The honor of being the the first-ever Pelé Sports Fan Ambassador goes to Brandon Ferguson, President of the AK-ROWDIES.
The AK-ROWDIES were created to provide support to athletic teams at The University of Akron in Ohio. The ROWDIES are best known for supporting the men’s soccer program led by Head Coach Caleb Porter. They have become the country’s largest collegiate soccer supporters’ group, developing a style reminiscent of Europe’s most popular clubs.
“We want to be like those teams who are taking that tradition, especially the Columbus Crew,” Ferguson declared. “We’ve seen the Hudson Street Hooligans and all the guys in the Nordecke. We went to them for inspiration.”
Collegiate soccer is a truly American game as most nations opt for academy systems and youth play. So the ROWDIES are a rare breed indeed.
“It’s been nice the first couple of years being the only one around the collegiate game,” Ferguson continued.
When we say they support soccer, we really mean it. Over 2,800 students attended the recent match between the nationally ranked Zips and in-state rivals Ohio State. Keep in mind that the match took place on a Wednesday night and that the university only has 29,000 students. That means that nearly 10% of the entire university was at the match and it was on a weeknight.
The goal for the ROWDIES started out simple, to cheer UA student-athletes to victory. Victories have been easy to come by for the UA men’s soccer program, who still hold a record-breaking 46 game home unbeaten streak.
The Akron players know how important their supporters (or in this case their classmates) are when it comes to creating an unbelievable atmosphere at FirstEnergy Stadium – Cub Cadet Field.
“That end we stand on, behind the goal, is like a vacuum,” Ferguson concluded. “A large percentage, over 70% of goals scored at Cub Cadet Field, have been scored in the net we stand behind.”
The players appreciate all of the support during the match and certainly don’t forget their supporters after the final whistle is blown. “The players come over afterwards and we dance and sing I believe that we have won. It creates that excitement.”
The point is not lost with Head Coach Caleb Porter either. When the ROWDIES were in their infancy, Porter used to buy pizza for the 100 or so supporters who regularly attended home games.
“Once you know you are having an effect, it’s so much easier to get all the students to buy in,” Ferguson said. The buy-in to supporting college soccer has made a difference, sharing the sport with a whole new audience.
Ferguson’s passion and enthusiasm along with the countless hours devoted to the sport of soccer makes him the first Pelé Sports Fan Ambassador.
Pelé is unquestionably the world’s greatest soccer ambassador, spreading his love of the Beautiful Revolution wherever he goes. He has become the game’s strongest supporter and has been the source of inspiration for millions around the globe. From the streets of New York to the fields of South Africa, Pelé Sports is a name synonymous with passion, creativity and innovating the game the way it should be played. A world without Pelé would be a world without soccer with millions missing out on the joy and the Beautiful Revolution we all love in this game.
Today’s supporters carry on the prestigious legacy of Pelé, growing and promoting the game in their own communities and passing the torch to a new generation of footballers. Mainstream media outlets have failed to give a face to these fans, people who do extraordinary things everyday and have stories that deserve to be told.
Whether it is an Iraqi War veteran who is a passionate supporter of his favorite MLS side or a student making an impact on the college game, the concept of ambassadorship is alive and well here in North America. Today’s supporters are not hooligans or fanatics or even überfans, but rather gatekeepers to the true spirit of the beautiful game.
International Soccer Network, in conjunction with Pelé Sports, plans to celebrate the contributions of North American soccer fans every month with a new series of feature articles.
