By now we can all have an understanding of what being a Toronto FC supporter feels like. For many of us though, these feelings come with an asterisk. Escapism is customary amongst Toronto FC fans, via the teams that we loved before 2007.
We can cling to longstanding culture and nostalgia built around football clubs that are many decades old. This is in fact so prevalent, that a Torontonian could feasibly ask another “What team do you support?”, while at BMO Field, as if TFC isn’t an actual option.
Through all of the lows, with so few proper high points, how would it feel if this club was truly your one and only? Moreover, Toronto FC is still only young, so what if this team was your passion for a substantial amount of time?
To get a bit of perspective, I contacted Nick Westwell, the Supporters Club Chairman for Accrington Stanley. Who are they? Exactly!
Located in England’s Northwest, the club dates back to the late 1890s, with a stuttering existence before ultimately being dissolved in 1966 and brought back to life 2 years later. Since then the reformed Stanley have found more solid footing, even gaining promotion to League Two (the 4th tier of England’s Football League) in 2005/06.
People make fun of them, but to be fair, they make fun of themselves. Supporters club membership comes with a pin badge featuring the club logo and a milk bottle, a nod to the old television commercial above.
As Nick says, this is something they embrace. “We are no big-time-charlies here, we are very grassroots, with plenty of grass! It’s our 10th year in the League next season, we must be doing something right!”
“We are very, very proud to be a Football League club. Smallest gates and smallest budget for the last 9 years; a lot of big clubs in the National Conference would swap places tomorrow.”
Nick admits that poor crowds and financial issues are the biggest issues facing Accrington Stanley. What is most impressive though is the degree of loyalty the supporters demonstrate. “We have 1100 loyal fans, with few fans who adopt us as their 2nd team” he told me. For some, that may seem a small number, until you get out a map.
The town of Accrington is located in-between two big rivals in Burnley and Blackburn. Burnley spent 2014/15 in the Premier League, while Blackburn were Premier League Champions back in 1995. To go one step further, the city of Manchester is only 20 miles from Accrington, and plenty of people in Toronto have much further than that to travel to claim their red or sky blue allegiance.
As is common with most clubs, modern football has expanded the demographic of Accrington Stanley ticketholders. “The rise of our family atmosphere is improving all the time, organized by our Community Trust. The corporate side needs a lot of work and the appointment of a Commercial Manager in a couple of week’s time will improve this area.”
The Stanley Ultras are among that aforementioned group of loyal supporters, and are not unlike what BMO Field can boast in pockets of the south end of the stadium. Nick considers them to be a real asset to the club. “The Ultras by and large are the younger end and they create a great atmosphere with singing and colourful flags. They really get behind their team.”
With a better understanding of who Accrington Stanley are, it took me back to my original question: What is it like to be a passionate supporter of a club like this?
“Proud is the word. Always the little club punching above our weight, everybody writes us off. Nothing here is handed on a plate, we have to earn anything we do.”
This of course makes those high moments all the more enjoyable, and those are the experiences football fans live for. Among his most memorable, this past season Accrington Stanley travelled to Portsmouth, beating the former Premier League side 3-2 in front of 15,000 fans, of which only 84 where from Accrington. Another he mentioned is one for the true football romantics: “Beating Huddersfield in the FA Cup, ON TELLY, as a non-league club.”
Keep in mind, this is a small town team. They don’t have a stadium that seats 30,000 and they don’t have owners with wallets big enough to afford a fancy Italian import to improve the club’s fortunes.
In comparison with a club like Accrington Stanley, Toronto FC have been nurtured through their struggles by a league system absent of relegation, a massive metropolitan population with an appetite for the sport, and an ownership who can afford to make mistakes. As hard as it may be to believe for TFC supporters, it could be worse.
In closing, Nick identified the mentality that has carried Accrington Stanley’s supporter culture through the difficult times.
“Work together and pull in the same direction as one.”
Seems an apt motto for Toronto FC supporter groups in 2015 following the off-season relocations.
Leave a comment below or tweet me (@EricAnderton_).
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