Kicking off 2017 — Die Innenstadt

It has been a long and interesting off season. The team’s 2016 on-field campaign came to a premature halt with a loss to Charleston (damn you, Tambakis) in October, but at least we made sure it ultimately ended on a high note with a party at Mecklenburg Gardens in November - capping off the first year for the club and Die Innenstadt alike. I don’t know if I can adequately express how much I enjoyed those afternoons at Mecklenburg or those evenings cramped into the back room at Rhinehaus with all of you. Garber’s visit was fun, and a nice distraction, but I can’t wait for the season to truly start and the preseason is already here.

One of the things I want to emphasize about this Supporters’ Group is the opportunity to be involved. There are a lot of cool concepts we’re working on right now, including tifos/flags/other crafty things we will use to support the team, as well as examining how we as a group can become more involved in the community. But some of the best ideas have come from members rather than the leadership. We want to make sure we’re representing you all to the fullest! Be sure to join us on the Slack app to get in on the discussion or shoot us an email if you like. Ideas can run the gamut from a concept idea for a tifo, to a song/chant you have developed, or a way to improve your experience at Mecklenburg, Rhinehaus, on the march to the stadium, within the stadium, etc. The more discourse we have, the better things can be! You know what they say in relationships about communication being key... For me personally, Die Innenstadt has come to mean a lot and I’ve met so many wonderful people through this organization. We’re open to all and want to hear from you.

*Also, if you need help accessing the Slack app, shoot us an email.

With all that being said, read on to learn about the things we’ve got going on and a few updates to get 2017 started off right.

2017 Scarves:

At the beginning of February we revealed our 2017 scarf. Created through a collaboration between several DI members, Mike Dew ultimately shook out the final design and it’s awesome:

So you want a scarf. How do you get one? If you haven’t already, you must first sign up for a 2017 Membership with Die Innenstadt. Scarves are currently being manufactured and we expect them in sometime at the end of February. Once they are in president Ryan Lammi’s hot little hands, those who selected the shipping option will have them mailed promptly. However, we’ll be holding an event in concert with watching a preseason away match where you can pick them up, sign up, purchase more things, etc. More on that once there is a firm delivery date. Keep an eye on this blog and on our social media platforms.

Bockfest...bockfest...BOCKFEST!

In the early days of DI, one of our first events was marching in the Bockfest Parade. A unique Cincinnati tradition since 1992, we’re excited to participate again. It’s sure to be a blast! We have made so many flags and banners since then, not to mention having approximately 50 times more songs and chants at our disposal to belt at the top of our lungs as we walk the parade route.

The parade will start to form at 5:00 PM on Friday March 3, 2017. We'll start marching at 6:00 PM. Meet up in front of Arnold's on 210 E. 8th St.

Also on Bockfest weekend, FCC will be out in California playing in a friendly against fellow MLS hopefuls Sacramento Republic. The club is hosting a watch party (and revealing their third kit) at the new MadTree in Oakley. That should be a good time, but we will still be having our usual watch party at Rhinehaus while Bockfest weekend is in full swing. Rhinehaus is one of the participating venues during Bockfest, so it’s a good way to enjoy the game while you savor one or two or seven pints of delicious bock beers!

Preseason:

There’s plenty of other preseason action coming up, too. FCC is currently at the IMG Academy in Florida again and returns home to play a match at the University of Cincinnati, topping off their preseason slate at Xavier University. We’ll be catching the IMG games from Rhinehaus and pregaming the UC match at Mecklenburg before marching to Gettler Stadium. The Xavier friendly gives us the chance for a unique event at Listermann’s on St. Patrick’s Day, combining Orange & Blue with Green as they tap the first kegs of Shamrock Shake. Check out all these events here:

Feb. 22 | FCC v. Chicago Fire | Watch Party at Rhinehaus | Facebook event

Feb. 25 | FCC v. Ottawa Fury | Watch Party at Rhinehaus | Facebook event

Mar. 3 | Marching in the Bockfest Parade | Facebook event

Mar. 4 | FCC v. Sacramento Republic | Watch Party at Rhinehaus | Facebook event

Mar. 11 | FCC v. UC Friendly | March from Mecklenburg Gardens | Facebook event

Mar. 17 | FCC v. Xavier Friendly | March from Listermann's | Facebook event

Regular Season and Pittsburgh Roadtrip:

Lastly, because of the renovations to Nippert - we don’t host our first home match until April 15th. To kick the season off right, we’re planning a road trip to Pittsburgh! Cincinnati Soccer Talk will be putting together a bus trip there and back in the same day, so look to them for further details on those travel arrangements. Several of us are spending an entire weekend there, but if you want someone to take care of you, CST has your back. We're working out the final details as to where we'll meet (and drink) before the match, in the meantime stay tuned to the website, Slack, and social media for more details.

Pittsburgh's stadium has a nice view and for once, will finally have some fans in the seats when we attend on April 1.

Be sure to check out all of this season's events on our Facebook page.

Thanks to Claire for editing this for me!

Regards,

Ronny

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