A : Drive to Columbus, OH. And drink.
“They came, they drank, and some of them urinated next to a church,” says The National Post’s Sean Fitzgerald of Toronto F.C.’s traveling supporters and their hard partying ways, before and after yesterday’s 2-0 loss to the Crew. Hey, at least they’ve stopped rubbing it in.
One man was arrested and a fleet of Columbus police cars was pressed into duty before Toronto FC even kicked off on Saturday, after more than 2,400 supporters traveled from Canada to central Ohio to watch their team open the Major League Soccer season. They left disappointed, but some left their mark.
Toronto supporters filled the entire south stand at Crew Stadium, while other pockets of red could be spotted throughout the venue. Their largest impact might have been in a muddy field next to the stadium, where a pre-game tailgate party created mounds of garbage and debris.
“They’re pissing all over the damn place, and as you can see, they’ve littered it up considerably,” Columbus police lieutenant Kevin Conley said. “And then they decided that they were going to surround one of our cars like they were the Indians and the car was Custer.”
Most of the visiting fans seemed well behaved, but some were feeling the effects of several hours spent on a bus with alcohol close at hand. Some taunted their hosts with insults and profanity.
“You know what? Part of the sporting spirit is being antagonistic,” said Andrew Gorsky, a 22-year-old Toronto fan. “You can’t deny it.