—by Matthew Lindley

Back in mid-April, while most of the TA’s attention was focused on the 400 strong that made their way to our boys’ first trip to “the House that Steinbrenner Built,” I was having a monumental away experience of my own.

It was midway through the offseason that I found out about the Inland Ultras, a regional supporters’ group based in the “Inland Empire” region of eastern Washington and northern Idaho. I was immediately intrigued because—being a Spokane native and a Washington State alumni—there was finally a group of fellow supporters in my old stomping grounds. Luckily for me, the stars aligned when a conference had me travelling to Pullman and Spokane the same weekend as the match with NYCFC. Through the magic of social media, I was able to contact Dan Scott and Peter Anderson, who organize the group, and they arranged a get-together in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, at Capone’s Bar and Grill.

Capone’s is one of a couple bars in the area that the Ultras use for their viewing parties, and I wasn’t the only one who traveled to watch our boys: Dan, along with his father and brother, drove the two hours from Moses Lake, Washington, while Peter, a current student at WSU, traveled in from his home in Moscow, Idaho.

Dan got the group started a few years back. Although never a Portland resident, he credits trips through the Portland area to run at cross-country events as the reason he became a Timbers supporter. He says seeing the passion of Timbers supporters around town—even back in the USL days—made him PTFC before he was ever able to see a match in person. His cohort Peter, on the other hand, is a Portland native with fond memories of coming to pre-MLS Timbers matches, but now finds himself in the distant confines of the Palouse.

So there we were, the five of us, outliers in a sea of NASCAR and NBA fans, but occasional odd looks from fellow patrons didn’t faze anyone — our boys in green were on. The modest turnout is par for the course: Dan and Peter say the most they’ve had at a watch party is eight or nine, but they have enough passion for the game and the Timbers to fill any room. Around the time that Dairon Asprilla scored his eventual game-winning goal, we realized we had a few more Timbers fans in our midst, and they joined us for the closing moments of the match. As the third whistle blew, I snapped up my newly acquired Inland Ultras scarf and thanked my hosts—not just for providing me a place to watch the boys while on the road, but for bringing a part of the culture I love so much to the area where I grew up.

I must admit that at times I have been skeptical of the regional groups, but these guys are just as PTFC as anyone back home in the Rose City. So if you should find yourself in Spokane, Pullman, Walla Walla, or anywhere else in the northeastern portion of Cascadia, be sure to hit up the Inland Ultras.