Message from the President: Call for volunteers

  • 2015-03-11

Greetings Southside Faithful!

First kick has come and gone and we are truly in the thick of it again. If our boys in blue and white are able to consistently deliver the way they did in that first half we are in for one hell of a ride this year. It’s brutal to give up anything to the Bloody Big Mess but that’s the way it goes sometimes and we’ll probably see them again in the Voyageurs Cup to exact some revenge.

REVENGE! That’s what’s on my mind right now. Portland is next up in BC Place and we have a pair of brutal losses to take back on the way to Cascadian victory and an unprecedented Cascadia Cup threepeat. March 28th kicks off the quest and we have a few short weeks to get tuned up and ready to rock the Southside. The capos are working hard to refine our new setup and we have a few things in store to move that along. It is much more difficult to spread songs and timing through 4000 people when individuals are doing their own thing or starting separate songs to impress their pals. Please, do what you can to follow the capos and help spread the songs by occasionally singing to the sides and back of your section. Together we have a powerful voice. Separately we do not.

We have some cool incentives this year for our dedicated volunteers, from unique swag to fun events. We are trying to make helping out with Southsiders events and activities rewarding (beyond the satisfaction of a job well done). There are tons of opportunities to better our group and our community through volunteering. We are looking for people in many areas: capos; web designers; Tifo deployment; work party organizers and more.

We need help. If you have a bit of time to give in order to better the Southsiders please reach out to: ops@vancouversouthsiders.ca

The following committees are forming:
  • Tifo (design, creation, deployment, stadium operations)
  • Capos (in stands and on field, drummers)
  • Community Works (events, fundraising, work parties)
  • Nerd Corps (web design, forum moderation, graphic design)
  • Merchandise (design, setup, distribution)
  • Memberships (recruitment, signups, distribution)

Some of these take very specialized skills while others just require time and a friendly disposition. All of them lead to a greater understanding of how we function as well as what we are trying to achieve as a group. We can only truly be united in our goal of pushing our Whitecaps on to greater glory if we work together.

In the next few weeks we have a couple road games to go before we return to our home grounds. Doolin’s has some pretty great rewards going on this year (check the passport you received with your membership pack), but if you can’t join us there for games try to get together with more like minded individuals in your area. Sing some songs, and try some new ones to see what sticks. Let us know what works, and let Rob know where you are gathering at events@vancouversouthsiders.ca. Who knows, maybe we can find some friendly establishments in other parts of the lower mainland and province to host our members on game days.

Next time I hope to be writing to you riding high from victory and a seat at the top of the conference!

Thanks,
Brett Bird
President and Director of Stadium Operations

Southsiders Announce 2015 Home Pub!

  • 2015-01-29

The Vancouver Southsiders are pleased to announce Doolin’s Irish Pub as the Official 2015 Home of the Vancouver Southsiders.

Doolin's Irish Pub

Doolin’s Irish Pub

Doolin’s has been the home of the Southsiders since the Whitecaps moved downtown during the MLS Inaugural 2011 Season. Doolin’s has provided the Southsiders with a place to gather before and after all home matches in addition to away viewing parties for the Whitecaps, Canadian National Soccer teams, MLS Cup Finals, and much more. They have also played host to Southsiders’ season kickoff parties, charitable works fundraisers, Annual General Meetings, and other events large and small. Doolin’s is also the starting point for the Southsiders March to the Match before each home game.

Once again, Roxy Burger is back as an all-ages alternative for Southsiders with children and others who prefer a different pre-game ritual. Southsiders of all ages will also be welcome in the Belmont (formerly the Cellar) for pregame of select matches. Look for more details in the coming weeks.

Doolin’s was selected after a rigorous process led by Southsiders Director of Events and Partnerships, Rob Wheeler. We would like to thank all the pubs and restaurants who submitted proposals and were eager to welcome the Southsiders to their establishments. After much careful consideration, Doolin’s was the best fit for the current size and direction of the Southsiders.

Doolin’s is part of the Granville Entertainment Group,which includes: The Belmont Bar, The Roxy, Comfort Inn, SNOWBUS, and Legacy Liquor Store. Active Southsiders members will receive benefits from all of these affiliates.

To view current Southsiders membership benefits or to become a member for the 2015 season, please visit http://vancouversouthsiders.ca/membership/

We look forward to seeing you at Doolin’s during this season and joining us in support of the Whitecaps.

Questions? Please contact Daniel Olson media@vancouversouthsiders.ca or Rob Wheeler events@vancouversouthsiders.ca

Cascadia Supporters Groups and Major League Soccer Reach Agreement on Cascadia Cup Trademark

  • 2014-10-07

cascadia_logoFor Immediate Release
October 7, 2014

Cascadia Supporters Groups and Major League Soccer Reach Agreement on Cascadia Cup Trademark

Portland, OR., Vancouver, B.C., Seattle, WA. —  Ahead of Friday’s Cascadia Cup match between the Sounders and the Whitecaps, the Emerald City Supporters, Timbers Army, and Vancouver Southsiders are pleased to announce we have reached an agreement with Major League Soccer in regards to the Cascadia Cup Trademark and its use around all MLS matches concerning the three Cascadian teams. The agreement was reach after a productive negotiation between the league and the Cascadia Cup Council (CCC) representatives, and the three supporter groups are pleased with the end result of the agreement.

The Cascadia Cup Council is encouraged by the fact that Major League Soccer recognizes the importance of the supporter-owned Cascadia Cup for the growth of soccer in the Cascadia Region. This agreement ensures that the Cascadia Cup will remain a supporter-owned cup.

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About the Cascadia Cup Council:  The Cascadia Cup Council is a recognized non-profit entrusted with the management of the Cascadia Cup.  The Council is made up of one representative from each of the three founding Cascadia Cup supporters groups.  For the 2014 season those individuals were Jeremy Wright – Timbers Army, Greg Mockos – Emerald City Supporters, Brett Bird – Vancouver Southsiders.

 

Southsiders 3 on 3 Outdoor Soccer Tournament

  • 2014-08-19

D14_southsider_fb_tournament

On Saturday, August 30th, from noon-7pm, the Vancouver Southsiders are having an “Anniversary/End of Summer Celebration!” Hosted by Doolin’s, we’ll be taking over the parking lot behind the bar, complete with a beer garden, food stations and more.

As part of the celebration we’re holding a 3-on-3 soccer tournament. The cost to enter is $20/team. The entry fee will be donated to Athletics for Kids‘. All of the money raised will help kids in the city get the chance to play organized soccer in our communities.

Here are the details:
– Teams of 3 (plus an alternate if you choose)
– All teams guaranteed 3 matches
– Matches played on blacktop — aka don’t wear cleats
– Max. 12 teams
– Cost per team: $20
– Registration/Check-in/Warm up begins at noon
– Round Robin begins at 1pm
– Finals will be concluded by 5:30pm
– Rain or shine, so come prepared!

There will also be PRIZES for best dressed, best team name, best goal, and for the winners.

Please register your team using the form below. To pay your entry fee, you will receive an email to the address indicated below with a PayPal invoice. All payments are due by Friday, August 29 in order to be eligible to play.

If you have any questions, or need to make changes to your team roster after submitting, please email events@vancouversouthsiders.ca.

REGISTER HERE

(Please note that failure to pay your invoice will result in your spot in the tournament being forfeited).

Seattle Away – Friday, October 10

  • 2014-08-17

We are pleased to announce that tickets for the October 10 match are now on sale for $21 on our membership site.  We will be up in the 300 level of Century Link once again for this match.

Due to the timing of kick-off, there will not be a bus heading down for this match.  We recommend taking Amtrak, the Bolt Bus or carpooling with your fellow Southsiders.

Distribution of tickets will once again take place at the gate prior to kick-off.  It will likely take place 2 hrs prior to kick-off, and end 90 minutes prior, although this is subject to change.  We will email out information about the match one to two weeks in advance of the match.

Please remember that you are subject to the general away travel policies and the Southsiders Code of Conduct when on the road.

Keep an eye on social media and the forum for more details about the match.

Portland Away – June 1st

  • 2014-05-27

With our first Cascadia match of the 2014 season in the books, we look forward to this weekend, as the Caps head south to Portland for a Sunday evening match.  This marks the first of our large trips of the year, and as such, we need to go over the ticket distribution plan, and general away travel policies.

Away Travel Policies

Please read through the general away travel policies and the Southsiders Code of Conduct.  Anyone who travels with us is subject to these policies.  This means that you and your friends and/or family members that are making the trip with you are held to the same standard.  And ultimately, you are responsible for them.  If anyone in the group fails to abide by these rules, travel privileges will be revoked, and funds allocated to future away trips forfeited.  Basically, don’t be a dick, and you’ll be fine.

Seating

We are going to be standing in section 222 and 223 of Providence Park, along with members of the Curva Collective, Rain City Brigade, and other Whitecaps season ticket holders.  You will see that a physical seat is listed on your ticket; however, seating in Portland is entirely GENERAL ADMISSION.  This means that you may stand where you please…with one main exception.

If you see areas of the stands that are taped or blocked off, DO NOT MOVE OR INTERFERE WITH THESE AREAS.  We have those spaces reserved for the drums, capos and other trip volunteers who are giving up large amounts of time so that YOU can enjoy yourselves. This has been an issue at past Portland and Seattle matches, and would like to avoid this at all costs.

Furthermore, if you are a Southsider that made your own ticketing arrangements (i.e. you purchased through StubHub or the Timbers directly), and are not standing with us, DO NOT COME TO 222-223.  There is a finite amount of space in Portland, and we simply DO NOT have room for you to come and join us.  There will be Providence Park staff looking at tickets and sending you elsewhere.

You should expect to have flags in your way at one point or another during the match.  While we don’t anticipate it happening often, you should expect to have a flag in your way during the course of play as well.  Should there be any threats or inappropriate behaviours resulting from this, you can expect a chat from security, and the possibility of ejection from the section.  We are all there to support the boys in blue and white, not fight each other.

Ticket Distribution

First, please login to http://members.vancouversouthsiders.ca to see how many tickets you have for the match.  This is what shows up in our system, and this is off of what we will be basing our distribution.  If you have sold your tickets, or have someone else picking them up on your behalf, please email travel@vancouversouthsiders.ca immediately.

Ticket distribution will begin at approximately 3:00 pm at Gate 5 at Providence Park. Distribution will end at 4:00 pm, with entry to the stadium starting at 4:30pm.  We will not be leaving tickets at will call, so if you are not there to pick up tickets, you won’t be watching the game with us, nor will you be getting your money back.  Let me say that again:

If you aren’t there to pick up your tickets on-time, you don’t get to watch the game with us. No exceptions.

After the game, we will be held in our section for safety purposes.  Please don’t try to leave at that time – you won’t be able to get out.  We will be escorted out of the stadium via Gate 5, and from there, you will be free to celebrate accordingly.

Bus Passengers

The beer bus will be leaving downtown Vancouver (Burrard Skytrain) at 7am on the dot on Saturday, May 31st.  It will then do a pick-up at Campbell River Store in Surrey around 7:30am. Once through the border, there will be a brief 15-minute stop at Cost Cutters to tap the kegs (which will be from our partners at Big Ridge, featuring our First to Four Cascadian Dark Ale and the Harvest Lager) and pick up snacks.  We anticipate a lunch stop occurring at Northgate Mall in Seattle, and a straight shot to Portland after that.  Although we can’t predict the border, we believe the bus will be in Portland mid-afternoon.  Upon arrival in Portland, passengers will be dropped off at the Crowne Plaza near the Convention Center (where many of our members are staying whilst in Portland).

On Sunday, June 1, bus passengers will be able to drop off their bags at the bus prior to ticket pick-up and entry into the stadium. The bus will be parked near the corner of SW 20th and SW Salmon at 2:30 pm.  Once we are released after the match, passengers will board the bus at the same area, and make their way north.  We honestly have no idea when the bus will be in, but assume that it will be around 2-3am.

If you are a bus passenger, you need to do the following before you board the bus:

1. Check your passport.  If it’s not valid, you’re not coming.

2. Login to members.vancouversouthsiders.ca and update your information so that we know exactly who is coming with us.  If you can’t access your account, please email travel@vancouversouthsiders.ca with “BUS PASSENGER INFORMATION” in the subject line.

3.  Update your preferred pick-up location in this survey. Failure to do so may result in you missing the bus.

4.  Check your email over the next couple of days – we will have some more information coming at you.

5.  Arrive to your pick-up location early.  With coffee/snacks in hand.  If everyone is there early, the bus can leave early!

Adventures from the Road: Portland Away, Hotel Deals and More

  • 2014-03-28

Cascadia Away

We are pleased to announce Phase 2 of ticket sales for our first Cascadia away match in Portland on June 1, 2014. 2014 Vancouver Southsiders members can now purchase up to 4 tickets for their non-member friends and family via the Members App.

Tickets are $55 CAD for the match and will be picked up at Providence Park prior to kick-off on June 1.

We will be situated in section 222/223, and the entire section will be General Admission.  Be prepared for standing, singing, flag waving and streamer throwing throughout the game.

Portland Bus Information

As in past years, we will be offering bus transportation for Vancouver Southsiders members to the June 1st match in Portland.  The bus will depart Vancouver on the evening of Friday, May 30, and returning to the city after the match on Sunday.  Further details pertaining to departure and arrival times and locations will be released closer to the date of departure.

The cost will be $85 per person, and includes complimentary libations for our members over the age of 21.  The cut-off for purchasing a seat on the bus will be Friday, May 8, 2014.  Please note that if interest in this mode of transportation is not high enough, we will have to cancel the bus trip, and refund money to those who had already purchased their trips.  You can purchase your seat on the bus via the Members App.

Portland Hotel Information

We regret to inform you that we will not be offering accommodations at the Portland State University dorms this year due to university-related bookings.  However, we will have a discounted hotel rate available for your use, and will announce the procedures for securing that rate within the next couple of weeks.

cascadiacup

 

Non-Cascadia Away Tickets & Hotel Deals

Did you know that tickets to all non-Cascadia away matches are available for purchase by members and non-members alike? You can access these discounted tickets at our new webstore.  Don’t forget to login, as you will have access to our special members-only hotel discounts for these games as well.

In case you were curious, our next two away matches are:

April 12 vs. LA Galaxy, StubHub Center, Carson, CA, $31/ticket

April 26 vs. Real Salt Lake, RioTinto Stadium, Sandy, UT, $37/ticket

________

Stay tuned for more stories from the road, including a pre-season trip to Victoria, the Chivas experiment, and the blustery day in New England.

 

Adventures from the Road: Portland Away (June 1, 2014) & Other Away Tickets

  • 2014-02-23

Cascadia Away

We are pleased to announce that tickets for our first Cascadia away match in Portland on June 1, 2014 are on sale now via the Members App.  2014 Vancouver Southsiders members will have priority access to one ticket per member until March 23.

Tickets are $55 CAD for the match.  Additional tickets may be purchased after March 23, subject to ticket restrictions and availability.  We will not be offering separate ticket, transportation and accommodation packages this year, but will be offering the latter two options as à la carte items at a later date.  Tickets will be picked up at Providence Park prior to kick-off on June 1.

We will be situated in section 222/223, and the entire section will be General Admission.  Be prepared for standing, singing, flag waving and streamer throwing throughout the game.

cascadiacup———————-

 Chivas USA & New England Away Tickets Released

As our beloved Caps prepare to take on Portmore United at the Rose City Invitational in Portland, we would like to announce the ticket release for the first two away matches of the 2014 MLS season.

On Sunday, March 16, the Caps will be in Southern California to take on the soon to be rebranded Chivas USA.  Kick-off is at 4:00pm at the Stub Hub Center in Carson, CA.

The Caps will then travel east to Boston to take on the New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium on Saturday, March 22 at 2pm EST.

Tickets for these matches will be $22 CAD and will be available for pick-up at Will Call.  Ticket purchasers will be contacted with information concerning security plans, ticket pick-up and pre/post-match festivities closer to the dates of the games.  You can purchase tickets through our new webstore.

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The Southsiders Have a Hotel Deal

We are pleased to announce that we are in the final stages of securing a hotel deal with IHG Hotels.  We have worked hard to secure rates for our members at hotels close to the stadiums at which the Caps play.  Information on those rates will be available shortly.

Adventures from the Road

  • 2014-01-10

In an effort to distract myself and our readers, from the uncertainty surrounding our beloved Whitecaps during what has been quite the tumultuous off-season, I decided that it is time to launch a new blog series entitled, “Adventures from the Road.”

The purpose of this series is to share information about upcoming away trips, introduce the cities and stadia to which we travel, and highlight some of our members’ #CapsOnTour experiences over the years.

Continue reading

Message from the President

  • 2013-12-11

Peter CzimmermannOn Monday, at our first Board of Directors meeting to kick off the preparations for the 2014 season, I was elected as your President for the coming year. It is a great honour to follow in the footsteps of Brett “piltdownman” Graham, Chris “the real” Deal and John “Monster” Knox in this position.

You may already know that I have been serving on the board as the Club Secretary since 2012, but many of you don’t know much about me beyond that. Some might recall seeing me looking sad in Denver or yelling and chanting at home and away games in support of our beloved Whitecaps. My soccer enthusiasm is rooted in my home town, Nagykanizsa, where I tagged along with my dad to Hungarian division 2 games and saw our team promoted to the highest level.

I moved to Canada in 2007 and started attending Whitecaps games in 2009 before “relocating” to the Southside and standing and chanting along in 2010. I officially joined the Southsiders at the end of 2010 to be one of the first “new era” members of our ever-growing group. I also snatched up the last “old school” membership scarf, which I still wear proudly game in and game out, home & away.

In so many ways the Southside is still the same as when I first stood on the bleachers behind the south goals – the camaraderie, the openness and welcoming nature of our club, the constant bickering on our forums, and of course the loud support for the Whitecaps.

On the other hand, the Southside is arguably very different. We no longer know everyone around us by name as our membership easily surpasses the population of a decent village. We have established ourselves as a remarkable, respectable supporters group in Canada and in Cascadia (marketing people would add !!BIGGEST!!) We have expanded beyond our “duties” in the stadium, and now run charity initiatives to better our community, have recreational soccer and curling teams, and thanks to a mishap at a Canucks game, we are also well known beyond the local soccer circles. We are “the supporters group” of Vancouver.

Next year we have some “fresh blood” as well as some seasoned veterans on the board of directors. They are there to make sure our group works well as an organization, and they work tirelessly on your behalf. Thanks to their efforts, you can help paint tifo, secure a better seat at BC Place to chant for the team and make our group louder, get tickets to away games to show your support in the wild west or east, help you connect and have a chance to chat and bond with fellow supporters at the pub or at a golf tournament, get Southsiders gear to wear, and so on.

I strongly believe that we can and will IMPROVE in 2014 on our own terms. We don’t – and shouldn’t – have to look around for examples, we all have it in ourselves to be stronger supporters for the Whitecaps. We have 15 years of proud history, and we are setting the bar for how supporters groups should be — so let’s set it high and then surpass it.

Let’s have a great year supporting our Whitecaps and have a lot of fun along the way with our fellow Southsiders!

Cheers, Peter

PS Don’t be a dick.

PPS Don’t spill my beer