Portland, OR; Seattle, WA; Vancouver, BC, April 16, 2021 -- As the 2021 MLS season begins, representatives of the Cascadia Cup Council are still working through the details on how to award the 2021 Cascadia Cup, given pandemic restrictions in Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver. At this time, many MLS teams (including Seattle and Portland) are not allocating tickets to away supporters or promoting away travel, and Vancouver will, at least temporarily, play “home” games at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, UT with no fans in attendance. The Emerald City Supporters, Timbers Army, and Vancouver Southsiders continue to evaluate options on how to properly award the supporter-owned-and-driven Cup using the most fair methodology, and expect to make an updated announcement in, or before, July 2021.

[Portland, OR; February 3, 2021] 

The Timbers Army emphatically supports MLS players in their negotiations with the league.

This past year has been one of incredible hardship and sacrifice for all of us. Players have put themselves at risk — giving up time at home with loved ones, enduring extremely challenging travel and working conditions, and making significant monetary concessions — all in service of the game we all love. Supporters recognize the sacrifices that players have already made on behalf of supporters and the league in order to allow the highest levels of professional soccer in the United States and Canada to continue in the midst of a pandemic.

While league owners also made sacrifices and endured losses in 2020, MLS team owners are far better positioned to absorb such losses in the short term. The MLS Players Association (MLSPA) proposal to extend the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) into the 2026 season, along with other non-economic changes, is a reasonable offer, and it demonstrates the players’ good faith and willingness to find working solutions that contribute to the league’s long-term stability. The league’s attempt to extend the current contract through 2027 smacks of a cynical attempt to take advantage of a short-term emergency and a setback from what had been great momentum and progress between MLS and the MLSPA.

In 2019, the players stood in solidarity with the supporters. Now it is our time to stand with them. We stand with MLSPA. #LetThemPlay2021

Hearts on their sleeves and thousands of voices strong, the Timbers Army fills Providence Park with songs, scarves, flags, and confetti. A proud member of the Independent Supporters Council, the Timbers Army supports the Portland Timbers, in the stands and in the streets. For more information, visit timbersarmy.org.

We’re proud and excited to announce a new Timbers Army crest. The new crest celebrates the twentieth anniversary of the Timbers Army, the best supporters the world has ever seen, with a bold, modern design. 

It features the addition of our iconic green and white No Pity bar scarf, the calling card of the Timbers Army since the early days of the group in the Timbers’ USL era. The new crest also carries forward the letters “CR” as a nod to our beginnings as the Cascade Rangers and the crossed axe and rose, which has featured prominently throughout the MLS era. In the full crest, the “No Pity” motto, known the world over, is found nestled in the North End of the stadium, the heartbeat of Soccer City, USA.

Over the next few weeks, you’ll start to see the new crest on social media, our website, and No Pity Originals merchandise. New crest merch will be available in the (online-only) winter sale, beginning this weekend!

Read more about our history here.

Ladies and gentlemen, the champ is here! With an overwhelming 61% of the vote, your 2020 Timbers Army Supporters’ Player of the Year is Jeremy Ebobisse!

Finishing second in this year’s voting was Diego Chara. Also receiving votes were Sebastián Blanco, Eryk Williamson, Steve Clark, Diego Valeri, Yimmi Chará, Felipe Mora, Dario Zuparic, Zac McGraw, Jaroslaw Niezgoda, Jeff Attinella, Andrés Flores, Larrys Mabiala, Jorge Villafaña, Pablo Bonilla, Jorge Moreira, and Cristhian Paredes.

About the Timbers Army Supporters’ Player of the Year Award

Awarded annually since 2011, the Timbers Army Supporters' Player of the Year award is a one-of-a-kind wrestling-style championship belt given to the Timbers player receiving the most votes in a poll during the last weeks of the regular season. To be eligible, players must be on the roster during the regular season. The belt is presented to the winner after the last home match of the season. In 2020, because of the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 and the ability of the Rapids to play their rescheduled match against the Timbers, the belt was presented following the last regular season home match on the original schedule.

Previous Winners

2019: Steve Clark
2018: Sebastián Blanco
2017: Diego Valeri
2016: Diego Valeri
2015: Diego Chara
2014: Diego Valeri
2013: Will Johnson
2012: Diego Chara
2011: Troy Perkins

The Timbers Army Steering Committee deals with the day-to-day activities of the Timbers Army, allowing the 107IST board to focus on its mission of supporting soccer in and around Portland, Oregon, from the grassroots to the highest professional level. 

Members of the steering committee are drawn from the same groups of volunteers carting flags up and down stairs, painting tifo, slinging merch on match days, banging drums, blowing horns, and waving their arms to get you to sing for the Boys in Green. They’ve always been leaders in their respective groups, working in the background to make Soccer City, USA the special place that it is. These groups of volunteers (capos, drums and trumpets, flag crew, tifo, and merch) have played a critical part in cultivating the supporters’ culture we have now, and their representation on the steering committee ensures that the culture of The North End continues to grow and evolve.

At the inception of the original Council of XI in 2010, the 107 Independent Supporters Trust was the engine behind one supporters group: the Timbers Army. This meant that a message from, for, or about the 107IST was more or less also from, for, or about the Timbers Army. There was a point in the life of the 107IST that the same people directly responsible for day-to-day Timbers Army activities were also on the 107IST board — but the 107IST has grown over the past ten years. 2013 celebrated the arrival of NWSL to Portland and the formation of the Rose City Riveters. In the years that followed, the composition and focus of the 107IST board has changed beyond just the Timbers Army.

The 107IST, the Rose City Riveters, and the Timbers Army have been working together in recent years to develop strong and independent voices for each of the entities underneath the 107IST umbrella. While the Riveters have done an excellent job in ensuring their messaging and voice is distinct and represents their supporters group, the Timbers Army and 107IST messaging and voice have remained fairly closely coupled. All too often, “107IST” is interpreted as synonymous with “Timbers Army” and only Timbers Army. It’s time to fix that.

This change is about streamlining and creating capacity within the organization — allowing the steering committee to directly address day-to-day Timbers Army business without requiring board input at every step along the way. This effort began in earnest last year: Much of the work in the terraces last season was driven by the Timbers Army Steering Committee, in partnership with both the 107IST board and the Riveters Steering Committee.

You can learn more about the steering committee’s purpose, membership, scope, and more by reading their charter.

We look forward to seeing all of you in The North End again soon. Onward, Rose City.

Early in the morning of August 13, officers with the Portland Police Bureau punctured four of the No Pity Van’s tires while we were complying with their orders to leave the area.

As we’ve done since early June, the No Pity Van was downtown to support the community through our affiliation with Portland United Against Hate (PUAH), as well as to provide medical supplies for street medics, and PPE and water to anyone who needs it.

Unfortunately, this is not the first time law enforcement has damaged the van: On July 25, while the van was trying to leave the area in accordance with police orders, a federal officer fired a munition that hit and destroyed the windshield.

If these actions were meant to discourage our continued support of our community, they have actually done the opposite. We have repaired the van and plan to double down our support of the community members who are standing up against injustice. Black Lives Matter.

You cannot stop us. We are the Rose City.

[Portland, OR; Seattle, WA; Vancouver, BC]

On June 10, 2020, representatives of the Cascadia Cup Council unanimously agreed that "MLS is Back" tournament matches played behind closed doors, along with any future matches played in MLS stadiums where supporters are not present, will not count towards Cascadia Cup Standings in 2020. In order to continue the Cascadia Cup’s tradition of competitive balance, each club must complete both home and away matches against each of the other clubs, and 2020 will operate as with any other season the Cascadia Cup was awarded while Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver played in MLS together. As always, the Cascadia Cup Council and the supporter groups it represents stand with the MLSPA.

The Timbers Army are legendary in Major League Soccer for our support of the Portland Timbers, whether the team is playing at home or on the road.

However, we oppose concepts of an MLS tournament in lieu of regular season matches in 2020. Our primary concern is for the physical health and mental well-being of all MLS players, coaching staff, and support staff. It is foolish to ask these individuals to leave their homes, families, and support systems in the midst of a global pandemic.

We oppose concepts of limited- or reduced-capacity MLS matches: we would rather attend matches where everyone who has a season ticket can celebrate the beautiful game together and we are prepared to wait until it is safe to do so. Our love for the game will not diminish over time.

We oppose any attempt by MLS or MLS teams to re-create match day experiences through artificial means, whether that be piping in crowd noises and chants over loudspeakers or on broadcast/streaming matches, creating tifo to be hoisted in "neutral" stadiums, etc. The Timbers Army has always been about supporting the Timbers in an organic and authentic way.

We anxiously await the day when we can all safely reconvene at Providence Park, when the drums and horns and our voices erupt with the joy of seeing our players back on the pitch.

For now, we will remain safely at a distance, using our voices and energy to support the safety and well-being of players and our communities.

The following is a post from Ben Pollak.

Why is the Iron Front symbol so important, you ask? Why can’t we settle for other antifascist symbols and messages? Hopefully I can help dispel some myths and explain how we got to this point.

The league arbitrarily banned the Iron Front symbol, alleging that there are fans who are uncomfortable seeing it in the stands due to supposed connections to violence, but the Timbers Army has displayed the Iron Front for years in our stadium with no complaints, and indeed the Emerald City Supporters in Seattle have included it on their scarves since at least 2009.

This symbol is important because it comes from a time and place that we would do well to learn from. It was designed by antifascists in Germany in the 1920s, who wanted something that represented their opposition to Hitler and his Nazi party that could be used to easily cover up swastikas. It is especially important for me, as a Jew whose grandfather barely escaped Vienna in 1939, getting a visa to come to the United States the day after the Germans annexed Austria. The vast majority of his family — my family — were murdered by the Nazis, and the Iron Front was the symbol of opposition. It has since been adopted by American antifascists, like myself.

I was told all my life never to let the Holocaust happen again. Well, my friends, NEVER AGAIN IS NOW. We are operating concentration camps, and though we are not yet exterminating people, we are detaining them in conditions that match the descriptions of those used by the Nazis. If you want a first-hand account of the horrors of Nazi concentration camps to compare them with what we are doing to detainees on our own border, I suggest you read Elie Wiesel’s Night or Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl.

We choose to stand up at a critical time for the world, and say no to hate, no to fascism, and no to bigotry. We are the Timbers Army, we are antifascists, and we want your help. Help us overturn the ban on the Iron Front and reform the code of conduct with guidance from experts on human rights. This simple symbol represents opposition to the three most prominent forms of totalitarian government: fascism, monarchy, and communism. Regardless of party affiliation, you likely oppose these things. Censorship is a very slippery slope, and if we allow the league to ban the Iron Front, what will be next is anyone’s guess.

Is the symbol associated with antifa? Perhaps, but what does that mean? I am antifa, and in fact you probably are too, if you’re reading this. Antifa is an idea. It means anti-fascist. Do you oppose fascism? Then you are antifa. Those who insist antifa are a violent group are lying to you. They have an agenda, and they know what they are doing when they demonize the people who oppose them as violent thugs.

By censoring this symbol, MLS is doing the bidding of those who want to see children in cages. Let’s mean it when we say NEVER AGAIN.

The following is a post from Duane Schulz (@timbersds).

I discovered pro soccer in 1975. 3,000 grew to 30,000 in year one. Commissioner Mildred kissed the boys. We threw beer, swarmed the field, flooded Morrison Avenue post-game, and partied with the team at the Hilton. Timber Jim risked his life every game – it was insane. And it was magic. It wasn’t a sport, it was community, shared values, positive energy. And Portland stood out across the US. We showed the country who we were and how we were different, in many ways a first. And we were ALL the Timbers Army.

I moved to DC, watched the Timbers play the Diplomats with Johan Cruyff along with a measly 5,000 in RFK Stadium. When I returned, the NASL was gone, the Timbers were mostly quiet, coming and going in different forms.

We heard noise from our house on the hill above PGE Park. The Timbers were really back! The USL return was hopeful. Our attendance was impressive compared with other USL cities (hint, hint) given the hiatus. An ambitious, smart, energetic new owner gave us the financial and political means to go big, and threw his heart into it. An Army was born in Section 107. We were a team. He knew we could enable his success, and listened and partnered. Bad logo design feedback from the Army, and a new logo appeared. April 13, 2011 blew everybody away — and we became a global template of what Ownership plus Ultras looked like. The media fought to cover games at Providence Park. Our owner showed us he was committed and brought us Magic. 2015 was something. I still get goosebumps and tears when I think about it.

Fast forward to today. It’s not feeling like a partnership anymore. The MLS is going big, and corporate. Atlanta and LA are the models now. It’s inevitable that we’ll be like the NFL, Serie A, EPL, etc. soon – big dollars to the big markets. The $89M gift of a beautiful remodel of PP (Mike Golub’s a true hero) is part of it.

The question is: Can Portland show how a big MLS future can happen while showing a community-style, values-driven, partnership based on dialogue and collaboration?

Today, I’d say no. The army waves lots of flags — many “political,” many with an obscure history. Now an 88-year-old symbol against fascism (in fact, three forms of totalitarian rule – read your history, people) pops up, we include that in the flag collection. A handful of local anarchists use it as well. (They also use the American flag; better pull that down too, and scarves to keep out the smoke from a goal), and the Front Office says no. Is support of the LGBTQ community not political? This time the Front Office–107ist dialogue is met with the current divisive cultural impasse. And now we’ve replaced the Iron Front with a giant fist. Does anyone in the FO know the political meaning of that? This could have turned out differently. There are many possible paths forward, but none taken.

The letter from the Timbers’ ownership this week was a big disappointment. It was a series of statements without supporting facts. It was irrational on its face and illogical in structure. You can’t ban an anti-fascist symbol and say you are anti-fascist. You can’t allow all of the other clearly political content we display and take this position. Chicago Fire FO said it was OK, but we disrespected their small group of guests last week. It’s our FO’s reading of the MLS rule, not the rule. Sadly, that letter could have outlined the steps to come together with a mutually acceptable solution, and at least left a door open ... But no.

I guess we’ll join the other big stadiums full of fans who like but don’t worship the game, stay seated throughout and leave as soon as we start losing. Just like all the big sports. The magic is gone. Massive bummer, what a shame. I guess we’ll hold onto our season tickets. We’ll be able to make a lot of money from them.