Four ways to up your New England soccer fandom

If you’re reading this blog then you’re probably a pretty big soccer fan. That said, there’s always more you can do to elevate your fandom. With this in mind, here are four things that you can do to become a New England soccer super fan.

1. Go watch local soccer. It’s great that you follow the New England Revolution, but there’s more soccer out there waiting to be consumed. For example, you can go watch the Boston Breakers, who are looking to turn things around after a couple of dreadful seasons. Boston City FC, who play out of Malden, are also fun to watch as they’re fighting to become one of the best teams in NPSL. The Seacoast United Phantoms are undefeated in PDL play and will soon host FC Boston, who have Revs legend Shalrie Joseph on their roster. Supporting local soccer is a great way to show your love of the sport.
2. Join a supporters’ group. If you’re a Revs fan that’s not part of The Midnight Riders, The Rebellion, or the Rev Army then you’re doing it wrong. These groups offer plenty of opportunities to support the local pro team. For example, you can help out by designing a tifo or creating a new chant. At very least, you should be participating in the pregame tailgate and various away trips. The Boston Breakers have their own supporters’ group in the form of The Armada while Boston City FC are backed by the Ironsides Crew. If these groups are too mainstream for you then you can start your own for one of the various lower-division teams.
3. Subscribe to local podcasts. Revs fans had little to listen to when The Midnight Ride Podcast and The Rebel Alliance Podcast faded into the background. Fortunately, that void has been filled with a few excellent options. Six States, One Podcast is a new listen that provides people with analysis about the Revs from a fan perspective. The crew recently interviewed Brian Bilello for a podcast that’s a must-listen for everyone. WEEI’s SoccerCast is another good podcast that does more than talk about local soccer. The hosts love to interact with fans and recently did an episode from the supporters’ lot. New American Game takes a similar approach as they talk about the game at large with a New England slant. They’ve recently ended their run on the radio but have promised to post weekly podcasts.
4. Comment on any and all soccer articles. Listen, you might not believe this but most New England soccer writers aren’t making a fortune. In fact, most of us aren’t getting paid at all. We do this to bring exposure to the game. With this in mind, we love when you leave comments. If you’re a loyal reader of The Bent Musket, you should be joining us on Wednesday when we have an open discussion about an important, relevant topic. After you do that, head over to NESoccerToday.com to share some love before commenting on Jon Sigal’s latest piece on MLSSoccer.com. Comments are a simple way to show that you appreciate the coverage that’s out there and you want even more of it.