Welcome to September's newsletter! This month we're going to talk about the songs and chants so near and dear to all of us! Our songs can be heard on any broadcast, in any stadium, near any pitch where our boys are playing…friendly or not.

The Sounders went on an almost unprecedented tear in August, going unbeaten in all tournaments, including an historic win in Monterrey, an historic hat trick at home vs. Columbus, and a hard-fought US Open Cup semi-final against a determined Dallas side, which left Mike Fucito with nine stitches following a vicious elbow in the closing minutes of the 1-0 win at Starfire.

Some more great footie coming this month, including RSL on Saturday, a match in Costa Rica vs. Heredia on the 14th, and the return of the MLS Cascadia Derby when our boys travel to Vancouver on the 24th. That away match is critical, as the Cascadia Cup is on the line! Sounders FC can drive home with the Cup with a win, leaving both Vancouver with zero chance at winning anything this season…which is always good. Time to remind the Whitecaps who that trophy really belongs to.

And while we're at it, for September's ECS Monthly Happy Hour, The Emerald City Supporters are collaborating with America SCORES Seattle for a Sounders Bartender Night. Sounders players will be joining us at Temple Billiards TONIGHT, Thursday, September 8th, 2011 from 5-8pm. For $5 you can play a round of pool with a player and there will be several drinks on special. There will be a raffle for Sounders gear and other cool prizes such as a Budweiser lounge chair, Budweiser Sounders mirror and a Rolling Rock electric guitar.

It's a great opportunity to hang out with ECS when we're not all running around on match day, a great chance to see some of your favorite players, and it's all for a great cause! If you can make it, come on down!

If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or just want someone to yell at, come check us out on the forums!

See you on the terraces!

- The Emerald City Supporters

WHERE DO OUR SONGS COME FROM?

Before the ECS was formed, there was a group of supporters making noise and signing/chanting at USL Sounders matches. They went by the moniker "the Pod" and most of their songs were either songs/chants taken straight from England, common soccer songs/chants, or other tunes that were adapted (these were usually set to common nursery rhymes).

Sounders 'Til I Die, arguably the song currently best identified with Sounders supporters, has been around at least since this period, and is sung during the 74th minute, to commemorate the Sounders' founding in 1974, when they first entered the NASL.

In 2005, when the ECS was officially founded, many of these early songs continued to be sung at Sounders matches, but it was really in 2006 that this trend changed. Songs that were less frequently sung by other supporter groups (if at all), such as Take Em All and Us vs. Them started being sung by the Brougham Faithful, and so became more identified with the Sounders. This marked a change of direction for the group, shifting some of the style of support from strictly English to include some Continental European stylings.

During this period, a few songs were introduced by the Capos, but most came (and continue to come…) from suggestions from ECS members at songs meetings. These meetings, still held regularly, are where songs are ultimately selected for inclusion during game day.

At the very first songs meeting held, some direction was provided to all those attending, and notes were made. It's an interesting piece of history, and sheds some excellent light into the thinking behind the songs and style of support the ECS has chosen:

"We will be making every effort to move The Brougham End in the direction envisioned by the founders.

The founders' visions were of a Continental/American style.

This means using an influence of what is done in Germany, Italy, Spain, The Netherlands, etc, and putting our own American stamp on it.

This does not mean that all songs we do (add) will be based entirely on American music and culture, but (we) would like to see that happen more often than not.

Songs based on nursery rhymes, kids songs, Holiday songs are much less likely to be considered, as are songs that are already popular with other supporter groups.

We have what (we) consider to be a strong set of songs. Any new songs need to be at least as good as what we already do.

We really need to step back and realize that we are in a unique and fortunate place in history when it comes to the type of atmosphere that will be happening at Qwest for years to come.

We can take the easy route (like most other SG's) and just copy what is happening overseas (song/chant wise).

Admittedly, a number of the songs we currently do are lifted from groups overseas…We have reached a point where we no longer need to do that.

We can really set ourselves apart by being original and forging our own road when it comes to the songs and chants we do."

The repertoire of songs and chants continues to grow and change, as our history grows, and new players join the club.

Are you interested in suggesting songs, or getting involved in helping to choose them? You CAN! On a regular basis, the Capos hold song meetings where they discuss our songs, practice songs that have been selected for trial, and propose new songs! To find out more about getting involved, you can head on over to our Songs forum, and jump right in. You can also find information on where and when the songs meetings will be held.

Who Are Ya?!

If you have any questions you'd like asked, or suggestions for who you'd like to see in this section, let us know!

ECS Member: Christian Grieb

Christian Grieb

Forum Name: BVB09Germany

Member since: 07ish.

Season Ticket Holder? Is this a question? Of course.

Role for ECS: Capo and March Leader

Where can we find you before the match? Fuel or at the March To The Match

What are you drinking? Everything I can.

Where do you like to stand? Right in front of everyone, so I can see them wince in pain as I ask for a pogo.

Who do you follow (other than Sounders FC, of course…): Borussia Dortmund

Why'd you join ECS? Honestly, this experience is one of a kind. You would be hard pressed to find what we have in Seattle even in parts of Europe.

Sounders 'Til You Die? Yeah, every game at the 74th minute (and until I die)

In Your Words...

Here's ECS member Derek's (whorocks_dRawks) own words on what it's like to be outside looking in at what ECS brings to the gameday experience for all of us.

It's interesting how we can become so accustomed to our surroundings that we forget what it's like to be outside of that world. The faces, the sounds, the routines that we fall into, become so familiar that anything that deviates from that routine throws us for a big loop. I experienced this loop the other night at the Starfire Sports Complex for the Seattle Sounders US Open Cup Semi-Final round of play. I paid the price for a ticket to get me into the ECS area of Starfire, but was given a ticket for the uncovered bleachers, or what would be considered the "prawn seats". This was the start of my night on the other side of the pitch.

The mix up was forgivable. Somewhere down the chain of command, someone messed up and charged me more for the wrong seat, or charged me for the correct seat but printed up the wrong ticket. It doesn't matter much, I was on an adventure into the unfamiliar whether I liked it or not. An adventure to a place I hadn't been for over a year after being immersed in supporter culture. My girlfriend and I headed over to the uncovered bleacher side of the pitch for the Sounders match against FC Dallas. We were already about 15 minutes late from searching for parking and getting a bite to eat. Nothing had happened in the match fortunately. We posted up at the base of the hill behind the corner flag opposite the ECS area's corner flag (right side of the Dallas goal 1st half). I wasn't happy about having to be here, but here we were. Knee deep in the casual fans, and nowhere to go. After being asked to move a couple times by the ones sitting on the hill, we found a comfortable spot with a fairly good view of the pitch. Shortly after getting set in, Montero scored his amazing left footed curl into the Dallas net! I screamed out with joy and looked across the way to see green and blue smoke pouring out from the ECS area and a flare being lit amongst it. My joy just turned to awe.

I've been standing with the Emerald City Supporters for more than a year now. My first game in the section was the game against Kansas City when Fucito scored the stoppage time goal to win the game for the Sounders. I'll never forget the absolute elation that came with seeing that goal happen right in front of my eyes. I knew right then, that there was nowhere else to be on match day than the Brougham End. So looking across from the other side of the pitch at Starfire the other night, took me back a step or two. For the first time in over a year, I was able to observe the group that I'm a proud, tattoo bearing member of. I couldn't have been more proud of us. Seeing all of that joy being released after Montero's goal made me want to be with them more than anything else right then. Hearing the presence that we brought into that tiny park made me swell with pride. At the same time I felt very far away from it all. I was singing the chants quietly to myself out of respect for the casuals around me instead of screaming myself hoarse, and standing, tapping my foot lightly instead of jumping up and down until my legs gave out. It felt very alien to me.

We went on to win the game at Starfire, advancing on to our third US Open Cup final in as many years. If we win this next game, we will be only the fourth team to do so, and the first MLS team to accomplish this feat. As I walked out of the grounds, I could hear the ECS belting out the "We're gonna win the US Open Cup" chant and I closed my eyes, picturing myself waving a flag as the Sounders lined up in front of our section for the last hoorah cheer they do after each victory. We just won the third semi-final game, outlasted our opponents attack packed second half, and scored a class goal. But I couldn't help but feel the same way I do after watching an away match on TV. Yeah we won, but it doesn't have that same feeling that I get when I'm giving my full 90+ to my club with the rest of my ECS brothers and sisters. It was at that moment that I was inspired to write about that feeling and here it is.

There is no feeling like the feeling of watching your club accomplish an amazing feat with a couple thousand like-minded folks who are willing to leave their vocal chords on the grounds themselves in exchange for a victory that night. As I walked away after our amazing win, I couldn't help but feel like I didn't get the full experience. Something very important had been missing from my matchday experience and I really, REALLY wanted that feeling to be there. It just struck me as so odd that something as small as viewing the same event that everyone else was, from a different area, could change the feel of a win so much. I hope I never have to sit or stand amongst the casual fans again. It's not anything against them, they're just as eager to get in on the clapping from the ECS and even the occasional chant when they're feeling so brave, but I felt like I could have been feeling so much more excitement if I had been with my brothers and sisters from the Brougham End. I love you guys and everything we do makes us the best in the MLS!

ARE YOU A SEASON TICKET HOLDER?

If you're a season ticket holder (or can influence one…) you can support our collective effort by ensuring that supporter groups have representation on the Alliance Council. Check out the forums and have a look at the candidates that ECS is putting forward for election, and consider giving your vote to one of them! The current candidate up for election is Paul Cox. Once Paul gets elected, another candidate will be put forward for election.

The importance of having candidates that can help keep us supporting the very best way we can cannot be understated. If you haven't yet voted for an Alliance Council candidate, please consider giving your vote to an ECS supported representative for election!

DO YOU KNOW OUR SONGS?

You might know some of our songs…but do you know ALL of them? You can get a song card at the info table at Fuel before the match, the info table just outside section 122 in the main concourse at RBP (CenturyLink) or you can download a copy here.

You can hear what the songs sound like by checking out our songs page on our website.

And, of course, you can hear our songs in all their glory, the way they're intended to be heard, by standing with us in the Brougham End, or at any away match!

'It was like the ref had a brand new yellow card and wanted to see if it worked.'

-Richard Rufus

Humbly submitted for your information and entertainment, and not necessarily in that order,

Emerald City Supporters