.040 money into the community. 0:16:10.200 --> 0:16:11.800 This is kind of a different way of saying, well, 0:16:11.880 --> 0:16:13.920 MLS came into this market with different owners, they got 0:16:13.960 --> 0:16:15.400 the stadium solution that they needed. 0:16:15.560 --> 0:16:17.600 There was no room for USL That's another way to 0:16:17.600 --> 0:16:21.320 look at this. The Loyal, once helmed by local USA 0:16:21.480 --> 0:16:24.640 Hall of Famer London Donovan, had always hoped it'd be 0:16:24.800 --> 0:16:27.560 them who'd get a shot at representing their city in 0:16:27.600 --> 0:16:30.440 Major League Soccer, but it wasn't to be. 0:16:34.920 --> 0:16:40.760 I have always looked at what Loyal did as amazing. 0:16:41.280 --> 0:16:45.000 I know there were conversations with the club owners to 0:16:45.200 --> 0:16:47.920 consider an opportunity to be part of our ownership group, 0:16:48.600 --> 0:16:54.120 and that ended up not happening. But I think from 0:16:54.200 --> 0:17:01.400 a public opinion perspective, and particularly Loyal support, because they 0:17:01.520 --> 0:17:05.200 poured so much into the development of the fan base 0:17:05.280 --> 0:17:07.399 and the club, I think, of course, there were a 0:17:07.440 --> 0:17:11.600 lot of people that were hurt and naturally right we 0:17:11.720 --> 0:17:13.520 one hundred percent understand. 0:17:13.040 --> 0:17:17.280 That the Loyal went out of business shortly after sdfc's arrival, 0:17:17.840 --> 0:17:21.119 but most accept the change. The Locals was one San 0:17:21.160 --> 0:17:24.879 Diego Loyal supporter group that has officially made the switch, 0:17:25.640 --> 0:17:26.840 but it was a hard decision. 0:17:27.240 --> 0:17:32.480 My name is Andrew dyerd formerly was a big supporter 0:17:32.640 --> 0:17:35.679 of San Diego Loyal. I drummed in the stands and 0:17:36.040 --> 0:17:39.080 I was on leadership in one of the supporter groups 0:17:39.080 --> 0:17:44.200 for San Diego Loyal. Then around the time that STFC 0:17:44.800 --> 0:17:51.680 announced themselves, shortly thereafter, Loyal announced they would be folding, 0:17:52.760 --> 0:17:55.600 and yeah, we all kind of had to make a decision, 0:17:55.680 --> 0:18:00.000 and that for us, you know, has been an ongoing 0:18:00.280 --> 0:18:03.480 I think challenge. I started out as like a never 0:18:03.640 --> 0:18:09.640 sdfcer and then at some point transitions to like, let's 0:18:09.640 --> 0:18:10.119 give it a go. 0:18:10.680 --> 0:18:14.000 But disagreements about how to progress, both amongst the supporter 0:18:14.040 --> 0:18:17.359 groups and with the club soon made Andrew feel like 0:18:17.400 --> 0:18:19.720 maybe it wasn't for him after all. 0:18:20.280 --> 0:18:23.120 Just because of all the infighting and drama you get 0:18:23.119 --> 0:18:26.080 with any anything like this, Right, you're always going to 0:18:26.160 --> 0:18:29.600 have that. But because the stakes were so high, I 0:18:29.600 --> 0:18:32.640 mean that's the way I thought this was a high stakes. 0:18:32.280 --> 0:18:33.000 Thing we're doing. 0:18:33.640 --> 0:18:39.719 It became incredibly frustrating to run up against challenges that 0:18:40.240 --> 0:18:43.240 you know, I was just spending way too much mental 0:18:43.359 --> 0:18:47.399 energy on dealing with and at some point, you know, 0:18:47.480 --> 0:18:49.480 you just have to call it in and step away. 0:18:50.160 --> 0:18:53.600 Seven. The folks at SDFC also had doubts about whether 0:18:53.640 --> 0:18:56.359 they could get San Diego's fan groups to work together, 0:18:56.760 --> 0:19:00.280 that is until the unveiling of their first star player. 0:19:00.240 --> 0:19:03.359 San Diego f C formerly introduced the Mexican Soccer Star 0:19:03.760 --> 0:19:05.480 urbing Chucky Losana. 0:19:05.520 --> 0:19:08.240 Yeah, I've already seen the billboard, ZEPSI, says Jay Garrianni, 0:19:08.320 --> 0:19:10.480 joining us now with more on Chuky Mania. 0:19:10.600 --> 0:19:13.680 From North Keunty to the South Soccer enthusiast united to 0:19:13.800 --> 0:19:16.480 welcome living and Chucky Losano to San Diego. 0:19:19.119 --> 0:19:24.000 Mexican national team forward and World Cup hero irbin Chucky Losano, 0:19:24.240 --> 0:19:34.639 a player who has won silverware wherever he's played. And 0:19:34.720 --> 0:19:37.240 trust me, I was there that night man. In fact, 0:19:37.480 --> 0:19:40.800 I was on stage next to Chuky doing the announcing, 0:19:40.840 --> 0:19:43.240 and I gotta tell you, looking out at the stands, 0:19:43.440 --> 0:19:46.520 looking out at the fans, everybody gathered together, united in 0:19:46.560 --> 0:19:51.520 one voice, singing hell Chucky Losano. It was a moment 0:19:51.680 --> 0:19:55.560 that said, Wow. I think everyone as DFC new right 0:19:55.600 --> 0:19:57.960 then and there. If they could get these fans all 0:19:58.000 --> 0:20:01.439 on the same page, they'd have some really special on 0:20:01.520 --> 0:20:12.480 their hands. 0:20:13.400 --> 0:20:15.600 My name is John Cross, and I'm the president of 0:20:15.640 --> 0:20:17.840 the San Diego Independent Supporters Union. 0:20:18.400 --> 0:20:22.800 Today the Supporters Union is known by another name, FRONTETA SD. 0:20:23.400 --> 0:20:26.600 But remember this is back in October twenty twenty four, 0:20:27.040 --> 0:20:30.160 before there was even a team to cheer for. John 0:20:30.560 --> 0:20:34.000 is another hardcore loyal fan who's been making the switch 0:20:34.240 --> 0:20:37.879 to SDFC, and despite suffering the effects of long COVID, 0:20:38.119 --> 0:20:40.800 he's thrown himself into trying to build on what they 0:20:40.840 --> 0:20:44.159 had at Torrero Stadium. But this is the big leagues, 0:20:44.359 --> 0:20:47.480 this is MLS. They're going to need a much bigger 0:20:47.480 --> 0:20:50.240 core of fanatics to get snap Dragon bouncing, and they 0:20:50.320 --> 0:20:51.679 need to build it fast. 0:20:52.280 --> 0:20:54.480 A lot of times they you know, what we think 0:20:54.520 --> 0:20:57.480 of supporters around the world is built up over decades 0:20:57.520 --> 0:21:02.200 and generations and family can and this is both the 0:21:02.240 --> 0:21:07.639 burden and the excitement about a brand new team. The 0:21:07.800 --> 0:21:11.840 excitement is you get to kind of start setting the 0:21:11.880 --> 0:21:14.000 tone for what that culture is going to be from 0:21:14.040 --> 0:21:16.719 the very beginning. You can help shape it. The burden 0:21:16.800 --> 0:21:19.040 is all the work that goes into trying to actually 0:21:19.080 --> 0:21:19.760 make that happen. 0:21:20.840 --> 0:21:23.600 Having so many former sd loyal folks come over to 0:21:23.720 --> 0:21:27.679 SDFC certainly helps. Some are even now working for the 0:21:27.680 --> 0:21:31.560 club as employees. But right from the off there were problems. 0:21:31.880 --> 0:21:35.800 Different supporter groups had different priorities. Things moved slowly, and 0:21:35.880 --> 0:21:38.280 the club was in a rush to make progress. With 0:21:38.400 --> 0:21:42.040 tensions mounting, factions formed, But John and the other union 0:21:42.119 --> 0:21:45.600 leaders always felt it would be worth it in the end. 0:21:46.760 --> 0:21:49.320 I think we all understood also in the back of 0:21:49.320 --> 0:21:52.919 our minds, it doesn't work unless we all come together 0:21:53.280 --> 0:21:56.520 somehow and choose to work together. If we really want 0:21:56.560 --> 0:21:59.639 to stand shoulder to shoulder with one voice. Three thousand 0:21:59.720 --> 0:22:02.840 plus people in that section is not going to work 0:22:02.880 --> 0:22:05.480 with various independent groups doing their own thing. 0:22:06.280 --> 0:22:10.160 After months of work, one of the biggest remaining issues 0:22:10.720 --> 0:22:13.040 is the involvement of one of San Diego's most prominent 0:22:13.080 --> 0:22:18.280 fan groups, Dago Boys, a traditional Latin American style supporter group. 0:22:18.600 --> 0:22:22.120 The club desperately wants them involved, but they have been 0:22:22.160 --> 0:22:25.560 delaying joining the union, partly because they disagree with the 0:22:25.600 --> 0:22:30.399 pricing structure and ticket allocations, partly because of tensions with 0:22:30.520 --> 0:22:35.280 other groups, and partly because well, paperwork isn't their thing. 0:22:36.040 --> 0:22:36.440 I think. 0:22:36.640 --> 0:22:39.480 I mean, all the groups have their own culture and 0:22:39.560 --> 0:22:43.240 have contributed to the union in some way. Some are 0:22:43.280 --> 0:22:47.520 more on the organizational side, some are on the leadership side. 0:22:48.320 --> 0:22:50.600 If you look at a group like Daego Boys, they 0:22:50.640 --> 0:22:53.880 are by far just visually watching when we talk about 0:22:53.880 --> 0:22:57.359 what we want to create on match days, that is encapsulated, 0:22:57.880 --> 0:23:01.199 especially in what Daego Boys do. I think the disconnect 0:23:01.240 --> 0:23:04.920 happened when we started opening up memberships and then Dago 0:23:04.960 --> 0:23:08.359 Boys had some concerns about some of the decisions that 0:23:08.400 --> 0:23:11.960 had been made in their absence, and my position as 0:23:12.000 --> 0:23:15.000 presidents of the union was like, if you want to 0:23:15.000 --> 0:23:17.800 come in and help influence the decisions. You need to 0:23:17.840 --> 0:23:21.000 become members of the union, because that's who makes the decisions. 0:23:28.640 --> 0:23:30.840 Things all came to a head at an event held 0:23:30.880 --> 0:23:34.520 in early October twenty twenty four. Remember that opening scene 0:23:34.560 --> 0:23:37.720 of episode one where fangroups nearly came to blows in 0:23:37.720 --> 0:23:43.240 the street. This was that moment, for there it is, 0:23:45.080 --> 0:23:48.280 and that's John who just heard the first of a 0:23:48.280 --> 0:23:51.879 barrage of fireworks announcing the arrival of the Dago Boys 0:23:52.520 --> 0:23:55.439 Daego Boys, who are not officially part of the union 0:23:55.560 --> 0:23:58.000 yet and who are in the process of breaking a 0:23:58.119 --> 0:24:01.240 number of the Union's rules in regular relations, as well 0:24:01.280 --> 0:24:10.640 as several public coordinances. By the time Dago Boys arrived, 0:24:10.800 --> 0:24:14.639 a dozen cop cars had circled, supporter groups were squaring off, 0:24:14.920 --> 0:24:18.359 insults were flying, and the venue owner had barred the 0:24:18.400 --> 0:24:19.960 Dago Boys from entry. 0:24:20.800 --> 0:24:26.520 Thankfully, the SDPD kept their distance and didn't antagonize the 0:24:26.560 --> 0:24:30.480 situation at all, and cooler heads eventually prevailed and everything 0:24:30.600 --> 0:24:34.719 settled down. But that was that was on a cusp 0:24:34.760 --> 0:24:39.120 of going sideways really fast. If someone had lost their 0:24:39.200 --> 0:24:43.000 temper and thrown a punch pushed too hard, who knows 0:24:43.000 --> 0:24:45.399 how the police would have reacted, I mean, could have 0:24:45.400 --> 0:24:47.200 been an ugly situation all the way around. 0:24:47.760 --> 0:24:51.320 That was October fourth. It's now less than four months 0:24:51.640 --> 0:24:54.840 until their home opener, and the union is in chaos 0:24:55.240 --> 0:25:00.480 and that risk of collapse. Over the next couple weeks, 0:25:00.800 --> 0:25:04.280 Tentative messages are exchanged. Seven john were to bring all 0:25:04.320 --> 0:25:07.439 sides back to the table, but social media posts have 0:25:07.720 --> 0:25:15.359 emerged revealing there's still a lot of bad blood. On 0:25:15.400 --> 0:25:19.639 October fifteenth, all seven supporter groups reconvene for a major 0:25:19.680 --> 0:25:22.719 meeting of the union at SDFC headquarters at twenty one 0:25:22.840 --> 0:25:26.679 hundred Kettner in Little Italy. This gathering was scheduled to 0:25:26.720 --> 0:25:29.919 be a formal confirmation that all the paperwork is in 0:25:30.040 --> 0:25:33.840 order and the requirements have been met to officially partner 0:25:34.040 --> 0:25:37.440 with the club. Anthony Ernandez, president of Dago Boys, shares 0:25:37.480 --> 0:25:39.320 his thoughts just before heading in. 0:25:41.760 --> 0:25:45.439 We're working on the union for seven groups. As of 0:25:45.520 --> 0:25:49.080 right now, we have six groups that are pretty part 0:25:49.119 --> 0:25:52.200 of the union and we're still waiting to become one 0:25:52.240 --> 0:25:54.000 of them. Yeah, it's going to be kind of hard 0:25:54.040 --> 0:25:57.040 right now. Why because there's some things going on between 0:25:57.080 --> 0:25:59.440 the union and us, So it's going to be a 0:25:59.440 --> 0:26:02.560