The Fire and Section 8 Chicago – the Independent Supporters’ Association for the Chicago Fire Soccer Club – made a joint announcement Friday that they have reached an agreement on the first-ever Chicago Fire Soccer Club Supporters’ Charter.
The purpose of the charter, which was signed by both parties just before the club’s home opener on April 10th, is intended to cement an ongoing dialogue between the Fire and its fans. The charter is the first document of its kind in American professional sports.
“The charter by itself is a formal document that really represents a connection point between the club and its fans,” Fire President Dave Greeley told MLSsoccer.com on Friday. “It gets into a kind of set of expectations of what the club can expect from its fans and supporters, and what the fans can expect from the club. It’s really largely tied to the club’s DNA and those sets of mutual expectations.”
The sets of “mutual expectations” are numerically listed in the actual charter. They outline the rights of the fans and of the club in accordance with the MLS Pledge to Fans, MLS Fan Code of Conduct and the TOYOTA PARK Code of Conduct.
“It really goes back to what the club stands for,” Greeley said of the lists of expectations. “It represents the tradition of the game, the tradition of the Fire, the honor that it requires to be both a member of the Fire and a fan, and certainly the passion that the game represents.”
The charter, which has been in the works for more than a year, also has sections discussing the Fire’s role in the Chicago Community and their Fan Relations policies. The document also contains provisions for amending the charter, stating that the charter “will be reviewed on an ongoing basis and amended as necessary in collaboration with our valued supporters.”
“I believe in it 100 percent,” Greeley said. “I think that this is a pretty incredible document that’s got a solid foundation that should stand the test of time.”
