Who is a supporter and what do they do?
The definition of a “supporter” is a tricky one and one that will change depending on who you are talking to. We prefer to talk about what is a King? A King is someone who is passionate about TFC and Canadian Soccer. A King is someone who wants to be part of a group, not just in name but to be involved in all aspects of supporting (new friends, events, banners, away trips etc). Finally, a King does not need to be a veteran of “supporting” but needs to have a curiosity and a desire to learn and have a good time.
How come there are multiple supporter groups? What are the benefits of multiple groups? Do you have any challenges (if yes what are they) with having more than one groups?
In a city as large and as multicultural as Toronto, you are bound to have people who have different supporting heritages. Our groups are united by a common goal of supporting TFC and Canadian Soccer, but we do differ in certain way surrounding what a supporter is. To answer the question about if we have challenges: yes, we do at times, just like any family but rarely are they major and with time and communication we have been able to work through all of them.
Are there differences between supporter groups? Qualifications to join a certain group?
Toronto FC has 6 main supporter groups and at the core they are all the same, we are all passionate about Toronto FC and Canadian soccer in general. When you peel back the layers of each group we do have differences: Some are older, some are new, some are made up of people who have never met and some are made up of people who have known each other for years. Certain groups do have specific criteria for joining but for us in Kings in the North we are pretty relaxed. We expect you to be passionate, to attend games regularly and to contribute positively to the group as a whole. We would love to grow our membership and our SSH numbers but in the end if we are not the group for you we are still happy to have you as a TFC and Canadian Soccer supporter.
Where/How can I learn and practice the chants?
There are many ways to practice the chants: YouTube, Red Patch Boys forum or the best way is to just come out to the games and join us in the south end. Nothing like learning on the fly with thousands of teachers all around you.
Answers Provided By - Dave Pinto, Kings in the North Leadership
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