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This is the Rose City Riveters blog, where members can submit blog posts. 

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  • 07/16/2024 7:31 PM | Chris Spalding (Administrator)

    This post was written by local student Mia Robertson as part of a high school journalism class. It is posted here with Mia's permission.

    Walking towards Providence Park, I see people crowding the sidewalks. Some corners have orderly lines snaking towards the stadium doors, but at the intersection of 18th and Morrison there is more of a humming mass of people, swarming like ants on the concrete steps; in order to find your way into the stadium, you allow yourself to fall into the crowd and find yourself miraculously spit out at the security gate. Colloquially among my friends and family, this particular entrance to the stadium is referred to as the one with “the big metal face,” because of the sculpture on the street corner that we used to climb as kids while we waited for the rest of our group to arrive before we could enter. Today, it is a sweltering 85 degrees in mid-May, and the young kids climbing on the face today are restricted to the half creating its own shade, for risk of burning their hands on the overheated metal. 

    Eventually, the crowd crawls forward enough to allow us entry into the stadium, and we are pushed forward into the delightful ambiance of pizza grease and an ocean of red jerseys moving in all different directions at once. As we weave through the mass of fans and to our seats, I start to look past the annoyance of getting cut off by someone speed-walking to the Dutch Bros line. Instead, my eyes follow a woman getting dragged by her daughter, both in matching 2019 jerseys, towards the merch line with the newest design in her hands. There’s a whole girl’s youth soccer team in matching uniforms moving as a unit through the hall laughing and talking with each other. A little further down, I see a couple in an absurdly long line for nine-dollar hot dogs, making friends with the man standing in front of them because they both complained about the price. 

    When we finally reach our seats and the sun has set beyond the lip of the stadium, I truly remember why I love coming to Thorns games. It’s more than the joy of eating a whole bag of cotton candy in one sitting, but rather the anticipation of the starting whistle and hearing the group sitting behind you give their play-by-play commentary on the game–even when it’s entirely incorrect, in that they got both the names of the players and the rules of the game wrong. While the primary allure of a Thorns game is great soccer, I also go for the vibrant passion of the crowd. 

    On Saturday, May 11, during the match against the Seattle Reign, one of the Thorn’s long-standing rivals, there was a roaring audience of over 20,000 fans. They almost filled the Providence Park stadium, which seats more than 25,000 people. When the Thorns scored their first goal in the 42nd minute of the game, my mom’s Apple Watch notified her that she should find a quieter space soon because the sound levels in the stadium were over 96 decibels. A smoke bomb gets set off and scarves and flags fly; my entire section and I jump out of our seats screaming. The clouds of smoke diffuse through the air, wrapping the corners of the stadium lights in a red hue. Eventually, the sound levels out, but the chants don’t stop. 

    Figure 1: Photo of the Thorns Match vs the Seattle Reign after a goal was scored. (Robertson)

    From my seat in the Key Bank Club section, I can see the North End clearly. Home of the Rose City Riveters, the general admission supporters section is where cheering stems from in the stadium. The aforementioned smoke bombs, themed chants and flags are all the handiwork of the Riveters, who also make massive painted banners called tifos which they display at the start of significant matches. They create an otherworldly display at every home game, but the reality is that many people, like myself, have gone to Thorns matches for years and have never really known who the Riveters are or the extent of what they do. 

    The Rose City Riveters are half of the 107 Independent Supporters Trust, a nonprofit organization with the mission “to support soccer in and around Portland, Oregon, from the grassroots to the highest professional level” (107ist). The group is named after section 107 in the Providence Park stadium, where the Riveters and the Timbers Army–supporters of the MLS soccer team the Portland Timbers, and the other half of the 107IST–sit, or rather stand, to cheer and wave flags during games. 

    Approximately seven minutes before halftime, I excused myself from the engaging conversation I was having with my mother about the number of players in the NWSL who have recently retired and the number of new additions to the team whose names we haven’t had the chance to learn yet. If I were to leave even a minute later, I would find myself stuck yet again in the influx of people trying to buy concessions before the game starts up–as it is, there are already a fair number of fans waiting in lines that span the width of the hallway in all of the annoying ways, hoping to beat the halftime rush. 

    Despite the human roadblocks, I managed to make my way from my seat and around the curve of the stadium halls to the general admission section to see what happens in the North End for myself. Although my family and I have sat on the periphery of section 107 on occasion over the six or seven years we’ve been going to soccer matches at Providence Park, I’ve never really been in the center of it all. Of course, the spectacle the Riveters create can be seen and heard from any corner of the stadium (that’s like, the whole point), but there’s something special about hearing the drums and the horns and seeing the mass of people march back and forth. It’s here that I can first understand why there are so many people dedicated to maintaining this space. 

    When I first started going to Thorns matches, I was around 8 years old and it was 2015. I remember that the cacophony of the crowd was less exciting than the game in front of me because I was a kid who played striker and goalie on my recreational team and the idea of playing soccer as a job was almost magical. It was much more than a soccer game for my young mind, it was a dream come true. At the time, I was entirely unaware of the great number of people in the crowd who remembered a time when the Portland Thorns didn’t exist and when women in America couldn’t play soccer at all.

    The history of women’s soccer in the US began on June 23, 1972, the day when the Title IX law was signed, forbidding discrimination among educational programs on the basis of sex. This became the very foundation of women's sports in America and quickly sparked a dramatic surge in female athletic participation nationwide despite the lengthy amount of time given by the enforcement regulations to the schools to comply. However, soccer was not explicitly allowed by Title IX because of an additional clause detailing an exception to the rule: schools were not required to provide equal opportunities to girls in sports that were classified as contact sports, such as “boxing, wrestling, rugby, ice hockey, football, basketball, and other sports the purpose or major activity of which involved bodily contact.” In many states, girls were banned from playing soccer because it was believed they were weaker than boys and therefore in physical danger when participating in contact sports. Gender segregation in sports was rationalized because the government thought it was in their interest to protect girls’ safety in this way (Fields 309-312).

    This idea was countered by Hoover v. Meiklejohn in 1976 when a high school girl from Colorado named Donna Hoover sued the Jefferson County Board of Education and the Colorado High School Activities Association because their rules stated that she was not allowed to participate in soccer as a girl in her state. She sued on the basis that her constitutional right of equal protection under the Fourteenth Amendment was violated because she couldn’t play, and she won. Soccer, although not deeply entrenched in American identity at the time, only grew with the aid of female participation allowed by Title IX and the equal protection clause. Around one hundred boys played organized youth soccer in 1964. By 1977, a little over ten years later, an estimated 500,000 children were part of soccer programs. (Fields 312-314) The history of soccer in the US started with little girls like me. 

    Beyond the youth levels, Title IX has created opportunities for intense growth in women's collegiate athletics, including soccer, opening avenues for greater visibility for female athletes and the potential for the development of professional competition. However, professional women’s soccer in the United States still traveled a rocky path after the success of Title IX. Before the National Women's Soccer League or NWSL, there were two failed professional women’s leagues in America. In 2000 there was the Women’s United Soccer Association, which had a relatively smooth start but was terminated three years after its first season in 2001 due to financial problems. Then there was Women’s Professional Soccer in 2008, operating on a smaller scale than the WUSA; the league got significantly less attention than its predecessor. Although they attempted a strategy of slower growth to maintain financial balance, the lack of viewership created the same lack of profit and the league also ended after three seasons. (Women’s Soccer History in the USA: An Overview) In 2012 the NWSL was born, and with its first season in 2013, the Portland Thorns began as well.

    On their first home game on April 21, 2013, there were 16,479 fans in attendance. Even better, there was already a tifo greeting the players at the start of the match, created by the freshly dubbed Rose City Riveters, formed before the inaugural season with the help of the Timbers Army. When I spoke with Rachel Greenough–a member of the Rose City Riveters Steering Committee–about the beginnings of the group, she said, “Like a lot of what we do, it was grassroots, it was meeting in someone’s living room and hashing out what the name of the group was going to be.” Greenough said that from the start there were people who were deeply passionate about the Thorns, and that “It did kind of offshoot from the Timbers Army, but even from the beginning it was its own thing.” Since that first day, the Riveters have shown up for soccer in Portland in thousands of ways, and have curated their own unique identity. 

    Anyone can see that the Riveters are extraordinary from inside the stadium, with creative chants and hundreds of hands in the air clapping along with the drum beats. Outside of the stadium, however, their new building provides insight into the unique nature of the Riveters. The space used to belong to a business that attaches roof racks to cars, but has since been redesigned by hours of work from volunteers and people who are, according to Greenough, “deeply stuck in.” The new space is located on the corner of 18th and Morrison, diagonally across from the stadium doors I entered to watch the Seattle match. It’s open every matchday for a couple of hours but closes twenty minutes before the game begins so the volunteers running the registers have enough time to get to their seats. I received my own private tour of the space around a week before the game and saw firsthand the effort they were putting into it. The group member who said hello to me while fixing a light fixture atop yellow scaffolding as I entered the space on Thursday was noticeably absent in the brightly lit store bustling with customers and volunteers on game day.

    Figure 2: An image of the Axe and Rose on gameday. (Robertson)

    The Axe and Rose is most obviously a storefront for Riveter and Timbers Army designed merchandise that funds the majority of the 107IST’s activities. However, it also contains a meeting room for the steering committees outfitted with a green turf carpet and a TV at the end of the large table to coordinate online meetings–a necessary post-COVID addition. There’s also the tifo workspace up the stairs which neither Greenough nor I were allowed to enter because the first and second rules of tifo are “do not talk about tifo.” (107ist) Lastly, the majority of the building’s ground floor is taken up by a large garage area that currently serves as a storage space after the recent move. It will eventually turn into a community space for events on match days, something that was previously impossible due to the lack of space in downtown Portland. Greenough also hopes the event space could be used by community partners or for lectures and CPR training, which the organization periodically offers for members.

    A big part of the Riveters is what goes on beyond gameday, and their efforts to bolster the Portland community outside of supporting the Thorns. One of the committees of the 107IST is a joint effort of the Timbers Army and the Riveters dedicated to community outreach. In the past, they’ve done match day donation drives, and every year the organization buys a few season tickets to donate to local nonprofits to use as fundraisers. Most of the community work they do is grassroots and built on the person-to-person connections that they have with many local organizations. Greenough seemed to feel a sense of pride in that people in the Portland community seem to know that the Riveters are “a group they can call on when they have a need, whether that’s a need for volunteers or resources or whatever.”

    Many of the groups that they partner with are invested in supporting minorities in Portland. Although part of the Riveter’s identity is strongly rooted in their independence, they often collaborate along community lines to create a bigger impact. In July of 2023, they worked with the Timbers and Thorns Stand Together Coordinator Dr. Robin Beavers to create shirts designed by Meghan Klingenberg, a player for the Thorns. All of the sales of the shirts, printed with the words “I’m Here, I’m Queer, & I Cheer for the Thorns” and “I Support Queer Joy,” served as a fundraiser for New Avenues for Youth, a nonprofit founded “in response to the growing numbers of youth experiencing homelessness in downtown Portland” (New Avenues for Youth).

    More recently the Riveters released their 2024 Pridraiser Campaign. They’re raising money for Outside In, one of the first free community health clinics in the United States. They provide healthcare for everyone, “regardless of their gender identity, insurance or immigration status, or their ability to pay” (New Avenues for Youth). This partnership isn’t out of character for the group, in fact, pride has always been a special event for the Riveters. A look at past tifos will reveal a consistent history of pride-related designs, often relating to whatever recent turmoil may be facing the national LGBTQ+ community or the group itself. Inside the Axe and Rose there are swaths of pride-related products available year round, and the back rooms are plastered with stickers proudly presenting taglines such as “black lives matter” and “end fascism.” You can find a trans flag hanging on the wall next to the trophy case that holds memories of fundamental moments for the Timbers Army, the Riveters, and their teams. An integral part of the Rose City Riveters is being a community that welcomes everyone. They have always made sure to use their power to stand up for those who need it. 

    When asked about the inclusive nature of the group, Greenough said, “I think it’s really self-perpetuating … That [being emphatically inclusive] is absolutely our ethos, and the people who stick around are the people who perpetuate that ethos and the people who want to be a part of that keep coming in.” In a sense, the Riveter’s advocacy is another way the importance of their independence as a group shines through. As Greenough puts it, “this is our home, this is the place we belong … There’s a real sense of ownership and passion for protecting that space and making it open to anyone who needs it.”

    Sometimes that passion spreads into conflicts with the stadium or team management. In the past couple years, the Riveters have not shied away from defending their own rights as an independent supporters group. They also have been vehement in their fight for the rights of the players, especially regarding the recent NWSL abuse scandal, when former coach Paul Riley’s mistreatment of players was hidden from the public and other teams, allowing him to move to the North Carolina Courage and continue to use his position as coach to sexually harass players. In many ways, the Riveters are a force to be reckoned with, and they recognize that. 

    Not being tied to the front office is essential to the identity of the group. The Riveters are their own community, and similarly to how there’s no head authority from the Thorns management controlling their actions, there’s no one person who leads the group. It’s not about individuals, but rather collective work to support the team and soccer in the greater Portland area. However, their independence and collective mindset mean that it’s difficult to coordinate as a whole unit, and even more challenging to let outsiders know about who they are and what they do as a group. 

    There’s a whole stadium of people in Providence Park every week who have been watching Thorns games forever and have never fully known about the Riveters. And yet, record numbers of people still flock downtown and crawl through the crowds to attend Thorns matches. They go for the soccer, but they also go for the energy of the crowd, and the sense of home you feel when you enter the stadium. The Riveters have the beating heart of Portland soccer since the very first game in 2013.

    When I sit, watching the Thorns score their fourth goal against the Seattle Reign and hear the crowd roar, I hope that the legacy of the Riveters will spread further throughout the NWSL, and the global football scene. There really is nothing like sitting in a crowd of people who love to watch a game of professional women’s soccer.


  • 07/03/2024 9:40 AM | Sam Prince (Administrator)

    To the 107ist Community!

    It’s summer, the schedule is packed, and we’re all getting set in our game day routines.

    The Rose City Riveters are looking to grow our volunteer team, and we have a few opportunities that we are looking to add some voices to.

    Our Away Travel team is looking for folks who are interested in tackling the logistics of away travel. This would be a great opportunity for someone who enjoys helping ensure Riveters get correct, timely information about procuring tickets in opposing team stadiums and delivering the tickets (via various ticket platforms) before the match. We also arrange fun things like bus trips for Seattle Aways! It would be a great opportunity for someone who is a good communicator, doesn’t mind admin-type work and has the bandwidth to engage with folks as needed during weekend and non-business hours. Email awaytravel@107ist.org to help out!

    Our Game Day Operations is looking for folks who may be interested in helping us set up in the stadium on game days. Those flags you love waving? Volunteers place them under seats every single match and then help them get back up to the tippy top of the North End after the match. Volunteers also help keep the North End a safe and welcoming place for all, passing out chant sheets and helping newbies feel included. This is a great opportunity for someone who loves loud spaces before they get filled, who loves working with a team to help make sure the North End stays loud and stays safe. Email gdo@rosecityriveters.org for more info.

    RivetGear, the merch team for Rose City Riveters, is looking for volunteer help in two areas. First, they are looking for people who may have a passion for designing merchandise, people who have an idea for what folks may want to buy and wear on the terraces and in the streets. RivetGear is also looking for people who are interested in volunteering on game days to sell our wares at the Axe and Rose, our retail space just outside of the stadium. If any of these sound like you, email merch@rosecityriveters.org.

    Those massive banners that drape the North End a few times a year? Those are all designed and created by supporters and volunteers. Tifo Team is looking for folks who want to help with the creation and execution of tifo. This would be a fantastic opportunity for folks who have a strong desire to think big with their designs, while also helping the logistics that come with painting massive swathes of canvas. This falls under the realm of our Game Day Opps team so email tifo@rosecityriveters.org and mention tifo in your email!

    You may have read this list and think “well, I have time, but I’m not sure if any of these sounds like me, but I still want to help!” Great. We have a spot for you. We promise we do. Whether you’re carving out your own role or we’re helping funnel you to a spot we think you could thrive, we want your help, we want your enthusiasm, and we’d be happy to have you on board. If you read this and are feeling unsure, you want to chat with someone who is involved in a particular area and see if it’s a fit, let us know, we’d be happy to chat! Send us an email at info@rosecityriveters.org and we’ll get you to someone. 


  • 06/19/2024 9:29 AM | Chris Spalding (Administrator)

    The following blog post is from an individual who was part of the design and creation of this year's Pride tifo. Their name is withheld.

    Here is why I admire and support this tifo: I was raised in a Jewish household. Though my upbringing was much more culturally rather than religiously Jewish, I have grown up owning my identity and the way it has shaped who I am. I have family that escaped antisemitism, and some who were not so lucky. I was raised with the understanding that even though my people have been treated so cruelly in the past, we should never repeat what has been done to us. I understand the pain and the anguish. I understand the anger. I understand the want to have a place, a homeland. But the acquiring and keeping of a “homeland” should never ever come at the expense of another people.

    This conflict did not begin on Oct. 7, but now the world is paying attention. And my dream is that they see that no matter how you look at it, destruction and devastation of another peoples’ land should not be the way to find peace, to find grounding. You can want a place to belong while still understanding the terms of genocide. Wanting the end of this war does not mean wanting an end to the Jewish people.

    As a Queer, Nonbinary, Jewish person, this tifo speaks to me on so many levels. It shows that we need to open our eyes to the devastation of a land and its people. People who make up so many differences and backgrounds, including being part of the LGBTQ+ community. No matter what, they are still there and being impacted, just like all Palestinians. There is no Pride in Freedom without freedom from genocide. My heart aches for all lives and land lost. There is absolutely nothing antisemitic about wanting people to live.

    ---

  • 05/17/2024 1:00 PM | Chris Spalding (Administrator)

    The following is a guest blog post written by Maresa Kelly from Outside In, the organization we have selected for our 2024 Prideraiser campaign. Please read this post and learn about both their history and the work they do, and then consider joining the campaign.

    Outside In was founded in 1968 on the Summer Solstice, making us 56 years old this year. We were one of the first free community health clinics in the United States. We’re a federally qualified health center, meaning we’re a healthcare home for everyone, regardless of their gender identity, insurance or immigration status, or their ability to pay.

    Our mission is to help homeless youth and other marginalized people move towards improved health and self-sufficiency. Our spaces are welcoming for everyone, we’re affirming of all identities, and we’re committed to serving our clients without judgment. We offer wrap around, low-barrier services, through a harm reduction lens. From warm meals, to housing services, to education and employment support, to medical and behavioral health services, Outside In is committed to serving the whole person and meeting them where they are.

    At Outside In, we believe that everyone deserves great healthcare that understands and supports who they are, especially when it comes to gender identity. We are dedicated to supporting our LGBTQIA+ and gender diverse community with specialized services tailored to their unique needs. Our inclusive and affirming approach ensures that every individual feels seen, heard, and valued. From healthcare and counseling to community outreach and advocacy, we provide comprehensive support to help our clients thrive. We believe in providing holistic support for our LGBTQIA+ clients through:

    Primary Medical Care
    • Access to gender affirming hormones
    • Surgical and other medical referrals to support gender identity
    • Letters of support for gender affirming surgery

    Community Resources
    • Information, referrals to legal aid, and financial assistance for gender expansive clients navigating legal name/gender marker changes
    • Information and referrals for food, clothing, housing, and other resources

    QueerZone
    • Identity-affirming activities to build community among queer youth experiencing houselessness

    Housing Resources
    • Available for young people, ages 16 through 24, who are eligible for the Multnomah County Homeless Youth Continuum

    About 36% of the approximately 10,000 clients and patients served through Outside In’s Clinic and Health Services, Behavioral Health Services, and Youth Services programs self-identify as transgender or gender-diverse. Our commitment to gender-expansiveness is evident among our staff as well, with 23% of staff also self-identifying as transgender or gender-diverse.

    No matter where someone is on their unique gender journey, our goal is to support them with respect and dignity. Right now, thanks to our friends at the Ed Cauduro Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation, when you show your support for our LGBTQIA+ programs, all donations (up to $25,000) will be doubled! That's twice the impact - and a lot to be proud of!

    This Pride month, will you help us send a strong message of hope to queer youth experiencing homelessness? Visit our website to learn more and give a gift today.

    Note from the Riveters: Prideraiser is a fun way to join supporters across the country in supporting LGBTQ+ communities. Please visit our Prideraiser page and make a pledge per goal scored in June. At the end of the month, you'll get a reminder to complete your donation to Outside In.

  • 02/26/2024 2:18 PM | Chris Spalding (Administrator)

    A while ago, we distributed a survey to folks who identify as a member of the Rose City Riveters. Our primary goal with this survey was to understand the perspective and goals of our membership.

    The survey looked three main aspects of membership:

    1. What the Riveters mean to our members
    2. Inclusion and belonging
    3. Future goals and organizational growth


    Survey Results Summary

    We had 134 individuals respond to provide their voice. There were several themes that emerged after reviewing the data including

    • Gameday atmosphere, player support, and creating a truly inclusive community were the top three aspects of Riveters culture that members said most important to them
    • Members have attempted to get more involved with the Riveters, but have felt their efforts were rebuffed or not welcomed
    • Members identified several ways to be more inclusive and welcoming to new members including:
      • Improving outreach efforts to increase awareness of the opportunity and how to get involved
      • Improving how folks are engaged once they do attempt to get involved
      • Riveters leaders actively welcoming and engaging folks who attempt to get more involved
    • Members have a wide variety of preferences regarding how they want to be involved with the Riveters spanning activities including: attending games to painting tifo to attending Riveters steering committee meetings to generating new ideas for member events

    We plan to use what we learned to inform how we work going forward to create engaging events, welcome new members to get engaged, and encourage more folks to help build and improve our group. We’ve already got some events in the works to try to be more open and engaging. Going forward, we will also likely have more surveys to both gauge progress and explore new areas of concern. It’s a new era for our club, and we’re excited for all the possibilities that entails with regards both to FO changes and supporter engagement.

    Survey Question Deep Dive

    Here are the highlights of what we heard based on the following questions

    Survey Question
    What aspects of Riveters culture and activities are important to you?


    Survey Question
    What are five words you want to be able to use to describe the Rose City Riveters in 3 years?


    Survey Question
    What do you think needs to be done to build a larger, more involved group of individuals who work to fulfill our mission?


    Survey Question
    In what ways would you like to be involved/included in this work and how can we make that happen?


  • 02/06/2024 11:26 AM | Sam Prince (Administrator)

    This is a statement posted on behalf of the Rose City Riveters Steering Committee:

    On Monday, February 5th, members of the Rose City Riveters Steering Committee met with the Bhathal family after their formal introductory press conference. As the Thorns enter a new era, so too does our relationship with a new Front Office. 

    The Bhathals were attentive to the history of the club, engaged with a wide vision for what the club can be, and incredibly appreciative of the culture of the North End. The discussion was positive and productive. There was a free exchange of ideas and feedback between the Riveters Steering Committee and the Bhathals.

    They spoke about their listening tour this year while also building out their staff for the business side to be less dependent on the Timbers staff, which has been brought up in previous interviews. They are also wanting to learn more about the culture we have in the North End and throughout the Park so they can connect more with our community. 

    We maintain a stance of cautious optimism, and are excited to see what kind of a relationship will be fostered moving forward. 



  • 02/02/2024 4:11 PM | Chris Spalding (Administrator)

    Members of the Riveters Steering Committee will be meeting with new Thorns ownership prior to the meet & greet at the Soop on Monday. We have not yet been in direct communication with the new owners, but have sent a welcome letter, which we wanted to share with our members here.

    Hello from the North End,

    We are members of the Rose City Riveters Steering Committee. We are writing to introduce ourselves, to say “Welcome to Portland!” and to begin what we hope will be a productive and positive ongoing conversation during this new era for the Portland Thorns FC.

    First, welcome to the Rose City! We are full of anticipation for this new era. We’ve read and listened to what you have said since finalizing the purchase and we agree– this club and this city are special. Under your stewardship, we believe that the players of the Portland Thorns will get the facilities, staff, and marketing they deserve, and we are happy to support that goal in any way we can. We often say how fortunate we are that we get to watch the best players in the world right here in Portland, and we can’t wait for even more people to come join in the celebration.

    A little about us. We are the Rose City Riveters, the independent supporters group for the Portland Thorns. The Rose City Riveters have existed since the club’s inception, and are here to support the club. This has meant many things over the years. Most visibly, it means we show up on game day. The North End of Providence Park (the General Admissions seating in sections 101-108, and 202 through 208) is a beloved home to many of us, though Riveters are scattered throughout the stadium and the world. At games, you’ve seen our capos on the stage leading chants and popping smoke to celebrate goals, several sections of standing supporters singing their hearts out, flags, drums, trumpets, and a passion that is deeply rooted in community. Our actions also extend outside the stadium. Riveters are under the umbrella of the 107 Independent Supporters Trust, a registered not-for-profit organization that supports soccer in the Rose City from the grassroots to the highest professional level. The 107IST supports and partners with many local community organizations: both soccer- and service-focused. We are loud, we are passionate, and we are all volunteers who give our time and heart to this club and city. The past few years have admittedly been very difficult for our community, and we look forward with cautious optimism toward what comes next.

    In early 2023, we shared a blog post, in which we spoke directly to the players, supporters and future owners of the club. These words continue to feel as true as ever, so we share them with you today:

    To the new owners in 2024, you undoubtedly realize that you have inherited an unruly horde of supporters along with your purchase of the club. We hope that you have also come to realize that our passion is only matched by our caring and our dreams. We dream of true equality, emotional and physical safety, and playing environments that match the excellence we see before us each season. While we might make you uncomfortable at times, we share your hopes and dreams for this team. We welcome you, the new owners of the Thorns, and are hopeful for a future where we can play our independent roles in harmony– for the greater good of Portland soccer. 

    As the club transitions to your stewardship, we know there must be a million and one items on your to-do list. We welcome the opportunity to meet with you, introduce you to this community, and begin getting to know one another.

    As the long-time supporters of this club, we want to extend to you our warmest welcome and gratitude for your investment in its future. We can’t wait to see what’s next.


    Sincerely,

    The Rose City Riveters Steering Committee

    Wendy Broussard
    Sarah Williams Brown
    Tina Ettlin
    Rachel Greenough
    Hannah Mueller
    Sheridan Nichols
    Sam Prince
    Gabby Rosas
    Chris Spalding
    Jennifer Sato

  • 01/03/2024 12:00 PM | Chris Spalding (Administrator)

    The following is a statement from the Rose City Riveters Steering Committee.


    The Rose City Riveters are relieved that the sale has been completed and thrilled we can start a new chapter with the Portland Thorns, especially before the NWSL Draft. After years of transition and upheaval, we are hopeful that this move to new ownership offers stability for both the players on the field and the supporters in the stands. 

    We are aware what the Bhathal ownership group have been able to accomplish in the NBA and are cautiously optimistic about what they can do for the Portland Thorns. We are open to and look forward to forging this new relationship, to conveying our passion about supporting the players, the club, and Portland. We look forward to learning more about the Bhathal plan for continuing the path of keeping the Thorns a place players and fans want to be. 

  • 10/08/2023 1:20 PM | Chris Spalding (Administrator)

    Bon bon bon bon... sing wherever we go...

    This year’s player gift is a treat box that includes candies/chocolates, candles that resemble smoke bombs but smell like a favorite cereal, maple leaf wax melts, and a custom embroidered THORNIES NEVER SAY DIE towel.

  • 10/07/2023 4:22 PM | Chris Spalding (Administrator)

    Each season, the Rose City Riveters honor a singularly exceptional Thorns player who exhibits brilliant talent and stellar character – a player who elevates their teammates, our club, and the City of Portland with the consistency and inspiring awe of a constellation.

    This year’s recipient has scored goals, tallied assists, garnered fouls, and earned the admiration of vast numbers with her caliber on the pitch.

    All this, coupled with her qualities as a rising leader, her fondness for extroverted antics, the confidence she carries, and the empathy she models, made the choice evident.

    Morgan Weaver is The Rose City Riveters’ Supporters’ Player of the Year 2023.

    From her youth league days, through her successful collegiate career in Pullman, Washington, to her professional journey in Portland, Oregon, Morgan’s abilities shine bright.

    Today, Morgan Weaver's brilliance is our focus – deserving and remarkable among a group of stars, such as those among the Thorns and all who shine across football's vast spaces.

    It is our honor to present to her this trophy, our recognition, and our gratitude. Thank you, Morgan Weaver!

    - By Any Other Name #BAONPDX


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