The Supporters’ Shield Foundation in partnership with the Independent
Supporters Council (ISC), is proud to announce the creation of a new
Supporters’ Shield trophy and the formation of the Supporters Shield
Foundation. This new Supporters’ Shield replaces the previous trophy
at the start of the 2013 MLS season. Supporter groups across Major
League Soccer via the ISC have worked together to fund, design and
deliver this stunning new shield. The new shield is built on the
passions of today’s MLS supporters, and encapsulating the history and
work of the early MLS supporters. The Supporters’ Shield represents
the growth and accomplishments of all MLS supporters since the awards
start in 1999.
Starting in San Jose, the new Supporters’ Shield will make the journey
with supporters this entire year and will travel to all 19 MLS teams
and their supporters. The ISC has organized the journey of the
Supporters’ Shield so each supporter group that helped fund it can
see what their work has accomplished. The Shield will start with the
winners of the 2012 Supporters’ Shield and will be handed from
supporter group to supporter group, with the next landmark stop at the
MLS All-Star Game in Kansas City on July 31, 2013. It will end its
journey with the winner of the 2013 Supporters’ Shield. Every
Supporter who lifted it during the year will be hoping to see it again
come November. The 2013 winner will be engraved on the new Supporters’
Shield next to the previous seventeen winners who are also
engraved on the new trophy.
The new Supporters’ Shield is made of sterling silver and stainless
steel, weighing in at just over thirty-five pounds. When the
Supporters’ Shield was revealed to the ISC organizers in Kansas City,
Fran Harrington, President of the Midnight Riders, declared, “It’s
gorgeous. The new shield is definitely something that properly
reflects the growth and maturity of the league and its supporters!”
The new Supporters’ Shield will provide 25 years of future winners,
with the option to add another ring for future winners beyond that.
The new Supporters’ Shield was designed by Kyle Stewart and made in
Toronto by Award Co.
The Supporters’ Shield winner is given to represent the team who has
the most points at the end of the season. Brett Bird, Vice President
of the Vancouver Southsiders, stated, “The Supporters’ Shield takes a
greater commitment to high level play to earn, and represents the best team
over 34 games. Too many times an MLS Cup winner plays well for 2 weeks
and takes home a trophy.” This grand trophy recognizes the
accomplishments of the winning team with that grand accomplishment.
Brett Graham, President of the Southsiders states, “Over 100 years
ago and half the word away, William McGregor the Founder of the Football
Association in England said “No principle ever formulated in connection
with sport has caused so much really genuine, bona-fide competition as
the league system.” The Supporters Shield embodies that same spirit here
among MLS supporters. The Shield is an important symbol that every match
counts, from first kick to the season closing. It is fitting that the
very fans that cheer on their clubs week in and week out, are the
benefactors of such a fine trophy.”
Our original trophy was founded in 1999 and heavily supported by a
Kansas City Wizards supporter named Sam Pierron. This was a big step
for Supporters of MLS at the time as no trophy existed to
represent the winner of the table at the end of the year. Through the
efforts of leaders in the supporters community the existing trophy
was funded. A sculpture student at the University Of Kansas then
produced the chevron-shaped trophy we know today. The original
Supporters’ Shield will be on display in the Members Club at Sporting
Park until the a time there is a Soccer Hall of Fame to curate the
trophy.
A major impetus in getting the new Supporters’ Shield produced was
Sean Dane, President of Supporters’ Shield Foundation and a leader in
the Kansas City Cauldron. He urged that the Supporters’ Shield is,
“an award created by the fans to recognize the single table winner.
It is unique in the landscape of American sports. I think it
highlights what makes the supporters culture in the league great. It
also highlights the ability of Major League Soccer to work in
partnership with its supporters in a way unseen in other sports. The
efforts of the ISC and its members is commendable and it helps to
further the growth of supporters culture in the country. That’s a win
for all involved and I am proud to be associated with all them.” To
add to this Chicago’s Section 8 representative to the ISC Dan Martin
says, “It’s definitely special when fans of the sport can come
together in a collaborative sense to express our shared passion for
the game. Whenever people put aside fundamental differences to
contribute to the greater good, you know the result is meaningful and
worthy of note.”
The story of the original Supporters’ Shield, its original creation
story, and how the new Supporters’ Shield was funded by the supporter
groups of today is a monumental reality in the world of sports. The
supporters carried the torch to honor the best MLS team for each year
with the funds and will carry on that story for many years to come.
The reality that so many supporter groups worked together to create
this trophy isn’t found in many places within the world of our sport.
“The collaboration on the new Supporters’ Shield shows how far the
supporters culture has grown and matured through the years. How so
many supporters groups from around the league came together to create
a new trophy that will exist for years to come! This trophy is one of
the most unique trophies handed out in all of American sports since
it’s delivered by the supporters to the winning team!” exclaimed
Donald Rickard, President of the San Jose Casbah.
To support the Shield, the ISC has created a great way to reimburse
the supporter groups that funded the creation of the new trophy. ISC
member supporter groups will have limited edition “I Support the
Shield” scarves that they will be selling to fans of their teams.
This is a way for all supporters and fans to participate and
show their pride in the Supporters’ Shield, as well as the hope that
their team hoists it at the end of the year.
The Supporters’ Shield foundation is tasked with raising awareness of
the Shield’s history, protecting the commercialization of the Shield,
and ensuring its movement from team to team each season. Its officers
are elected annually by the ISC.
