St. Louis football fans are many things: dedicated, a little crazy, and the loudest fans in the stands. But St. Louis football fans are not the bigoted, bro-ey assholes that occasionally emerge from European clubs.
At least, that’s the intention.
St. Louligans, St. Louis’ largest club football supporter organisation, is an inclusive and welcoming group, according to longtime member Sarah Robertson. As a Louligan Lady, Robertson says the Louligans take pride in making fans of all backgrounds feel welcome at games.
However, when you’re in the stands with other football fans, it can feel a little less than 2023.
“You hear all sorts of stuff in the stands,” Robertson says. “I’ve probably heard everything under the sun, from people calling dibs on pretty girls walking by to calling them derogatory names.”
These aren’t the overtly misogynist slurs that have almost become cliches, like “make me a sandwich” or “get in the kitchen.” It’s more subtle, according to Robertson. It is assumed that female soccer fans are dragged to games by their male partners and are only there to watch attractive players run across the field.
The supporter section can be a bit intimidating anyway for female fans, says Danielle Hibbert, a member of Saint Louis City Punks, another St. Louis CITY supporters club. The section, which has no chairs and encourages fans to be as loud as possible, is often filled with dudes.
“But the good thing about [U.S.] soccer culture is it’s not just guys bumping their chests and slamming beers back,” Hibbert says.
Hibbert leads a subgroup of Saint Louis City Punks called Saint Louis City Punks Riot Grrrls. Members channel the riot grrrl subculture movement that began in the 1990s, that fused politics with feminism and punk music.
“At the root, it’s really about representation and making sure that we have a seat at the table when it comes to building this culture in the St. Louis community around the new team and the sport,” Hibbert says.
Inclusivity was taken into account when building St. Louis CITY SC’s CITYPARK stadium downtown. Fan focus groups were held to ensure all fans would feel welcome, according to Michelle Baker, a soccer fan in St. Louis since 2015. The stadium includes gender-neutral bathrooms and more women’s stalls than men’s.
The supporter section may seem like a rowdy bunch at first, Baker says, but the Louligans and other fan groups are there to help all fans enjoy games.
“If you’re not sure if it’s for you, or you feel like you’re going to feel left out, give it a shot,” Baker says. “There’s always somebody who’s going to welcome you.”
