A DAY WITH THE RUCKUS: Orlando City Soccer’s Passionate Fan Base

The tailgating lot at the corner of South Street and Westmoreland opens early. By mid-afternoon, Orlando City die-hards are already trickling in, settling into folding chairs and cracking open cold beverages ahead of that night’s match. Hours before kickoff, the Orlando Ruckus are already in full support mode.

“I’m very proud of what’s happened,” says the man they call The Godfather. Dan Conlee showed up nearly alone, only his wife by his side, when it was announced Orlando would get a new USL team in 2010.  From a supporter group that he formed back then that used to meet at Denny’s to a surge of membership when Orlando City joined Major League Soccer, to almost 700 members now, the Ruckus is going as strong as ever.

They’re currently recruiting you to join them as a member, to spend the day with them no strings attached, or simply buy a ticket on the Wall inside the stadium for some fun.

“It’s a great group. I fell in love with them,” Sam Atkinson told me as we sipped beer in the afternoon sun. Membership is $25 a year, but like nearly everyone I spoke with, Sam emphasized that all are welcome in their tribe, including non-members. “Come to a game and just experience it,” he said, admitting he understands why people think soccer is boring on television.

A haze of pot smoke drifts from one corner of the lot while kids kick soccer balls across the lot. “The Sounds of Silence” blares from a truck stereo in an ironic prelude to the chaos ahead.