Amanda K
The great Scottish player and coach Jock Stein once said, “Football is nothing without fans.” Presenting #WhyImFlockEnd: a weekly series highlighting members of Forward Madison FC’s Independent Supporters Association, The Flock. Don’t miss a chance to join us in the Flock End this season; get your season tickets here!
Amanda K
#WhyImFlockEnd
Photos: Lindsy Anderson
I remember the day it was announced that professional soccer would be coming to Madison. I read, and then re-read, the news article to make sure I wasn’t kidding myself. I then forwarded the article on to my friend Scott, with the text: “holy [expletive] [expletive].”
Now, I am a born and raised Madisonian. I bleed Badger red, I cry every time the football team loses the Rose Bowl, and when the basketball team beat Kentucky in the 2015 Final Four, that is the highest I’ve ever been from a sporting event. But, soccer has always been there in my family: I played when I was a wee one with the Frank Allis Aardvarks and on an indoor league at Soccer World, World Cups were always a big deal to my brothers and I, my nephew is passionate about the game and played for Monona Grove, etc. Then, I met someone who spent many of his free moments perusing articles on goal.com, and who was impressed with the fact that I knew what Serie A is. I wooed him with my knowledge of the game, we got married, and now every time we travel there is a 95% chance that soccer will be involved.
There is just something about soccer. I love waking up early on the weekend to the sound of soccer commentators giving an enthusiastic play-by-play. I love the game day tradition of walking into a stadium and singing for 90 minutes. I love the rivalries and the history of the sport. The fact that many soccer clubs have independent supporter groups that lift up the communities that their team calls home, while at the same time lifting up the team, makes soccer that much more special. Most sports don’t have that.
What makes you excited to be a part of The Flock this year?
When The Flock was in its original planning stages, I jumped in on the charity side of things and wanted to plan some volunteer events. The Flock’s board welcomed that idea with open arms, and many of the supporter groups within The Flock were already discussing volunteer activities. We have even more on the docket for this year. The charity and outreach side of The Flock has grown into something quite extraordinary and I’m lucky to be part of it.
Who's your all-time favorite footballer and why?
My favorite footballer right now is Héctor Bellerín. He hustles on the field, is hugely philanthropic, and is something of a muse to me when I’m doing art in Microsoft Paint.
What are your hopes for the new Forward Madison season?
That it’s as magical as the first season.
I’m Flock End
because it’s the cheapest season ticket and the ratio of beer servers to fans is much more favorable on our end of the stadium.
What's your favorite part of matchday?
My favorite part of match day is thanking the players after the game - win or lose. The fact that they’ll come shake hands and high-five hundreds of people after running around for 90+ minutes means so much to the fans.
Who's your favorite FMFC Player and why?
Connor Tobin - for his half-shin guards and for the work he puts in on and off the field. He was the first player I saw at a park cleanup, he braved the Kohl Center with us to raise money for the Flock Soccer Fund, and has worked countless other events on behalf of the team. He’s exactly the kind of captain I want representing my hometown’s team.
Do you have any favorite memories from the 2019 season?
Lansing. Period.
What's your favorite place to hang out with friends in Madison?
Coopers, Olbrich Biergarten, or Memorial Union
What's the best vacation you've ever had?
My husband, Nick, and I went to London during our honeymoon and took a day trip to Oxford. I love the work of J.R.R. Tolkien, and we were able to visit the libraries he studied in, the pubs that he drank in, and his final resting place. Yes, we had a very romantic, conventional honeymoon full of football and graveyards.
What song or album is on your heavy rotation right now?
I feel like this question was developed for Flock leadership to put together road trip playlists, but nobody wants Bon Iver or City and Colour while they’re getting hyped for a soccer match.
What's your favorite or most memorable soccer match that you've been to?
The second professional football match I ever went to was at Parc des Princes to watch Paris Saint-Germain take on Saint-Étienne. We got to see Nick’s favorite player, Zlatan Ibrahimović, score two goals.
Which of the new Forward Madison players announced are you most excited to see?
Didn’t we just sign a new calf? No? The Front Office should probably work on that - one cow is good luck, two would make us unstoppable.
What does being an FMFC supporter mean to you?
The team’s name says it all: Forward Madison. It means showing up for the team on matchdays and showing up for the community every day in between.