Supporters
Rey was the recipient of the Spread the Love welcome packet for the April 6th match against Houston.
Die-hard Timbers season ticket holder and Stand Together advocate, Dwight Adkins, nominated Rey. Dwight is a good friend of Rey’s, and is a member at the gym where Rey coaches and trains.
“Rey is a trainer at Skogg, a kettlebell gym in the Pearl,” Dwight explained. “All day he motivates others to be healthy, strong and happy. Rey does a great job of inspiring others, and I thought a night at a Timbers match would be fun for him to sit back, relax and enjoy some awesome soccer with his family.”
Rey has only attended one Timbers match, about five years ago when the team played in the USL. The match against Houston was his first MLS Timbers experience.
“The fans were amazing,” said Rey. “I have been to tons of high school, college, and professional sporting events, and have never been in an atmosphere like the one I experienced that night at the Timbers match.”
Rey was also pleased with the result, as the Timbers took three points from Houston.
“The Timbers looked awesome scoring two goals against the Dynamo. I had a great time!”
He also expressed his gratitude toward Dwight for giving him his welcome packet.
“I was very excited that he chose me to give this opportunity to,” said Rey. “My schedule and budget haven't allowed for many extra activities and to get four tickets to three different events was so generous! “
Congratulations to our first Axe Society Members of the Match – Meredith and Oliver!
As part of our inaugural group of ticket holders, Meredith and Oliver won the chance to have a VIP experience for the Portland Timbers vs. Houston Dynamo match on April 6th, including KeyBank Club seats, and a chance to visit with Timber Joey on the field! Six-year old Oliver had a blast, especially considering he played in his first ever soccer match earlier that day. He also got to meet the MLS Player of the Week, Ryan Johnson at the post-match autograph session!
If you are an Axe Society member and would like to enter to win the title of Member of the Match, please register here.
Tyron and his family were recipients of the Spread the Love welcome packet for the April 6th match against Houston.
Long-time Timbers season ticket holder and Axe Society member, Tim Birr, nominated Tyron. Tim has been a familiar face in the North End since 2001, and is a member of local drum and pipe band that has performed at many Timbers matches over the years.
Tyron is a long-time soccer fan, who saw his first Timbers game when he was a young boy. Because of his work schedule, he has been unable to attend a live MLS Timbers match, usually watching the television recording the next day.
Thanks to Tim’s nomination, Tyron was able to bring his wife, daughters, niece, and nephew to their first Timbers game.
We caught up with Tyron after the Houston game to ask him about his family’s experience at the match:
What was your reaction when you received the Spread the Love welcome packet?
I was overwhelmed at the amount of tickets I received. My wife and I both work and it's a struggle to see a Timbers match live. I grew up playing soccer at the age of five and most of the Timbers games I watched have been recorded from the night before, and I usually get up before the kids are awake and watch the games. To be able to take my children to the game was very special because I got to see my first Timbers match at their age.
What were you most looking forward to about attending a Timbers match?
Being there to watch the game live with other fans and knowing the excitement fans have at soccer match.
Describe your experience attending the game?
Sitting there with my wife and daughters meant the world to me. Growing up loving the game and knowing now that my children have seen a Timbers game they will become fans for life. The most excitement of the match was when the Timbers scored and my kids screamed with excitement! They truly enjoyed the match.
What does "Spread the Love" mean to you?
Spread the Love means an opportunity to become a bigger fan of the Timbers then I already am. I've watched and attended other sporting events, and appreciate the Timbers taking the time for people in the community that wouldn’t normally have an opportunity to see a match by giving them free tickets. Spread the Love means to me that the Timbers are really part of my community.
Winning Instagram from March by @didikimm
It has been said that soccer players are creatures of habit. Most have their matchday routines, and few stray from their superstitious rituals for fear of angering the soccer gods.
Some eat the same pregame meal, while others have a particular order in which they dress. From an outside perspective it might seem odd, but to the rest of us it’s part of the game.
For fans, it’s no different. Superstitious by nature, many fans have a pregame ritual they abide by. Stumptown Coffee Roasters want to know what your ritual is. Do you wear the same faded t-shirt or frayed scarf? Do you and your friends bike to the match? Share it with us.
Throughout the 2013 season, the Portland Timbers and Stumptown Coffee Roasters are asking fans to share their pre-game rituals for the first home match of every month. All you have to do is Instagram a shot of your morning pregame ritual and share it with the hashtag #SCRTimbers.
One random fan will be selected each month to win a prize pack from Stumptown and the Timbers that includes:
- One (1) Signed Timbers Jersey
- One (1) 12oz bag of Kenya Gaturiri Coffee
- Two (2) Stumptown Coffee Roaster Mugs
- One (1) Stumptown Branded Red Rooster Hand Mill Grinder
Last month, @didikimm won the Stumptown & Timbers prize pack for her Instagram of Timbers fans braving cold weather and long lines to get into JELD-WEN Field prior to the season opener. This month, it could be you.
For full contest rules, click here.
The scarf. At first glance, it appears to be a simple fashion accessory. However, to soccer supporters around the world it is a matchday essential.
Many scarves utilize the traditional two-color bar pattern. Others commemorate specific matches or moments in club history, lyrics from supporters’ songs and chants, or legendary players.
And just like the supporters who don them proudly, soccer scarves may look the same in design, but each tells a different story of past memories. Every supporter remembers their first scarf and the sweat, tears, smoke, and occasional spilled beer that live within its fabric.
Some wear their scarves for warmth during brisk late-season matches, while others display them as a badge of honor and pride. They are a supporter’s tool during songs, and best friend during celebratory smoke bombs. It can be a sign of support in triumph, and a beacon of solidarity in defeat. The scarf is colorful, vibrant, and unifying voice of the supporters.
Many scarves function as practical accessories for matchday, and many others find residence on display in homes, offices, and bars. The varieties and uses of scarves are endless, and supporters are always seeking out the next addition to their collection.
The Portland Timbers recognize this, and are giving fans an opportunity to collect a new, unique scarf every month of the season.
- The 2013 Timbers “Scarf of the Month” Program gives fans an exclusive opportunity to collect limited edition official scarf designs throughout the season
- Generally, the “Scarf of the Month” will launch online several days before it launches in-stadium at the first home match of every month
- Designs are exclusive to the adidas Timbers Team Store & shop.portlandtimbers.com
- All are limited edition available in limited quantities
- All are $28 retail price
- For first dibs on your “Scarf of the Month” be sure to sign up for the Team Store mailing list at http://shop.portlandtimbers.com/signup.html
The Scarf of the Month for April is available now online at shop.portlandtimbers.com and will be available in-store on April 6. Keep in mind, each of these scarves are limited quantity. Once they’re gone, they’re gone for good.
Brent Richards - Photo by David Blair
Even with their 2013 campaign under way, the Portland Timbers haven’t forgotten about the goals they scored in 2012.
The Timbers, along with Stand Together community pillar partner Friends of Trees, are gearing up to plant trees this Saturday as part of the club’s “Score a Goal, Plant a Tree” program, presented by JELD-WEN Windows & Doors.
From 9-10:30 AM on Saturday, March 30, Portland Timbers players Sal Zizzo and Brent Richards and mascot Timber Joey will join forces with volunteers and the Timbers Army in Happy Valley to plant trees along the banks of Rock Creek and its tributaries.
This is a great opportunity for Timbers fans and volunteers from the community to work side by side with Timbers players by planting trees together in an effort to help restore the banks of Rock Creek and protect the natural beauty of Oregon.
This volunteer restoration event is part of the Rock Creek Partnership with SOLVE and the Clackamas River Basin Council, led by Friends of Trees. Rock Creek is a tributary to the Clackamas River and supports numerous species of wildlife, including salmonoids.
Friends of Trees will provide breakfast snacks along with hot chocolate and coffee for those arriving before the 9:00 AM scheduled start. They also encourage volunteers to come dressed for the weather and wearing boots or sturdy shoes when joining them to plant trees.
Volunteers are welcome to join the Saturday tree planting at 15241 SE Chelsea Morning Drive, Happy Valley, OR 97086 (map). Visit www.friendsoftrees.com/volunteering for more information.
The Backcut Podcast: Oregonian's Geoffrey C. Arnold and his new book on the Portland-Seattle rivalry
As a Portland Timbers fan, there's really nothing like attending a rivalry match against the Seattle Sounders. It is fierce, visceral, loud, spirited, entertaining, awe-inspiring . . . and that's just the first ten minutes of the supporters groups' tifo unveiling.
The battle on the field can raise the stakes to a whole other level. This Saturday's clash between the Timbers and Sounders (Mar. 16, 5pm PT, NBC Sports Network, 750 AM The Game / La Pantera 940) culminates an entire day of Rivalry Week intensity. NBC Sports Network will air three of the games and have a special highlight show during the afternoon jumping from each of the other matches around the league.
This emphasis on MLS rivalries has grown each year but the Portland-Seattle clash has proved to be a premier event. And no wonder. The uniqueness of this soccer animosity goes back nearly 40 years skipping across NASL, USL and MLS editions of both teams.
Oregonian sports writer Geoffrey C. Arnold is the paper's primary Timbers and soccer beat writer. Covering Oregon sports for over twenty years, Arnold has attended MLS Cup, the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, and much more. But it was the 2009 U.S. Open Cup match between the then USL-era Timbers and the then first-year MLS Sounders that piqued his interest around this loud and incredible rivalry. He set out to find more about the heros and villains, interviewed players past and present, examined the art of the tifo and much more. The result: Cascadia Clash: Sounders vs. Timbers.
On the eve of this next installment of the Cascadia Cup Portland-Seattle rivalry, I sat down with Arnold to find out more how he started his book, why he thinks such conflicth exists between the teams, supporters, and cities, and where he thinks the rivalry will be headed to next.
Be sure to sit back and take in all the league's rivalry matches throughout the day.
The Backcut Podcast sits at the intersection of Timbers, Thorns, soccer & culture to explore the unique elements of the beautiful game. You can subscribe to The Backcut on iTunes in the same feed as the Talk Timbers podcast.
We've talked here about #SeattleAway. Whether you're heading up on a 107ist bus, driving yourself, taking the train, booking a helicopter, etc., there's numerous ways to get you there.
Our friends at 76 would like to help you. All you need to do is Instagram a shot of you traveling to or from this weekend's match with the hashtag #76roadtrip and you'll be eligible to win a $100 gas card. Not going to this Portland-Seattle battle? Never fear, the contest will also be happening on future Cascadia Cup rivalry matches on May 18th @ Vancouver, August 25th @ Seattle and October 6th @ Vancouver.
Head north!
Photo: Craig Mitchelldyer
Earlier this week in the UEFA Champions League, Turkish side Galatasaray traveled to Germany to take on Schalke. It was a crucial encounter that Galatasaray eventually won 3-2 to move on to the quarterfinals. Their rabid fan base traveled en masse and though the away section was overflowing, there were reports of supporters attempting to carve a tunnel under the fence to get in.
According to The Guardian, "(Schalke Sporting Director Hans) Heldt confirmed the incident before the game, which ended with a 4-3 aggregate victory for the Turkish club, saying: "Yes, that's right. Some supporters have tried to dig a tunnel with their bare hands."
While we applaud the devotion of the traveling Galatasaray fans, for those of you who are contemplating heading north to watch the Portland Timbers begin their defense of the Cascadia Cup in a battle with the Seattle Sounders, all you have to do is get on the bus.
The 107 Independent Supporters Trust--the organizing group of the Timbers Army--is handling all Seattle Away day travel. Tickets are still available for public purchase and include a bus trip and game ticket option to get you there or just a ticket-only option if you want to drive yourself.
They're going fast but you can get yours now by visiting the 107ist.org site here. What are you waiting for?
Vince and his family were recipients of the Spread the Love welcome packet for the March 9th match against Montreal.
We asked Vince a few questions about his experience at the match with his son Shaun and two daughters Alexis and McKenna:
What is your relationship to the Spread the Love ambassador?
“Suite Sue” Simpson was our ambassador. She actually gave the “welcome” packet to Neal Harrington, who unfortunately was unable to attend the match due to a last minute work conflict. In turn, Neal really embraced the “Spread the Love” mantra and shared the packet with my family.
What were you most looking forward to about attending a Timbers match?
We had never been to a Timber's game before so anticipation was high on what to expect. The kids really wanted to see Timber Joey!
What was your favorite part of the match?
The kids enjoyed watching how the game was played, the intricacies of the sport and how quickly and skillfully the players moved on and around the field.
Have you ever been to a match? If so, what was the last time you attended?
No, this was the first Timber's game we had been to. It was cool experience and very exciting.
What was your reaction when you received the "welcome" packet?
It was great - we were excited about everything. We were all very excited that we had an opportunity to go!
Interested in nominating a deserving fan? You can, here. Recipients will be selected shortly for the two Timbers home matches in April.
