Triangle Soccer Fanatics
Encyclopedia
| Triangle Soccer Fanatics | |
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| Team | Carolina RailHawks Carolina RailHawks FC Carolina RailHawks FC is an American professional soccer team based in Cary, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 2006, the team plays in the North American Soccer League , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid.... |
| Location | Research Triangle, North Carolina North Carolina North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte... |
| Established | 2002 |
| Website | TriSoccerFan.com |
The Triangle Soccer Fanatics is a soccer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
supporters club based in Cary, North Carolina
Cary, North Carolina
Cary is a large town and suburb of Raleigh, North Carolina in Wake and Chatham counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located almost entirely in Wake County, it is the second largest municipality in that county and the third largest municipality in The Triangle after Raleigh and Durham...
. The club is an independent fan club supporting Carolina RailHawks F.C. of the USL First Division
USL First Division
The United Soccer Leagues First Division was a professional men's soccer league in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico....
as well as promoting soccer in the Raleigh
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
, Durham
Durham, North Carolina
Durham is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the county seat of Durham County and also extends into Wake County. It is the fifth-largest city in the state, and the 85th-largest in the United States by population, with 228,330 residents as of the 2010 United States census...
, Cary
Cary, North Carolina
Cary is a large town and suburb of Raleigh, North Carolina in Wake and Chatham counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located almost entirely in Wake County, it is the second largest municipality in that county and the third largest municipality in The Triangle after Raleigh and Durham...
, and Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Chapel Hill is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, United States and the home of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and UNC Health Care...
areas.
The group was founded by W. Jarrett Campbell in late 2002 as an internet mailing list attempting to connect soccer fans in the Triangle area of North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
for social activities. As membership grew, the mailing list spawned a daily online news service covering all manner of soccer in the local region. When it was announced in late January 2006 that a USL First Division professional team would be locating in Cary, the membership decided to transform the evolving network of online soccer supporters into a full-fledged supporters club for the Carolina RailHawks.
The group is modeled after various Ultras
Ultras
Ultras are a type of sports fans renowned for their fanatical support and elaborate displays. They are predominantly European followers of football teams...
groups in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
such as the Screaming Eagles, Section 8 Chicago
Section 8 Chicago
Section 8 Chicago is the independent supporters' association for the Chicago Fire. The organization encompasses a number of affiliated supporters groups, as well as independent fans...
, and Sam's Army
Sam's Army
Sam's Army is an unofficial supporters' group for the United States men's national soccer team. The name of the group derives from Uncle Sam, a national personification of the United States, and the Scottish supporters' group the Tartan Army. Sam's Army debuted at a 1995 U.S. Cup game following the...
. The club members sit together in The 309 Depot (Section 309 of SAS Soccer Park
SAS Soccer Park
WakeMed Soccer Park is a major soccer complex located in Cary, North Carolina, United States. Originally opened in 2002 as the home of the Carolina Courage of the WUSA, WakeMed Soccer Park is now the home to the Carolina RailHawks of the North American Soccer League...
's main stadium) for the RailHawks matches.