Get your Topps Now Villa "Backheel" card NOW! This card recognizes Villa's knack for sexy backheel flicks. 2 of which led to goals that helped the team grab 3 points at home versus the San Jose Quakes. This card is limited to the number purchased in 24 hours so act now to secure your copy. Sales close tomorrow, 4/4/17, at around 2 pm. Click the link below to purchase! Time is ticking...
New Song: Tommy, Can You Hear Me?
We have a new song we'd like to sing for one of our favorite players! We think he deserves it. It's short, sweet and simple. Please learn it if you don't know it already and let's give our boy Tommy a shout at the next home game on April 23rd.
Lyrics:
Tommy, can you hear me?
Can you feel me near you?
Tommy, can you see me?
Can I help to cheer you?
Oooooooh, Tommy... Tommy... Tommy...
Repeat 3x
TR Spring '17 Mixtape
Check out The Third Rail's Spring '17 Mixtape! This playlist features uptempo tunes (mostly about love) to get you through the April showers. Listen, share and be sure to tell us what your favorite songs are.
The Third Rail Announces Partnership with The Bronx Brewery
Watch Bronx, Drink Bronx.
NEW YORK CITY, March 22, 2017 - The Third Rail S.C., the largest independently run soccer supporters group for New York City Football Club, is excited to announce a partnership with The Bronx Brewery, the largest, independently owned brewery in The Bronx, for the 2017 Major League Soccer season.
Starting April 1st, The Bronx Brewery will become the official beer partner of The Third Rail. This partnership brings together two local, community-focused organizations, working together to create a lasting impact in The Bronx. Together the two organizations will support NYCFC supporters culture by providing beer at a variety of Third Rail events, work together on community service events, and host unique experiences at the South Bronx brewery location.
Rox Fontaine, President of The Third Rail said:
“As a supporter organization with over 1000 members, The Third Rail is focused on supporting NYCFC and the local community. Engaging with members and fans over pints is a part of our culture, and we couldn’t be happier to work with a brewery that is local, active in The Bronx, and wants to work with us to support our mission in NYC. Cheers to that!”
Patrick Libonate, The Bronx Brewery VP of Marketing, commented:
“As a local business based in the South Bronx, we are thrilled to partner with The Third Rail, a group of supporters as passionate about their team as we are about beer, and who both possess a shared love for The Bronx. There's no better tradition in sports than enjoying a soccer match and beers with friends, and so we look forward to year one of this partnership.”
Topps Now Villa Brace Trading Card!
Our Captain, 2016 MLS MVP and goal scoring machine Villa has a new trading card from Topps celebrating his brace in our home opener. This card is limited to the number purchased in 24 hours so act now to secure your copy. Sales close tomorrow, 3/14/17, at around 2 pm. Click the link below to purchase NOW! Time is ticking...
Third Rail members be sure to check out our member app for an exclusive deal!
A Letter From Third Rail Board of Directors
TO Orlando City Soccer Club and New York City Football Club
On behalf of the membership of The Third Rail, we demand that Orlando City Soccer Club and New York City Football Club explain the lack of away supporter security protocols in place before, during, and after the March 5th 2017 match at Orlando City Stadium that led to 198 travelling NYCFC supporters being exposed to unacceptable levels of abuse and harm, in and around the stadium.
Furthermore, we demand meaningful reforms to all security protocols at Orlando City Stadium to ensure a safe environment for all away supporters and that NYCFC reiterate its commitment to the safety of its own travelling supporters.
NYCFC supporters at the March 5th match between NYCFC and Orlando City SC have reported that they feared for their safety before, during and after the event. What occurred on Sunday endangered NYCFC’s most dedicated supporters and has led many to refuse to travel to future away NYCFC matches.
The Third Rail considers the following events to be unacceptable breaches in away supporter security:
· NYCFC supporters were led to walk through one block of the crowded Orlando City SC pre-match fan zone experience to get to their assigned stadium entrance
· NYCFC supporters were forced to walk through a line of Orlando City SC ticket holders to enter the stadium, creating two crossing, perpendicular lines between opposing supporters
· In the stadium there was no buffer row of seats between NYCFC supporters and Orlando City SC supporters. Insults, physical threats, and homophobic slurs were yelled at NYCFC supporters from people sitting one row below, as well as from neighboring sections.
· Match tickets in the NYCFC section were sold to Orlando City SC supporters
· Security for the NYCFC section was minimal and passive. There were only two security officials, one on either side of the section, and two police officers, one at the top of each stairwell, all of whom did not stop Orlando City SC supporters entering the NYCFC section to claim their seats
· Due to the lack of security around the NYCFC section, a member of the NYCFC front office, without the aid of security or Orlando City SC officials, was forced to remove the aforementioned Orlando SC supporters from our section
· Upon exiting the stadium, all 198 NYCFC supporters were instructed to walk east on West Church Street among Orlando SC supporters with minimal and unacceptable levels of security for a group that size. During this walk there were multiple instances of violence, physical threats, and homophobic slurs directed at NYCFC supporters.
We find the lack of planning and security surrounding the post-match walk down West Church Street to be particularly troubling and dangerous.
While Orlando City Stadium has just opened, and Orlando City SC is refining many of its game day protocols, Orlando City SC has hosted home matches and attended away matches in Major League Soccer for the past two years. The lack of security planning present on March 5th is inexcusable in this context.
We look forward to hearing an explanation from Orlando City SC and NYCFC as to why NYCFC supporters were put in this position on Sunday night, as well as learn how Orlando City SC will implement meaningful reforms to their away supporter security protocols in the future. Additionally, we also look forward to receiving reassurances from NYCFC regarding their plans to ensure the safety of all travelling NYCFC supporters in the future. We stand ready to engage in constructive discussions with all involved parties around maintaining the safety of all NYCFC supporters, at home and away, this season.
Sincerely
Board of Directors
The Third Rail SC
ISC Stands with Vancouver Southsiders in Wake of US Travel Ban
by Sean Dane
The Independent Supporters Council (ISC) stands with the actions of the Vancouver Southsiders soccer supporters group (*1) to limit their organized supporter travel and calls on all ISC affiliated groups to exercise a similar abundance of caution in protecting their members.
On January 27th 2017, the United States government announced the executive order titled “PROTECTING THE NATION FROM FOREIGN TERRORIST ENTRY INTO THE UNITED STATES”, which amounts to an immediate travel ban that affects soccer supporters throughout North America. We believe that in these uncertain times it is absolutely critical that the leadership of North American soccer supporter organizations do all that they can to protect their members and stand in solidarity with supporters that may be affected.
Soccer was introduced to North America by immigrants, and our players and supporters come from every corner of the world. It is a global, inclusive game, and the ISC’s charter is clear in our opposition to racism and bias in all forms. A selective travel ban introduces bias into the game that we love.
As a collective of organizations dedicated to the support and growth of soccer in North America, the ISC also respects those that still choose to travel to international away matches. We recommend that those who plan to travel for away matches take all necessary and legal precautions to protect themselves and others while traveling to and from the US.
While we are encouraged by the February 4th ruling from US District Court Judge James Robart suspending the executive order; we ask all supporters to remain cautious until the order has been fully rescinded. We recommend that supporters’ groups refrain from ORGANIZED international travel and allow individuals to make decisions on their own.
(*1) http://vancouversouthsiders.ca/2017/01/board-statement-capsontour/)
About:
The Independent Supporters Council was founded in 2009 to advocate for the fair treatment of home and away supporters, promote supporters culture, and oppose both racism and bias inside stadiums in North America.
Photos: Bar Crawl
Photos courtesy of Ryan JL. Be sure to follow Ryan on Instagram.
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year from The Third Rail! We wish you a happy, healthy and prosperous year and look forward to cheering with you on game days.
Bar Crawl
Come meet up with The Third Rail as we kick off 2017 with an East Village Bar Crawl! Join in for a drink or two, or for the entire day. If you've never been to a TR event before, this is a great opportunity to meet up with some members.
We'll be starting at Slainte on Bowery and 1st St. at 12:30pm. From there, we will be moving East on 1st avenue and then North on Avenue A. We'll end at Crocodile Lounge on 14th St. See the full schedule below to plan when and where you will be meeting up with us.
The schedule and timeline are ambitious so we understand if you can't stick around for the entire crawl. View the route map here. Mark your calendars now!
12:30 - Slainte - 304 Bowery
2:00 - One and One - 76 E 1st St.
3:30 - Ace Bar - 531 E 5th St.
5:00 - Doc Holliday's - 141 Avenue A
6:30 - O'Hanlons - 349 E 14th St.
8:00 - Crocodile Lounge - 325 E 14th St.