Chicago Fire » Fire Fan Guide

Where to watch this weekend’s Fire game

Tom — Fri, 04 May 2007 19:45:44 +0000

It’s pretty obvious, really, if you’re in or around Chicago:

Sunday, May 6th
The Hidden Shamrock
Fire@New England Watch Party

Back room opens at 6pm
Kickoff 7pm (Comcast Sports Net)

Free Raffle
Drink specials,
Section 8 Merchandise on sale

The Hidden Shamrock
2723 N Halsted (Halsted/Diversey)
Chicago, IL
773 883 0304

[Organized by the Section 8 Chicago ISA]

I’ll be there, and if anyone wants to say hello to their favourite Fire fan blogger (OK, the only Fire fan blogger), look for the 140 pound scraggly red-haired guy with an English accent. I should be easy to spot.

Fire Internet Guide

Tom — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 11:58:46 +0000

So, you want to be a Fire fan. Where on the internets can you find information, discussion and insight (apart from here, that is)?

Here’s a guide on where to go.

News & Information
- Official Fire site (uglier and updated less frequently than many other MLS sites)
- Windy City Soccer (general soccer news for Chicago, regular Fire updates)
- The Chicago Tribune (often updated, good coverage)
- The Chicago Sun-Times (rarely updated, poor coverage)
- The Daily Southtown (no specific Fire page, but coverage is pretty good)
- Soccernet Fire page (Basic info)
- Daily Herald (Kent McGill’s column)
- The Chicagoist (The Chicagoist’s Todd often covers the Fire)

Discussion
- Big Soccer (lively, though sometimes threads get messy and irrelevant)
- Section 8 (great, especially for the hardcore Fire fan)

Podcasts
- Fire official podcast (infrequent)
- Fire fan podcast (one man’s take, good stuff)

Blogs & Myspace
- Luis Arroyave of the Trib (essential)
- Chicago Fire myspace

Supporter’s Group Sites
- Section 8 Chicago
- Barn Burners 1871
- Mike Ditka’s Street Crew
- Sector Latino
- Fire Ultras 98
- Whiskey Brothers Aught Five
- Blitzer Mob
- Ladder 97
- Ultras Red Side
- Section 8 Chicago ISA myspace
- Partisans
- Shandy Sisters

en español
- Official Fire site
- Sector Latino

I’m sure I missed some sites, so post your links below and I’ll add them to this list, which will always be easily accessible by clicking the “Fire fan guide” category link on the right-side of the page. I also recommend you declare your support for the Fire at the Section 8 website, to join the online Fire community.

Section 8 Chicago

Tom — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 16:47:07 +0000

I’ve mentioned ‘Section 8′ on this blog a few times, but it occurs to me that reference might be a little opaque to many non-Fire fans and possibly newer Fire fans who have jumped on since the Blanco signing.

The name refers to the grouping of supporters who occupy an area of the Fire’s stadium known as ‘Section 8′: they collectively provide the most noise and colour to the proceedings. They are known for non-stop chanting, large banners (an 80×25 megabandanera [above] is wheeled out on occasion), and undying group Fire loyalty, as expressed in their funeralesque attire to protest the firing of GM Peter Wilt in 2005 [below].

Section 8 is actually located in sections 118/117 of Toyota Park. Their apparent misnomer comes from the fact that they once occupied Section 8 of Soldier Field back when the Fire played there and before it was redeveloped, in a designated section chosen in conjunction with Peter Wilt. A tailgating area in the Fire parking lots brings together Section 8 supporters before games.

Here is how Section 8 supporters describe their style:

Chicago Fire supporters are a unique breed, a cross between several different types of worldwide supporting styles – European ultras, English/Scottish fans, South American barras, even Asian support – and the distinctive culture of Chicago sports fans. Though the ultras style is dominant, there are clear elements of all visible at every match. Fans take turns leading their fellow supporters as ‘capo’ – taken from the Italian term – picking up songs and chants started in one area and spreading it throughout and keeping intensity high among all of Section 8.

Section 8 Chicago, meanwhile, is the name of the Independent Supporters’ Association for the Chicago Fire. You can’t actually join Section 8 Chicago, though there are a number of Fire supporter’s groups affiliated to it.

The oldest are the Barn Burners 1871, who occupied Section 8 at Soldier Field. Undoubtedly the best named are Mike Ditka’s Street Crew, who count Peter Wilt as a member. Some groups have an ethnic orientation, such as Sector Latino and Fire Ultras 98 (Polish). Some are locality-based, including Red Scare (Joliet) and The Western Front (Oak Park to Naperville). Others are more broadly defined: the Shandy Sisters (’it’s not just boys’ fun’), Whiskey Brothers Aught Five (’whiskey, foreign policy, the beautiful game’), the Partisans (’active interest in leftist politics’), Blitzer Mob (’industrial music’) and Ladder 97 (’who bring a taste of traditional English football’).

As the self-described mish-mash of supporting styles and the different backgrounds of the affiliated groups illustrates, Section 8 is quite unique, and perhaps suggests some of the potential for MLS culturally: in what other country of the world could such different groupings coexist in the same city, support the same team, and stand in the same section?

And best of all, thanks to a special arrangement with the Fire, season tickets for Section 8 are dirt cheap: just $12 per game.