We had the first iteration of the FO’s Supporters Council Tuesday, and honestly it was very informative and valuable. As advertised, it was a place for the FO to communicate their thoughts and plans and for leaders from across the community to discuss items together.
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A lot of topics were discussed but the FO made it clear that supporters decisions will continue to be made through the ISA, and we made it clear that we will continue to make those decisions through discussions and collaborations with the community at large.
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The first topic of discussion is the design and use of the new stage. We know a lot of people had issues with the way that chants largely originated from the capo stand in the Harlem End and that is not the approach we will take with the stage this year.
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That said, we’ve received requests from newer folks asking to make sure we utilize the stage in a way that helps them catch on to what is going on in the section.
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The stage is in essence a row, in front of the front row, with no seats on it. It is actually *below* the front row, and we are looking to start off with a very passive approach that helps these newer folks but can simply be ignored by people that don’t want to use it.
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The concept to start off is to be a Mirror & a Metronome. Songs will originate from Sector Musical in the center of the section. People on the stage will be used as a resource for folks further away from that center to quickly gather what is being started & stay on beat.
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This is a very new process that we will have to evolve and perfect over time. Like everything else this will be a work in progress but the plan right now is to collaborate with the musicians, follow their lead, and help people all over the section participate.
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People will obviously need to sign waivers, and drinking won’t be allowed on it, but if you’re interested in helping out with this let us know.
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They have a lot of ideas for fan engagement outside of our section, and many of them are good. They’re keen on finding traditions, but have heard us on letting much of that generate organically.
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Banners and displays to be used in stadium will need to be cleared and loaded into the warehouse they have rented at least 72 hours before kick. FO will load all of it into the stadium on gameday.
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We have a few places we can place banners during the game: the front of the stage, the front of the wall in front of 121-124, and the front of sections 221-222 (223-224 can be used temporarily as well for pre-game displays).
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We’d like to hear who would like to put up banners in these spaces. We’ll have to figure out a way to decide who gets to put up what when, but let’s start with identifying peoples’ wishes.
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Amongst the many Soldier Field rules and regulations guiding this process, our usual pvc poles are not going to be allowed into the section. The FO has negotiated the use of clear PVC that they load in and will be providing those for us.
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As far as larger displays go, the field goal rigging is cleared for our use but we do not yet know the weight capacity. We also haven’t heard whether full-section overheads are cleared by Soldier. We do now have enough to proceed with planning on a display for the opener.
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Safe smoke has been cleared for before and after the game. The FO is open to utilizing other options like smoke machines, strobes, etc. to add to the atmosphere. Like everything else, the use of any of this is up to us.
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Before this meeting, we had designated the timing of the march to the stadium to kick off from the 18th street turnaround, through the pedestrian tunnels, starting 45 minutes before kickoff.
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The FO has created a Starting 11 flag raising ceremony that will occur 60 minutes before kick. They have offered to involve us in this if we would like, but that would require us to start off our march 70-75 minutes before kick. Give us your thoughts.
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Anything we plan on using inside the stadium that normal fans couldn’t bring in through security has to go in with the FO load-in 2 hours before kick. Anything we want to use during the march can be stored during the game in the supporters trailer provided by the FO.
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Supporters tailgate will be up on the north end of the Waldron Deck and opens 3 hours before kick. 10 parking spots will be set aside for supporters near other usable open space. The supporters trailer will also be usable, & it has speakers, electrical hookups, & a grill.
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There are going to be many pregame locations/hangouts for supporters, so if utilizing this space speaks to you, let us know. Just like banners, we’ll have to create a way to decide who gets to do what when but it starts with gauging the interest.
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We’re working with the FO to create a way for them to pass along interest in supporters culture from newer fans to groups that are open to it, or simply to the culture at large. Let us know if your group wants to receive interested newcomers like this.
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There are so very many irons in the fire & so much that needs to happen before the home opener. We have to move pretty fast so if you have thoughts and ideas make sure to get them out to us quickly. I'm always available online, and Tuesday is my next office hours.
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