Timbers Army: Difference between revisions
Gialloneri (talk | contribs) |
Gialloneri (talk | contribs) |
||
| Line 32: | Line 32: | ||
The group engages in a number of charitable activities, including volunteering for the Portland-based nonprofit Friends of Trees<ref>{{cite web |url=http://friendsoftrees.org/blog/2010/02/22/northeast-brigade-of-timbers-army-plants-trees/ |title=Timbers Army northeast regiment plants trees |first=Toshio |last=Suzuki |date=February 22, 2010 |work=News from Friends of Trees |publisher=Friends of Trees |accessdate=July 26, 2010}}</ref> and raising money for a trust fund established for Keiana Serrill, the granddaughter of [[Timber Jim]], the team's [[lumberjack]] mascot. Timber Jim's daughter, Hannah, was killed in an automobile accident in 2004, and in her memory, the TA has made a tradition of singing "[[You Are My Sunshine]]."<ref>{{cite news |title=The Portland Timbers, from Army to Zizzo|publisher=Portland Mercury |date=April 14, 2011 |url=http://www.portlandmercury.com/portland/the-portland-timbers-from-army-to-zizzo/Content?oid=3783729 |accessdate=May 10, 2011 }}</ref> Timber Jim retired in 2008,<ref>{{cite press release |title=Timbers long-time icon, 'Timber Jim,' retires |publisher=Portland Timbers |date=January 24, 2008 |url=http://www.portlandtimbers.com/newsroom/headlines/index.html?article_id=708 |accessdate=July 26, 2010 }}</ref> but the tradition is carried on by Jim's successor, "Timber Joey."<ref>{{cite news |title=Should we call him 'Timber Joe?' |first=Ben |last=Sherman |newspaper=The Oregonian |location=Portland, OR |date=June 13, 2008 |url=http://www.oregonlive.com/timbers/index.ssf/2008/06/should_we_call_him_timber_joe.html |accessdate= }}</ref> |
The group engages in a number of charitable activities, including volunteering for the Portland-based nonprofit Friends of Trees<ref>{{cite web |url=http://friendsoftrees.org/blog/2010/02/22/northeast-brigade-of-timbers-army-plants-trees/ |title=Timbers Army northeast regiment plants trees |first=Toshio |last=Suzuki |date=February 22, 2010 |work=News from Friends of Trees |publisher=Friends of Trees |accessdate=July 26, 2010}}</ref> and raising money for a trust fund established for Keiana Serrill, the granddaughter of [[Timber Jim]], the team's [[lumberjack]] mascot. Timber Jim's daughter, Hannah, was killed in an automobile accident in 2004, and in her memory, the TA has made a tradition of singing "[[You Are My Sunshine]]."<ref>{{cite news |title=The Portland Timbers, from Army to Zizzo|publisher=Portland Mercury |date=April 14, 2011 |url=http://www.portlandmercury.com/portland/the-portland-timbers-from-army-to-zizzo/Content?oid=3783729 |accessdate=May 10, 2011 }}</ref> Timber Jim retired in 2008,<ref>{{cite press release |title=Timbers long-time icon, 'Timber Jim,' retires |publisher=Portland Timbers |date=January 24, 2008 |url=http://www.portlandtimbers.com/newsroom/headlines/index.html?article_id=708 |accessdate=July 26, 2010 }}</ref> but the tradition is carried on by Jim's successor, "Timber Joey."<ref>{{cite news |title=Should we call him 'Timber Joe?' |first=Ben |last=Sherman |newspaper=The Oregonian |location=Portland, OR |date=June 13, 2008 |url=http://www.oregonlive.com/timbers/index.ssf/2008/06/should_we_call_him_timber_joe.html |accessdate= }}</ref> |
||
In 2010, the Timbers Army established 107 Independent Supporters Trust, or 107ist, in order to plan [[tifo]], bus trips to away matches, and charitable work.<ref>{{cite news |title=Timbers debut gets the money flowing|publisher=Oregon Business|date=April, 2011 |url=http://www. |
In 2010, the Timbers Army established 107 Independent Supporters Trust, or 107ist, in order to plan [[tifo]], bus trips to away matches, and charitable work.<ref>{{cite news |title=Timbers debut gets the money flowing|publisher=Oregon Business|date=April, 2011 |url=http://www.oregonbusiness.com/articles/98-april-2011/5027-timbers-debut-gets-the-money-flowing?start=1|accessdate=May 10, 2011 }}</ref> |
||
== Controversy == |
== Controversy == |
||
Revision as of 19:03, 9 May 2011
| Timbers Army | |
|
| |
| Motto | No Pity |
| Team | Portland Timbers |
| Location | Portland, Oregon |
| Established | 2001 |
| Website | TimbersArmy.org |
The Timbers Army is an independent supporters group of Portland Timbers, a football (soccer) club in Major League Soccer—the top tier of the United States soccer pyramid. Its members are known for their loud, enthusiastic support and the raucous atmosphere they create at Timbers games.[1][2] Centered in section 107 of Jeld-Wen Field in Portland, Oregon, the Army has grown steadily over the years to encompass much of the north end of the stadium.[3]
History
The Timbers Army was founded in 2001 as the Cascade Rangers,[4] a reference to the Cascade Range of mountains in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The group began congregating in section 107 ("The Woodshed") of PGE Park (the former name of Jeld-Wen Field) to create a European-style rooting section for the club, complete with drumming, flags, scarves, smoke bombs and constant chanting and cheering. By 2002, the group had changed its name to the Timbers Army in order to lose any perception of partiality toward Scottish football club Rangers and because the Timbers uniforms at the time resembled those of Rangers rival Celtic.[5]
As noted in a feature story on the front page of The Oregonian's Sports section in 2004,[6] the Army had grown from a small group of dedicated fans to approximately two hundred passionate supporters. By 2005, when the Army was the subject of a cover story by Willamette Week, its game day support was estimated at over one thousand.[7]
In 2008, the group's lobbying was credited with helping to convince the Portland City Council to approve a deal to bring Major League Soccer to Portland in 2011.[8][9][10][11] The Timbers Army were named the fifth most influential Oregon sports figure in 2010 by The Oregonian, two spots ahead of Timbers owner Merritt Paulson.[11] In the piece, sports columnist John Canzano said of the Army:
- Drumming, chanting, scarf-wearing soccer supporters transformed overnight from a band of PGE Park rowdies to an effective and influential political organization. Their political clout ends up greasing the wheels on the effort to bring Major League Soccer to Portland.
The supporters group gained national exposure in 2009 when they were featured in a two-page photo spread in the July 13–20 issue of Sports Illustrated[12] which showed Army members celebrating after the Timbers scored against Seattle Sounders FC of MLS in the third round of the 2009 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
Culture
The group engages in a number of charitable activities, including volunteering for the Portland-based nonprofit Friends of Trees[13] and raising money for a trust fund established for Keiana Serrill, the granddaughter of Timber Jim, the team's lumberjack mascot. Timber Jim's daughter, Hannah, was killed in an automobile accident in 2004, and in her memory, the TA has made a tradition of singing "You Are My Sunshine."[14] Timber Jim retired in 2008,[15] but the tradition is carried on by Jim's successor, "Timber Joey."[16]
In 2010, the Timbers Army established 107 Independent Supporters Trust, or 107ist, in order to plan tifo, bus trips to away matches, and charitable work.[17]
Controversy
In late August 2005, The Oregonian ran an article that criticized the Army's use of profanity in their chants.[18] In this instance, then-General Manager Jim Taylor stated that "People should not come to a sporting event or any event and have to listen to this kind of language.... There is no explaining away the actions of that group. It's unacceptable."[18]
Sports columnist for The Oregonian, John Canzano, received a copy of an email in May 2009 that had been sent to the Timbers front office from a family who had attended a Timbers match at PGE Park. The family, who likened the Timbers Army to hooligans in the letter, were turned off by the Army's use of foul language and called the group "a bunch of angry white guys tanked up on liquor." An email exchange between the family and Timbers owner Merritt Paulson followed, which Canzano published in his column.[19] Paulson defended the Army saying "the Timbers Army is far from being made up of hooligans and MLS soccer teams would be ecstatic to have a supporters groups like the TA which provides an authentic soccer ambience [sic] second to none in the US." Paulson closed by stating his desire to clean up the use of profanity in the Army and suggested "if you are at any way offended by the TA, then do not sit near them."
Notes
- ^ Conover, Dan (July 18, 2008). "The Fun Five: Things to do and where to do them". The Post and Courier. Charleston, SC. Retrieved May 18, 2010.
- ^ Dure, Beau (August 25, 2009). "Portland Timbers show bark, bite as they prepare to join MLS". USA Today. McLean, VA. Retrieved May 18, 2010.
- ^ Ruiz, Don (July 1, 2009). "Smoldering soccer rivalry gets new fire". The Olympian. Olympia, WA. Retrieved May 19, 2010.
- ^ "Community Connection: Cascade Rangers". OregonLive.com. Archived from the original on May 9, 2001. Retrieved June 15, 2010.
- ^ "History". Timbers Army. Retrieved June 15, 2010.
- ^ Verzemnieks, Inara (June 10, 2004). "No pity in Rose City: The passionate soccer fans of Section 107 have enlisted in the Timbers Army". The Oregonian. Portland, OR.
- ^ Pfenning, Cliff; Dundas, Zach (July 6, 2005). "Hometown Hooligans". Willamette Week. Portland, OR. Retrieved June 15, 2010.
- ^ Bennett, Sam (March 12, 2009). "Portland City Council Paves Way for Major League Soccer". Daily Journal of Commerce. Portland, OR.
- ^ Manning, Rob (March 20, 2009). "Soccer City U.S.A. Now Has An MLS Franchise". OPB News. Retrieved May 18, 2010.
- ^ Laggner, Kyle (March 20, 2009). "In full rowdy roar, the Timbers Army is enlisting in MLS". The Oregonian. Portland, OR. Retrieved May 19, 2010.
- ^ a b Canzano, John (July 24, 2010). "Canzano: Power-wielding Paul Allen tops list of influential Oregon sports figures". The Oregonian. Portland, OR. Retrieved July 26, 2010.
- ^ "Leading Off: Cheers and Tears". Sports Illustrated. New York, NY: Time. July 13–20, 2009.
{{cite journal}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Suzuki, Toshio (February 22, 2010). "Timbers Army northeast regiment plants trees". News from Friends of Trees. Friends of Trees. Retrieved July 26, 2010.
- ^ "The Portland Timbers, from Army to Zizzo". Portland Mercury. April 14, 2011. Retrieved May 10, 2011.
- ^ "Timbers long-time icon, 'Timber Jim,' retires" (Press release). Portland Timbers. January 24, 2008. Retrieved July 26, 2010.
- ^ Sherman, Ben (June 13, 2008). "Should we call him 'Timber Joe?'". The Oregonian. Portland, OR.
- ^ "Timbers debut gets the money flowing". Oregon Business. April, 2011. Retrieved May 10, 2011.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b Haight, Abby (August 23, 2005). "Language Barrier". Portland, OR: The Oregonian.
- ^ Canzano, John (May 20, 2009). "UPDATED: Open letter to the Timbers (Army)... where's the line?". The Oregonian. Portland, OR. Retrieved July 26, 2010.