As soon as I read about the probability of San Diego becoming the next MLS team (and the corresponding response from San Diego Loyal’s Front Office), I knew there was going to be a supporter angle that I wanted to explore. What is it like when a team you’ve built up, supported, and loved from its inception faces the juggernaut that is the MLS, especially when that team had aspirations of being able to claim their place at the top table of US Soccer? I decided to ask a group who were already living that reality.
Enter, The Mecklenburg Reserves.
First, a little historical context. There has been professional soccer in Charlotte for decades, but the story here starts in 1991 with the Charlotte Eagles. They played in the predecessor to today’s modern United Soccer League–then known as the United States Interregional Soccer League (USISL). This league was a part of the big push prior to the US hosting the 1994 FIFA World Cup to professionalize soccer that would eventually give us Major League Soccer as well.
The league was third-tier (today USL League One), and also had fourth-tier Premier Development League (now USL League Two). In 1995, the league would found a Select League which would get sanctioning as a second-tier (now USL Championship).
For most of their existence, the Eagles played in either the third-tier or second-tier of US Soccer. There was limited on field success, mostly in the 2000s, but they had developed a decent following as soccer was growing in the US. By 2014, however, they would decide to give over their professional rights to the newly founded Charlotte Independence, and leave for the amateur tiers of US Soccer.
Initially, the Independence ownership wanted to try to make a bid for an MLS team in Charlotte. They put their bids together, but for various financial and political reasons, nothing ever materialized for them, nor for a few of the other entities that also tried to bring first-tier soccer to the Queen City. Finally, in 2019, David Tepper (owner of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers) and his ownership group were awarded an MLS team in Charlotte.
Of course Charlotte FC wasn’t the only thing to arrive in 2019. COVID complicated the landscape and not only delayed the MLS team’s debut until 2022, but also was a major contributing factor to the Independence having to drop down to USL League One by the 2022 season.
But Captain Jack’s supporters stayed around, and in 2021 the Mecklenburg Reserves were formed.
Mike Umberger and David Thackham show why the supporters stayed around. They love the game, the love the grass roots nature of their team and the supporter’s group, and they love the Jacks. You can tell when they start talking about their experiences that they truly believe in the nature of soccer and support as a way to bring people together. They welcome rival supporters with a beer and a smile, turn on the chants and drums for 90 minutes, then come back and congratulate them on a good game and wish them a safe trip home. That kind of environment is not only good for visitors, but good for the home supporters to see. It creates an environment where competition is fierce, but where you remember that it is just a game, and that it’s bringing everyone together.
Mike’s comment about the Independence being the best value for family entertainment rings true as well. The quality of soccer is good, even if it’s not always first-tier quality. The tickets and concessions are reasonably priced. But you never feel lost in the crowd. The team is very accessible, from greeting the supporters at the end of a match to listening to the concerns brought up (such as having a kit to be proud of). Everything feels more intimate and really drives home the nature of support. They are there for the players, the players are there for them, and they’re all there for the game and the community.
So it should be no surprise that while attendance numbers may not be what they are across town for Charlotte FC, there is still a vital place for all of these teams to coexist. The MLS will bring the lights and recognition to the city. The lower leagues can bring the closeness of support that can turn a neutral into a lifelong supporter. If they work together, they can grow the game and bring together that sense of community that is what it should all be about.
So no matter how you feel about San Diego’s new team, the ownership group, or the fears that MLS is trying to monopolize the soccer market in the US, there is always the fact that the teams and supporters don’t have to be mutually exclusive.
Charlotte already knows this. The game will thrive there thanks to supporters like Mike, David, and everyone that raises a flag for the Jacks, Charlotte FC, and all of the Queen City’s teams.
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You can watch the video Supporter Conversation: Ep. 1 – The Mecklenburg Reserves on the Ranting Blue Penguin Media YouTube Channel. Audio format available on Spotify , Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Amazon Podcasts under the Ranting Blue Penguin’s Supporters’ Section Podcast.
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