We hope that violence and hooliganism will never be a part of American soccer.
Absolutely not. Though most of the ECS like to drink before, during, and after the game, it is definitely not required to be a part of the ECS. It is however required that you bring the noise and the color!
Tifo is short for the Italian word tifoso, meaning supporter. It is used as a general term to describe flags, banners, confetti, balloons, paper rolls, smoke, flares, scarves, and any display that supports your club. We encourage everyone to make and bring tifo to the match. For the big matches we sometimes make bigger displays or choreographies in a more organized fashion. We are always looking for our members to make tifo, especiallytwo pole tifo. Stay active and we encourage our members to join our tifo parties where you can get a chance to learn some handy supporter arts and crafts. Even though the focus is on making the tifo and sometimes you need to work hard to get things done, these events are typically great social events where you can learn from others and talk about your respective experiences at football matches around the globe – all while you trace outlines, paint, sew, etc.
Absolutely. For detailed information on upcoming away trips, see the travel page. We would like to see all Sounders supporters that attend away games join us in the away supporters’ section. You do not have to be an ECS member to do that, although we do give a small discount to ECS members. We arrange away travel to all MLS away games. In other competitions this may depend on demand, but we have arranged trips to US Open Cup and CONCACAF Champions League (CCL) away games as well. The CCL away games in Central America have been particularly thrilling experiences. The trip arrangements vary by city and by how many people are expected to join the away trip. Often the game tickets can be bought online in the ECS Shop (you do not have to be a member to use the shop), otherwise we will provide information about another way of getting tickets in the away supporters’ section. We also arrange a pregame meet-up at a bar or a tailgate for all away games. For bigger trips we also arrange a group rate at a hotel, bus transportation from the pregame meet-up to the stadium (if transit options are not good), and additional meet-ups besides the pregame one.
YES. We strongly encourage vocal participation. This is the main requirement of the ECS: if you stand with us, we expect you to sing and will strongly encourage you to do the same. If you are an ECS member and you do not stand in the ECS section, you are encouraged to make every effort to get your season tickets transferred into the ECS section, either the GA part in lower sections 121-123, or if that is not possible, you should try to get them transferred to the assigned seating in upper sections 121-123 or even into the adjoining sections (120 or 124). If you cannot get into the ECS section, you should view it as your personal mission to help spread the supporter culture throughout the section you are in. It is in this way that our group is the only group in MLS that has managed to get the entire stadium to do chants. So we ask that ECS members not in our section spread our songs and culture and to take initiative on this matter by printing out our song sheets. This should be done by encouraging participation from those that are not ECS members, with the hope that some day they will become as addicted as you. Our song sheets can be found on the songs page.
We do not recommend bringing young kids, but if you insist, the kids would have to be able to handle colorful language and folks jovially drinking and singing. Due to safety concerns we request that children do not occupy the front rows.
The ECS was formed in 2005. Back then we supported the now defunct Seattle Sounders of the USL Division 1. We look at Seattle Sounders FC as a direct continuation of the same soccer tradition that the USL club was a part of. We have grown to more than 3700 members and are the largest Sounders supporters group and one of the largest in Major League Soccer. We follow our own model for support which, based on the multinational spread of our members, aims to fill the terrace with large flags, vocal chants, and pride for the city of Seattle and the Puget Sound.
No. However, we do have a membership package that includes an ECS scarf, ECS t-shirt, and a membership card that gives you discounts at our sponsors. Membership can be bought online in the ECS Shop or in many of our events. See the join page for details. View this as a contribution to a group that adds color and atmosphere to the game day experience; if you want more of it, support us!
Easy. Just support with us on game day and you can consider it done. However, you can also buy a membership package either online in the ECS Shop or on the concourse behind the ECS section. We also have preseason events where you can buy the membership package. However, it is much more important to join us in support of the Sounder on gameday than it is to buy a membership. To join us, just show up at of our pregame bars, Fuel, Temple or McCoys near Pioneer Square. Come in and introduce yourself – as long as you are there to support the Sounders. At the stadium you can find us in the ECS Section (General Admission (GA) area of Century Link Field sections 121-123 as well as the assigned seating in the upper part of 121-123) in the Brougham End of the stadium. We also have an information and membership table in the concourse behind the ECS section. Also, sign up on our discussion forum and during the off-season attend one of the events that will be announced on the site and forums. Whether you join to support our cause from far away or you intend to stand with us in the Brougham End, you are welcome to join us. Only thing is we expect you to embrace our supporter culture and mentality: first the Sounders, second the ECS.
We welcome new members. In fact, we are actively recruiting new people dedicated to supporting the sounders by standing, chanting, and actively participating on gameday tifo displays and songs.
Speech or conduct that creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive supporting environment for Sounders FC fans and supporters based on their sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or transgender status, race, religion, disability, ethnic origin, national origin, or age will not be tolerated in the Supporters Section or at any ECS-sponsored events, and we actively discourage such language and behavior.
Emerald City Supporters welcomes ALL Sounders FC fans.