Charm City Mob Supporters Group
This week I managed to get my first interview of a Lower League USA supporters group (and first ever interview), and I was lucky enough to get to interview the supporters of FC Baltimore Christos, also known as, Charm City Mob SG. I am grateful for them helping me explore the growth of myself, while at the same time putting a spotlight on all they do, as well as their club! You can follow them on Twitter and Instagram at @ACharmCitySG (Click the logos below this)
LLUSA: What drew you to FC Baltimore Christos?
CCM: FCBC is our obvious choice because we are from Baltimore and the greater Baltimore area.
LLUSA: Why FCBC over a nearby professional club such as Maryland Bobcats, or DC United?
CCM: DCU and Bobcats are DC and DC suburbs respectively and an entirely different metro area. We also like the idea of supporting a Baltimore club more explicitly. It gets annoying when you are from a major city that gets overlooked because it is not as major as the nearby ones. This is not just soccer, but everything else as well.
LLUSA: What does the club do for you as a fan, and what makes your identify with the club as much as you do?
CCM: The club loves it when we show up. They love it when we bring an atmosphere to their matches. It is a positive feedback loop that allows us to be creative and find new ways to make our supporter culture grow. All this and no competition in our area on the club side of things makes it easier to identify with the Christos name.
LLUSA: What do you do to try to gain new members, and make yourselves a part of the community?
CCM: We try many things to gain new members. While we do not have explicit memberships, we have our internet presence to bring attention to what we do. We use our social media accounts to get the word out and build a presence in the Baltimore soccer community. One thing we are trying to do as a group is not have a rigid group mentality. As we have seen with other supporter groups in this country, these groups can get toxic when people start to argue about the direction they want the group to go. We try to democratize among our small group these decisions to avoid ruining what we already have.
LLUSA: What was your favorite away day ever, and why?
CCM: Our best away day has to be against NY Cosmos two years ago. It was great to be able to cheer on our guys for the last time as ‘roons with a little F**K THE COSMOS energy behind us.
LLUSA: Which clubs supporters have provided the best hospitality for your group on an away day?
CCM: Best hospitality would have to be from Frederick. They welcomed us into their high school stadium, outside of Frederick, in the Maryland Derby, and gave us six goals to celebrate. Love it when our opponents welcome the club with open arms and open nets like that.
LLUSA: Which club has brought the best away support that you’ve seen?
CCM: Frederick has brought the best away support. The Frednecks, as we call them, help us remember that Maryland is more than just one city. Too bad their club cannot compete on our level.
LLUSA: As we all know, Club over League, but if you could choose any league in this country for your club to be a part of, which one would you choose?
CCM: We would love to see Baltimore compete at the highest level possible. Personally, I like what USL is doing with their system and think it is the better option, but that does not mean FCBC playing in another league is a deal breaker. They could become a surprise MLS expansion club tomorrow, go through a cheesy rebrand, have a front office backed SG, and play all their matches out of Camden Yards, and it would not change our attitudes.
LLUSA: When and how did the group get started, and how did you all come up with the name “Charm City Mob SG”?
CCM: Our origin story regarding the group name is a bit complicated. Back when Baltimore Bohemians were our local club, we were known as The Old Line. After they folded in 2017, FC Baltimore cam around. There were multiple groups when the club started (7th State Supporters, Mobtown SG, Charm City Ultras). Eventually, we merged the groups together and merged our names together to be Charm City Mob Supporters Group.
LLUSA: What was the challenges of supporting FC Baltimore during the unique 2021 season?
CCM: The biggest challenge supporting FCBC this year has been the venue situation. We normally play our matches at CCBC Essex, not far from the city/county line. This year, because of COVID restrictions, we has to play matches out in Marriottsville in rural Howard County. Capacity was limited to under 100 people and tickets could only be bought online. It sucked. While this was a challenge, we tried making the most of it. If one of us, like myself, could not make it, I would do my best to let people know that a match was going on. A little sunlight on a lower league club can only help them grow anyways. Not many clubs fold after more people find out they exist.
LLUSA: The 2021 season, while challenging, has so far turned out to be a great one for you as supporters, and the club. Your club clinched the NPSL East Region championship in a PK thriller against FC Motown. Can you explain the roller coaster of emotions you must’ve gone through in that match?
CCM: It was exhausting. The constant back and forth kept us engaged, even though it was a Sunday night and we had to go to our jobs the next morning.
LLUSA: I’m sure it was all worth it in the end, when the final kick didn’t go in, clinching the title.
CCM: It was. This is a Mike Zierhoffer Stan account because of it.
LLUSA: This weekend (July 31st) is the NPSL semifinals, FC Baltimore Christos hosts the South Region champion Tulsa Athletic. How much does it mean for you, and the city that they get to host the NPSL Semifinals in front of the Charm City Mob and the fans?
CCM: It means a lot. The idea Baltimore can host a pro soccer club of its own is something we want to see happen. An event like this is a great way to get people who might have not known about us to have a look at what we offer. Helps us convince people that Baltimore does not have to be left without another sport to call its own.
LLUSA: I really appreciate your time for this. It’s a very exciting time for me, and I want to be able to bring people from all around the nation into the spotlight, and I’m honored I get to start with the Charm City Mob!
