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Timbers Army
Timbers Army crest.png
Established 2001
Type Supporters' group
Team Portland Timbers
Motto No Pity
Location Portland, Oregon
Membership 5,000+
Colors          
Website TimbersArmy.org

The Timbers Army is a special group of fans who strongly support the Portland Timbers soccer team. The Timbers play in Major League Soccer, which is the highest level of soccer in the United States. Members of the Timbers Army are famous for their loud and excited cheering. They create an amazing atmosphere at Timbers games. This group started in section 107 of Providence Park in Portland, Oregon. Over the years, it has grown to fill much of the stadium's north end.

The Timbers Army: A Fan Group's Story

How the Timbers Army Started

The Timbers Army began in 2001. It was first called the Cascade Rangers. This name came from the Cascade Range of mountains in the Pacific Northwest. The group started with just eight people. They wanted to cheer louder and more creatively for their team. They gathered in section 107 of the stadium, then called PGE Park. Their goal was to create a cheering section like those in Europe. They used drums, flags, scarves, and smoke bombs. They also sang and cheered constantly.

By 2002, the group changed its name to the Timbers Army. They wanted to avoid sounding like they favored a specific Scottish soccer team. The Timbers' uniforms at that time looked like those of a Scottish team called Rangers.

Growing Support for the Team

In 2004, a newspaper called The Oregonian wrote about the Timbers Army. It noted that the group had grown from a small number of fans to about 200 passionate supporters. By 2005, another paper, Willamette Week, featured them on its cover. At that time, over 1,000 fans were part of the game day support.

In 2008, the group helped convince the Portland City Council. Their efforts led to Major League Soccer coming to Portland in 2011. In 2010, The Oregonian named the Timbers Army one of the most important sports groups in Oregon. A sports writer, John Canzano, said they changed from just loud fans to an important group that helped bring MLS to Portland.

Timbers Army (16758955852)
The Timbers Army cheering in March 2015.

The Timbers Army became well-known across the country in 2009. Sports Illustrated magazine showed photos of them celebrating a goal. This was during a game against Seattle Sounders FC. The Timbers Army also created a giant display called a tifo for that game. It showed their mascot, Timber Jim, cutting down Seattle's Space Needle. In 2011, this tifo was named one of the best in MLS history.

Timbers Army Culture and Traditions

Timbers Army (Portland Timbers vs Chivas USA) 3
The Timbers Army during a 2014 game at Providence Park.

The Timbers Army is known for its loud and active support. They use chants from all over the world. They also have drums and trumpets to make noise. Fans jump up and down, wave scarves, and dance during chants.

Special Songs and Chants

The Timbers Army has several traditions:

  • They sing "Portland Boys" right after the game starts.
  • If the other team scores, they sing "Rose City 'Til I Die."
  • In the 80th minute of the game, they sing "You Are My Sunshine."
  • In the 85th minute, they sing "Can't Help Falling In Love."

Many other chants come from different cultures, showing the group's diverse background.

Helping the Community

The Timbers Army also does good things for the community. They volunteer for a group called Friends of Trees in Portland. They also raise money for Keiana Serrill, the granddaughter of Timber Jim. Timber Jim was the team's original lumberjack mascot. His daughter, Hannah, passed away in 2004. In her memory, the Timbers Army sings "You Are My Sunshine." Timber Jim retired in 2008, but his successor, "Timber Joey," continues the tradition.

In 2010, the Timbers Army created the 107 Independent Supporters Trust, or 107IST. This is a non-profit group that supports the Timbers Army's work. Since 2013, it also supports the Rose City Riveters.

The Iron Front Symbol Debate

In 2019, the Timbers Army was in the news because of a disagreement with Major League Soccer (MLS). MLS banned the use of the Iron Front symbol on flags. This symbol is against fascism. MLS said it was part of a ban on all "political signs." The Timbers Army disagreed. They said that being against fascism, racism, and sexism is not political.

This led to a public debate between the Timbers Army and MLS leaders. During a game against Seattle in August, the Timbers Army protested. They stayed silent for the first 33 minutes of the game. This was to remember 1933, the year the Iron Front group was stopped in Nazi Germany.

After their protest gained attention, MLS officials met with the Timbers Army. A month later, on September 24, 2019, MLS changed its rule. They allowed the Iron Front symbol again. This was a rare time when a fan group in American sports directly challenged a league and made them change a policy.

Supporting Social Justice in 2020

After the George Floyd and Black Lives Matter protests grew across the country in 2020, the Timbers Army spoke out. They shared a statement supporting people of color and protestors. They said they were against racism and injustice that causes harm to Black lives. They also called for direct action to make things better.

The "No Pity Van"

The Timbers Army has a van from 1995 called the "No Pity Van." It sells team merchandise outside Providence Park on game days. During the George Floyd protests, the van helped protestors in downtown Portland. It gave out water and medical supplies.

One night in August 2020, police officers damaged the van's tires. This happened even though the driver was following police orders. This was not the first time the van was damaged. Earlier, a federal officer had shot something at the van, breaking its windshield.

In response, the Timbers Army announced they had fixed the van. They also promised to increase their support for the protests. The very next night, the van was back on the streets, helping people.

Timbers Army Subgroups

The Timbers Army is made up of many smaller groups called subgroups. Each subgroup is unique, but they all are part of the larger Timbers Army. Many subgroups create their own special clothing and items. The money from these sales goes back to support Timbers Army projects.

Unlike many other teams in Major League Soccer, the Timbers Army is the only official independent fan group for the Portland Timbers. Many other clubs have several different fan groups. The subgroups within the Timbers Army are often as large as other teams' main fan groups.

Sectional Subgroups

These groups are named after the section of the stadium where their members usually sit.

  • 101st Amphibious Assault
  • 102nd Airborne Division
  • 103rd Ballistic Unit
  • 104th Charlie Company
  • 105th Howitzers
  • Fighting 106th
  • Section 107 (also known as "The Woodshed")
  • 108th Easy Company
  • Eleventy Ones
  • The 112 Corner Corps
  • The 114th Hellfire
  • The 115
  • 116 Ultras
  • 117 Delta Company
  • 119 Los Ghet's
  • Del Boca Vista (for section 208)
  • 224 Neverland

Geographical Subgroups

These groups are for Timbers Army members who live in different areas.

Timbers Army Soccer Teams

The Timbers Army has seven soccer teams that play in a local adult league called the Greater Portland Soccer District. All these teams play in both spring and fall seasons. They also compete in the Clive Charles Memorial North End Cup. The winning team then represents the Timbers Army against a Seattle Sounders FC fan team. All players must be members of 107IST. Each team also helps with Timbers Army community projects.

Timbers Army Affiliate Teams

  • Whipsaws FC (Women's Over-30)
  • Whipsaws FC Open (Women's Open Division)
  • FC Portlandia (Division 1)
  • FC Dynamo (Division 1)
  • Cascade Rangers FC (Division 4)
  • North End United (Division 4)
  • Rose City Athletic (Division 4)
  • Northern Alliance FC (Division 4)
  • FC Bridge City (Division 4)
  • Multnomah Forest AFC (Division 4)
  • Tanner Creek Renegades (Division 4)
  • Deacon Blue (Division 4)
  • Sporting BDA (Division 4)
  • Clinton City Wanderers (Division 4)
  • Nomads FC (Over-30 Division 2)
  • Buckman United (Over-30 Division 3)
  • Old Growth FC (Over 40 Division 2)

107 Independent Supporters Trust

The 107 Independent Supporters Trust (107IST) is a non-profit group. Anyone who loves soccer can join. It helps organize the activities of the Timbers Army and the Rose City Riveters. Besides supporting the Timbers and Thorns teams, 107IST does many community projects. These include free CPR training in English and Spanish. They also manage a library of soccer books and support the Gisele Currier Scholarship Fund. They even help build youth soccer fields.

Rose City Riveters

Main article: Rose City Riveters

The Rose City Riveters is the fan group for Portland Thorns FC. This is Portland's team in the National Women's Soccer League.

Rival Fan Groups

The Timbers Army has friendly rivalries with other fan groups, including:

  • Emerald City Supporters (for Seattle Sounders FC)
  • Vancouver Southsiders (for Vancouver Whitecaps FC)
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