Portland Timbers Primer (2010)

The 2010 Portland Timbers start the season at home this Saturday, April 17th. Their first opponents are the Rhochester Rhinos, who started league play this past weekend with a draw at Miami. The Timbers Army tailgate begins 3ish in the parking lot at SW 18th and Salmon. Match starts at 7pm.

[If this post looks familiar, it’s because it’s an updated version of last year’s Timbers Primer. Now with updated links, up to date and new information, and links to fewer defunct blogs!]

TEAM AND LEAGUE

The Portland Timbers are one of the top supported teams in the United Soccer Leagues (USL). In the USSF Division 2 league they compete against other USL and North American Soccer League (NASL) teams. If this sounds confusing, it is because it is confusing. But after we get through this season, the Timbers will join Major League Soccer as an expansion franchise), and put minor league ways behind them (hopefully).

Optional Reading (If you really want to know how the 2010 USSF Div 2 league came to be):

• USL: What Happened? by Dave Hoyt at The Woodwork

The Timbers play their home matches at Portland’s venerable PGE Park (SW 18th and Morrison). For information about the team’s roster, coaching staff, and history visit PortlandTimbers.com and the Portland Timbers wikipedia page. The Timbers 2010 Schedule stretches from Saturday, April 17th all the way to the October 10th, with playoffs (of course!) to follow.

TIMBERS ARMY

By American standards, the Portland Timbers football club has a long and storied history, and sport one of the most boisterous, and best known, supporters groups in the country – The Timbers Army. The Timbers Army is a loose, grass roots, organization consisting of fans of all ages, professions, and political persuasions. The group receives no official imprimatur by the team, has no official leadership or structure [the 107ist organization not withstanding – see below], and primarily serves to have a hell of a time in the North End at Timbers matches.

Required reading:

• The Town Team: The Timbers, Portland, The Future – by Zach Dundas at Portland Sportsman

How do you join the Timbers Army? Come to a match, buy a General Admission ticket, and follow the noise and scarves and green. The entire North End of PGE Park is unassigned seating. Just a few years ago the Army filled only the bottom rows of section 107, but now, at some matches, the entire North End can’t contain the group. Come on down! If you’re shy sit or stand on the periphery of these sections for a game or two learning the chants and songs and observing the ruckus. Unless you’re soulless, you will be drawn in.

Required Reading:

• A Fan’s Guide to Attending Portland Timbers Games by Bob Kellett at the Timbers Offside Blog

107 INDEPENDENT SUPPORTERS’ TRUST

Recently a large contingent of long time Timbers Army veterans established the 107 Independent Supporters’ Trust (107ist). The Timbers Army is still simply a grass roots, organization consisting of fans, but the 107ist organization, made up of Timbers Army members, is involved in planning tifo, organizing bus trips to away matches, and more:

The 107 Independent Supporters’ Trust is the machinery behind the Timbers Army. It supports soccer in and around Portland, Oregon, from the grass roots to the highest professional level. It fuels the Army and supports soccer charities and soccer events in Soccer City USA.

Required reading:

• Timbers Army Establishes 107 Independent Supporters’ Trust by yours truly at this blog

TIMBERS DISCUSSION

The Soccer City USA Message Board, aka Talk Timbers is the information headquarters for the Timbers Army (and really all things soccer in Portland, Oregon). Sign up for an account and contribute to the discussion. Keep up with the latest news, learn about and contribute to the latest chant or tifo efforts, and get to know your fellow Timbers Army members virtually. Many of the folks you’ll meet in the stands are better known amongst the group by their message board moniker than their real names.

MORE RESOURCES

• One of the best local Timbers blog is the Portland Timbers USL Blog at The Offside.
• A new addition this year, but already top caliber: The Woodwork (writers include Bob Kellet, who up until last year wrote for the Offside blog above)
• The OregonLive Timbers blog is nowadays capably run by Kip Kesgard.
• Dropping Timber is a relatively new, though already solid resource for Timbers and MLS news.
• The Timber Mill is the best source for news, match reports, photos, and stats.
• The Portland Timbers website has press releases, roster updates, and generally the kind of news you’d expect from an official organ of the team.
• The Oregonian’s Timbers coverage has improved noticeably the past year (no doubt in anticipation of greater interest due to the MLS)
• The 107 Report is the Timbers pod cast. Pre and post game analysis and interviews, music and hijinks.
• Google Alerts are your friend. Set one up for “Portland Timbers” and get linkage emailed to you.
• There are some old standbys, but new chants and songs are introduced fluidly all the time; the best way to learn them is to attend the games and keep up with the message board threads. Song sheets are occasionally handed out at games, and googling Timbers Army Chants brings up some good, but also a lot of outdated, info.
• Timbers Army Official Facebook Group
• Portland Timbers on Flickr
• Timbers Away Game Viewing Guide at PortlandSoccerBars.com
• Click here for more, including Twitter accounts