D.C. United Fans to Rally for Most Important Goal of All

Before there was any clamor in Seattle, any color in Toronto or any singing from Chicago's Section 8, there were the Screaming Eagles and Barra Brava, the supporters groups who established themselves as Major League Soccer's most devoted, creative and authentic fan base from the very first kick in 1996.

They helped boost D.C. United to four league titles and were a big part of what made the franchise a model for those that followed. Today, incredibly, American soccer's flagship club is in trouble. Politicians in two jurisdictions have reneged on promises to help United build a new stadium, leaving its future in the capital in doubt. "There's no question that [moving] is a possibility. It's not an outcome we desire and it's something we will work very hard to ensure never happens," United President Kevin Payne told FanHouse.

Today, as United (3-1-4) prepares to play Toronto FC (3-2-3) in a battle for first place in the Eastern Conference, its fans will once again attempt to help carry the club through a rough patch -- this time, outside RFK Stadium.

Starting just before 4 p.m. at a park about a mile west of RFK, United's fans will stage a rally and march in support of the club's effort to stay in Washington. A tailgate will follow, naturally, and Payne is scheduled to address the gathering.

"This is totally a grassroots effort. We had nothing to do with it until it was already a fleshed out idea....It's very gratifying," Payne said. "I hope the politicians pay attention."

Deals to build a stadium and retail/housing complex on riverfront property in southeast Washington and near a subway stop in neighboring Prince George's County, Md. already have fallen through, despite initial political promises to the contrary. It may simply have come down to the money that D.C. co-owners Will Chang and Victor MacFarlane are or are not willing to spend. Payne said the club presented "very reasonable financial proposals" in both cases, and that a "lack of political will" was the defining issue.

"The rally is not directed at a particular jurisdiction. It's really a plea from our fans to the politicans of the area to show a little backbone and a little foresight in this and work with us to find a solution," Payne said. That solution is a necessity. RFK is an aging stadium that's incapable of providing the revenue United needs to survive -- as Payne pointed out, the NFL's Redskins and MLB's Nationals left it as well. Now the dissolution of the deal with P.G. County has left United scrambling.

"I don't think there's a drop-dead date. But if there's not a reasonable path to a stadium in the foreseeable future then we're going to have to look very carefully at where our future in fact lies, whether its in this area or somewhere else," he said. "There are more interested ownership groups around the country than there are franchise expansion opportunities. There are people who would be interested in having us move to their community. A lot of those people would have an easier time getting a commitment on a stadium [from their jurisdiction] if they had a team lined up."

No news has surfaced about any movement or progress in the D.C. area. Payne, frustrated that his club's significant community and charitable commitments seem to be unrecognized by elected officials, told FanHouse that United is having "quiet, early conversations to see if there's anything to talk about" and "trying to understand if there's a community or communities out there that want us." He said if the team does move into the suburbs, that delving into Virginia is more likely considering more of its fan base resides there. "But we won't rule anything out," he said.

Meanwhile, the fans obviously have come to terms with the fact that losing their team is a distinct possibility. The clock is ticking, the home team needs a goal, and the Eagles and the Barra will be there for them.

"I don't think it's at all inappropriate for people to ask their elected officials to tackle an issue such as this one. We're an institution that's a big part of people's lives. Our elected leaders have an obligation to find a solution to this," Payne concluded. "There's more to what makes a community than just dollars and cents. Even though we believe the dollars and cents are in favor of our stadium, we believe the lifestyle and cultural enhancement argument is more compelling."