Member of the Red Patch Boys wears green to protests MLSE greed.
By JENNIFER ROMANO
Dressed in green, the notoriously rowdy Red Patch Boys marched in silence as they made their way through a sea of red and into Toronto’s BMO soccer field. Trailing behind them was their usual red and white drum, this time marked with a painted black dollar sign. They piled in to section 112 and watched their Toronto Football Club (TFC) take on rivals Columbus Crew in the last home game of the season.
For the first time in the group’s history they didn’t throw any streamers or set off any smoke bombs. They didn’t stomp and cheer when TFC scored its two goals and they didn’t show emotion when Columbus’ goalie made MLS history by scoring the winning goal.
Instead, they remained silent.
“It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do in my life,” said Red Patch Boys president Boris Aguilar, 24. “I literally had to cross my arms to keep them from flying in the air.”
The fans were protesting an increase in the 2011 season ticket prices implemented by the team’s owner, Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE). They wore green to represent MLSE greed.
Prices have doubled since the club’s inception in 2007 even though the team has yet to make the playoffs. Red Patch Boy Rafael Zbojna can’t afford season tickets so he buys his tickets off of scalpers before every game.
“It’s cheaper for me to purchase my ticket the day of the game instead of at the beginning of the year,” he said. “It’s a rip-off. I don’t know how they get away with it.”
Aguilar organized the silent protest to demonstrate what the future of TFC would sound like without their support.
“They’re out-pricing us. You want the dead atmosphere, we’ll give you the dead atmosphere,” he said.
The silence is a far cry from their usual demeanor. Known for their outlandish behaviour, the Red Patch Boys got their name from the Red Patch Devils, one of the rowdiest Canadian brigades in World War Two.
Since their inception in 2007, they’ve grown from 13 to 550 paid members and 2,500 supporters. Though they were banned from Columbus’ Ohio stadium in the past for rioting, they’re mostly known for their tongue and cheek behaviour.
Vice president Phil Tobin says, “We do pranks, like once we pulled out newspapers and read them during Columbus’ trophy ceremony, at their stadium. They take it so personally,” he said. “We certainly ride a bit of an edge as supporters, but overall we’re just out to have a good time, represent our city and support our team.”
Other pranks include raising money when a referee fined former head coach John Carver.
“He got fined $1,000 because he yelled at a referee during a game. He called him blind,” Tobin said. “So we raised the money and donated it to the Canadian Institute for the Blind on behalf of John…It’s all in good fun.”
TFC players are the first to say that the Red Patch Boys are one of a kind. Former striker and newly appointed assistant coach of TFC, Danny Dichio has been with the organization since the beginning. He remembers the team’s first road trip with the Red Patch Boys.
“When we (TFC) first came into the league we took the supporters with us on trips. Everyone was like, ‘Holy who are these guys. Where have these guys been for all of these years?” he said. “As soon as the opposing fans saw what was going on, I think everyone had to sharpen up their game.”
Dichio believes the Red Patch Boys set the tone for the rest of the league. He said he’s talked with other teams and they agree, “They give us a kick. They get the atmosphere as close to European or South American as possible.”
He believes their support was instrumental in his performance as a player.
“They are like your 12th man on the pitch. When they’re edging you on it’s a pleasure,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to play in any other atmosphere.”
But with another season cut short, the supporters are becoming weary. And they’re trying to work with team management to fix the problem.
They’re one of the biggest support group in Toronto, and because of their commitment they hold a lot of clout with the organization. Until recent years, the Red Patch Boys maintained a very communicative relationship with TFC. During the early days they were instrumental in helping set up the actual team. Over the years decisions ranged from how the stands were set up at BMO field to firing the general manager. But in the past couple of years the relationship has become strained.
“From year one to now, there seems to have been a lull in the relationship in terms of communication and consultation,” Aguilar said. “But I think MLS realizes this and that’s why they’ve returned to us. They need us in order to understand the culture of football.”
At the end of the 2010 season, TFC reached out to the group in a conversation that resulted in a public apology to fans for the raise in ticket prices and a series of town hall meetings; one was exclusively set up for the Red Patch Boys to voice their concerns. Tobin thinks it’s a step in the right direction.
“I think we’re in one of our darkest hours in our short history, but now we’re seeing the light. We’re letting them know what we expect, not only with season tickets but also performance on the field,” he said. “We want to make sure the GM fills the right jobs with the right people before the draft. And they’re willing to listen.”
The league also realizes the impact the Red Patch Boys have on the success of the organization. So much so that after the silent protest during the final home game, the commissioner of Major League Soccer (MLS) visited Toronto to check in on the situation.
“I know as a fact that we are being used as the model and the league is really pushing other teams to be more like Toronto FC, where the team is really open to support groups,” Aguilar said. “We provide a lot of motivation for the team, just look at our away record. The support here is better than anywhere else.”
It seems MLSE is willing to work with supporters however, officials failed to return numerous phone calls seeking comment.
FAN Magazine 