On Saturday afternoon, Detroit City FC celebrated their supporter funded stadium by hosting FC United of Manchester, one of the more famous supporter built clubs in the world. It was an international friendly that has not been seen his far down the soccer pyramid in either England or the United States. The “Derby of the People,” as proclaimed by Northern Guard head capo Andrew Gentry, otherwise known as Sergeant Scary, was a celebration of what a dedicated group of supporters can accomplish, given the motivation to make it happen.
Two Supporter Built Clubs Bringing Fans Together
For those who aren’t familiar, FC United of Manchester are not to be confused with the much larger Manchester United of the English Premier League. In fact, FC United was formed by a group of disgruntled supporters who were upset with, among other things, the American ownership of the team. Malcolm Glazer’s takeover of the club was the last straw for these men and women, who broke off to form their own supporter owned club in 2005. The team has since been promoted multiple times and now plays in National League North, the sixth tier of English Football.
While not as rebellious, Detroit City was founded in 2012 as an answer to the lack of a soccer presence in the city of Detroit. In just three short seasons, the club outgrew its high school home and raised $741,250 to renovate an old stadium in Hamtramck, Michigan. Keyworth Stadium opened on May 20 to a crowd of over 7,400 fans, which was well over the listed capacity. The supporters may not own the club, but they have a close relationship with ownership and, in addition to donating heaps of money to the cause, they donated their time and physical efforts to rebuild the 80-year-old venue.
The match, which started at 3:00 PM on Saturday (when FC United come out to play, according to one of their chants), was a celebration of these two clubs. A connection was formed before the match even began. The official pub of Detroit City, the Fowling Warehouse just a short march from the stadium, was peacefully shared by Mancunians and Detroiters alike. Fans exchanged scarves in a gesture of unity between the two sides. Inside the stadium, after the Northern Guard sung the Star Spangled Banner, FC United’s supporters bellowed “Dirty Old Town,” the anthem of Detroit City’s supporters.
The match itself was a wild affair. Detroit City went in front early on with a goal from Javi Bautista. United tied it up shortly thereafter. Another 25th minute City goal and two United goals in the final five minutes of the first half provided a 3-2 barnburner after 45 minutes.
The second half was more calm. Most of the action took place in the stands as a couple of United supporters made their way into the heart of the Northern Guard. Their attempts to outsing the ended with them joining in the famed Tetris song and dance and them making a couple thousand new American friends. Alec Lasinski tied the score at the death of the match to end it the only way it could have from the beginning, a 3-3 draw.
After the match, the players exchanged shirts on the field and made the rounds around the stadium to thank the 6,245 for showing their support. Some of their traveling fans even came over as well, expressing a desire to see each one of them in Manchester at some point. Although no solid plans have been made, there has been talk of Detroit City jumping across the pond for a return leg in this friendly.
Saturday’s match was just another message from the Detroit City FC supporters saying they don’t need MLS to come to town. Their passion for their club outweighs the need for top flight soccer in the city. They wanted to show the world what supporters could build and they invited a supported built club from another country to help out. It was a rousing success, too. FC United of Manchester made a few thousand more Detroit fans. More than a few of them, myself included, would travel with the team to watch them play at Broadhurst Park.
While the supporter built clubs and and fans owning teams may not catch on at the highest level in the United States, Detroit City FC is doing its best to show that there is at least a small place for extreme fan involvement. Saturday was just another example of how successful they have been, and how they will continue to grow and prosper, whether MLS comes along or not.
Photo Credit: Detroit City FC/Jon DeBoer
