40 years is a great milestone for any club, and we wanted to celebrate the beginning of our 40th year with something that reminded our players of the history of the Sounders, and inspired them to add their time with the club to that history.
The Concept
A multi staged deployment consisting first of a bookshelf with notable players named on the bindings, and small trophies celebrating our 4 championships. Second, a book of Sounders history with pages for each era, NASL, USL, and MLS, and a blank page with a quill and ink suggesting to continue the Sounders legacy.
Players
Choosing players we wanted a combination of different types of players and what they meant to the club. NASL was filled with a number of legendary players like Geoff Hurst and Bobby Moore. We thought a reminder of the caliber of player that put on the jersey was fitting for this era.
For USL we wanted to acknowledge the work horses of the club, the players that would give their all for the crest and, while may not have had the name recognition as their NASL counterparts, were just a vital to the club’s history.
For MLS we decided to do a mixture of both of the previous eras, along with something acknowledging each ECS Player of the Year for their commitment to the supporters and the city.
Production
We started sewing the material together in early February. Over the course of two days we sewed together all 28,000sqft which was over 1.5 miles of seams. We used up to four sewing machines at a time, each with a team of 3 or 4 to complete the assembly.
Painting the display took 3 weeks, with over 40 volunteers puting in as much time as they could afford, usually working about 8hrs a night. Fun (totally coincidental) fact, this display took 74 gallons of paint. The card portion of the display took 2 nights to prep with each of the 7,500 cards hand cut by volunteer ECS members.
The level of ingenuity, creativity, and efficiency our volunteers bring is something to behold. We’re truly grateful for all their help. These couldn’t happen with their loyal support and love for the Sounders.
Deployment
Pulleys, ropes, and brute strength were required to raise the bookcase and open the book to show the club's history. We'll let the display speak for itself.
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In the 55th minute of the Sounders match versus San Jose, we had a choreo display protesting the ticket prices for the Sounders match at San Jose in August. The display depicts the 49ers CEO Jed York, MLS commissioner Don Garber and Earthquakes owner Lew Wolff together in a bed identified as the “Bank of Fan Loyalty”. The trio is surrounded by bags of money and loose coins while getting cozy under the blankets. In case there was any confusion, a long text banner stated “ALL WE ARE IS MONEY TO THEM”. This is the 2nd protest tifo we have done with regards to the trend of increased ticket prices. With several more matches at inflated prices coming up over the next few months, you can be sure that the ECS will continue to stand up for ourselves and soccer fans across the country. For more information about our protest read the Soccer For All article we wrote after being sanctioned for our protest banners during the first Portland away of 2014. Please use #SoccerForAll on twitter to further discuss the issue and see the opinions of other fans and supporters.