Ok. It’s year two for Saint Louis FC and the corner is going to be a little more crowded. Even though last year we were mostly full, this year we’ve completely sold out section 8 with season tickets. As always we’ll spill over into 9 & 10 too. Last year we caught some flack for calling this primer the “rules” for the section. To be clear- these are not “rules”. What we have here is what to expect in the Louligan corner on game day…
Welcome to section 8 or the Paul Deuker Stand or Louligan Corner. Whatever you want to call it, this is where the Supporter’s Group the St. Louligans stand for games. Everyone is welcome, but there are some things you need to know about standing in 8. This section has been established by St. Louligan leadership working with STLFC personnel to be different from the other sections in the park. The rules are different here and by choosing to stand in this section you have to understand what goes down there.
Chanting & Singing. Our section chants and sings all game. We encourage you to join in. None of our songs are that difficult and you can at least hit the key words and yell them loudly. Nothing kills the mood like a group of people in the middle of the section not singing and playing on their smartyphones. Please join in on the chants and songs or move over to make room for people that want to be there.
Standing. Same goes for standing. All Game- yes, all game. If you’re in 8 you’d better be up on your feet. If you can’t hang- go sit in 9 or 10. Section 8 is standing room only. You are free to sit if you need to, but you won’t see anything because the people in front of you will be standing. No complaining to security- our section is a standing section. Be safe.
Smoke. Yes there will be smoke bombs after goals (hey, it happens). Yes it burns the eyes and the nose. There may be a few minutes when your vision is obstructed. No we won’t do it somewhere else. Somewhere else is section 8. If you do not like smoke then YOU need to find another section. This season smoke may only be used by designated people using approved smoke bombs and disposal procedures. If you aren’t on the official list- do not bring smoke bombs into the stadium. Any non-authorized people using smoke will be removed from the stadium. (Sorry- USL rule.)
Beer. We like beer. Occasionally beer will be spilled or thrown in celebration. We’re not talking about someone being dickish and throwing beer for no reason- we’ll put a stop to that, but if a goal is scored and arms go up in celebration there is a high likelihood that beer will fly. If you don’t want your shirt to smell like beer you should probably not be in section 8. THROWING BEER ON PURPOSE WILL NOT BE TOLERATED. One warning. Second offense and you’ll be asked to leave section 8.
F-bombs & other colorful language. Yep, you’ll hear it here. It won’t be allowed in organized chants (STLFC Rule) or tolerated in a yelling/obnoxious fashion, but if you hear a bad word you’ll just have to suck it up. If the other team scores a goal- I WILL say “FUCK”. If you can’t stand vulgar language you probably don’t want to stand in section 8.
Flags. Yes we wave flags and raise banners. There will be times you get hit in the head with a swinging flagpole or miss some action on the field because someone in front of you is holding a flag. That’s all part of the experience. If you’re going to complain about flag waving then you need to find somewhere else to stand. Also- if you take a flag from someone you must wave said flag until your arms are tired and then pass it on to someone new. Dave HATES to see a flag that isn’t waving and has been known to berate non-wavers.
Drummers & Capos. These people are everything during the game and we take care of them. No exceptions. If a Capo or Drummer tells you something- pay attention. Capos need room to work at the front- they DON’T need you standing up there “helping”. If they tell you to vacate then do so. If you’re trying to start your own chant and they tell you to shut up- do it. They know what they’re doing. If you have an idea for a chant, find one of the gameday captains and see if they can convey it to the capos. Do not interrupt them while they’re working or go rogue trying to be louder than the capos. If a good organic chant starts during a lull between official chants we love it, but if it doesn’t catch on- let it drop. Quit trying to make fetch happen. If the drummers start chanting “MORE BEER” that means they are out of beer. Yes it’s a fun chant but it’s a signal to everyone to get out a dollar bill or make it rain. Someone will be coming by to collect the cash to buy the drummers & capos beer or water or whatever else they need. If you’re dead broke, we understand, but please budget $1 each game to the beer fund. Also- do not touch the drums without express consent from one of the drum corps. Seriously, they will slap you if you touch their drums without permission. (They will let your kid pound out a beat, but ask nicely first.) Drummers get the front couple of rows- no questions asked.
Kids. Yes we love kids and it’s great when they want to yell and chant with us. But it’s on you to monitor the section to see if it meets with your approval for your kids. Some people love it, but some people don’t think it’s appropriate for their kids. We are not going to make rules to satisfy individual situations. We’ve got our presence fairly well established- you’re either down with it or not- your choice.
90 Minutes plus extra time. We do not leave early and we do not stop the party. I don’t care if the team is having a bad day. We support them for better or worse. Please don’t leave early to beat the traffic. Hang out after the match to shake the players’ hands and talk about the match. If you leave the section to get a beer or use the facilities, come back. We’ll miss you. We want the corner packed and loud and we need everyone.
Pre-game/Tailgate. EVERYONE is welcome. Even people who choose to not stand in our section. We have fun, talk about soccer, eat, drink & make merry. We usually have food & drink available. We offer it up for free- BUT if you’re going to eat and/or drink our food & beverage it is appreciated if you donate a couple bucks to the cause. There’s always a donation jar on the food table. Food & drinks aren’t free at the store and someone has to pay for it. If we want to keep this simple, donations have to equal costs- otherwise we’ll start charging to eat. You may also bring your own beverage and offer to share it because you’re a good person. We love good people.
Merchandise. Before all home games in the parking lot we sell Tshirts, scarves and various other Louligan items. The table is usually right next to the food table. Buying Louligan swag helps support the cause and pay for things like Tifo or drum repairs or megaphones or whatever comes up. We appreciate your help with things like that, plus you look like a badass wearing Louligan stuff around town. We’re also usually around after the match for a bit if you decide that you really do need that scarf because you had so much fun at the game.
March in. We march into the game 30 minutes before kickoff. Whether you’re in our section or not you are invited to march with us. It’s fun. You should do it. If ever you want to bet before the match start, feel free to visit sites like 해외배팅사이트.
Everything else is basically the jurisdiction of the Gameday Captains. They are the ones wearing the Captain’s armbands. They stand in areas that they can keep an eye on everything. (If a Gameday captain tells you that you’re in their spot, they aren’t being a dick- they stand there for a reason. Move over a bit.) If you have a question or see something that needs addressed find one of them and they will help you. If one of them finds you and tells you something- listen to them. If a problem cannot be solved by the Gameday Captain they work with Security and Police to settle it. Yes, we are the law in section 8. We’ve established a great reputation with the club and the league and they trust us to handle our business. If we say you’re a problem they will take our word for it. Done & done.
Other than that we’re all there to have a good time. Don’t be a jerk. You’re not gonna impress anybody if you’ve seen Green Street Hooligans too many times.
All of that said, you’ll have the best time you’ve ever had at a sporting event and meet some of the best people in the world in the corner. I hope you’ll join us.
