Soccer Culture in Portland, Oregon: Its Impact on the Community and its Ties to Nationalism and Fandom
by Jake Walter
Abstract
In the City of Portland soccer is a backbone of the culture and has been a staple of the community for generations. The Portland Timbers, the city's professional soccer franchise, has brought people together to view games since the early 1970s. The franchise, which was awarded to the City of Portland by the North American Soccer League 1975, has very small roots in a competition not well known. The team prospered for many years at this level until being announced as a Major League Soccer (MLS) expansion franchise in 2007. As the status of the team has increased since then, so has the fan base, supporter's groups, and their activities. The impacts that sport can have on the culture of a of a place like Portland, and the collective identity that those who identify share with that place, is what inspired this research. The methodology involved collecting narratives from people both highly involved in the Timbers Nation, a local fan club, as well as general citizens while also utilizing MLS ticket and apparel sales. These data are used to examine the positives and negatives that the team has brought to the city of Portland and examine the connection between soccer culture and its connections to the geopolitical theory of nationalism within the Timbers fandom.
by Jake Walter
Abstract
In the City of Portland soccer is a backbone of the culture and has been a staple of the community for generations. The Portland Timbers, the city's professional soccer franchise, has brought people together to view games since the early 1970s. The franchise, which was awarded to the City of Portland by the North American Soccer League 1975, has very small roots in a competition not well known. The team prospered for many years at this level until being announced as a Major League Soccer (MLS) expansion franchise in 2007. As the status of the team has increased since then, so has the fan base, supporter's groups, and their activities. The impacts that sport can have on the culture of a of a place like Portland, and the collective identity that those who identify share with that place, is what inspired this research. The methodology involved collecting narratives from people both highly involved in the Timbers Nation, a local fan club, as well as general citizens while also utilizing MLS ticket and apparel sales. These data are used to examine the positives and negatives that the team has brought to the city of Portland and examine the connection between soccer culture and its connections to the geopolitical theory of nationalism within the Timbers fandom.
Jake Walter