Atlanta United FC: Dedicated Fans Endure Elements, Celebrate Title

The Atlanta United FC fans once again proved to be one of the best soccer fan bases in the world. Thousands of fans endured the rain and cold weather to celebrate the Five Stripes bringing the city of Atlanta its first Championship since 1995.

The scene was surreal. The Atlanta United FC players loaded buses with an open upper deck, at the corner of Peachtree Street and Baker Streets. They then set out towards the Home Depot Back Yard next to Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Shortly after the parade headed towards Centennial Park and the Georgia Aquarium something unique happened. The city did not put up any barricades for the parade. Without the barricades, the parade became a large supporter’s march.

As the Five Stripes parade buses traveled up Marietta Street, fans matched behind them chanting their team chants and waiving team colored foil flags. The players and their families even joined in on the chants, as they held up the cup. It was a scene that was unique to anything we have seen before in Atlanta.

The parade route can see in the tweet from the Atlanta United FC Twitter account:

https://twitter.com/ATLUTD/status/1072083508628086784?s=19

A mass of people were gathered out on the streets for the Championship parade. It was a tremendous turnout. Especially considering the fact that the temperature was in the low 40s, and there was a steady light ran coming down.

Atlanta United radio play by-play announcer Mike Conti of 92.9 The Game who rode with the parade, estimated a couple hundred thousand people were in the crowd:

The Atlanta United FC Title Parade then moved into the Home Depot Backyard. The Backyard is a large tailgate area where the Georgia Dome once stood, right next door to Mercedes-Benz Stadium. There the team and the team officials, took the stage to address the crowd.

All of the crowd didn’t travel down to the Backyard and stand in the rain for the presentation, but there were tens of thousands in attendance. I’m by no means an expert at estimating crowds, but I would say there were between 15,000 and 25,000 people who tolerated the elements for the celebration.

The Golden Spike was carried onto the stage as the crowd cheered. Following was a riveting video presentation, showing the highlights of the Five Stripes title run. Next Archie Eversole performed his “We Ready” Atlanta United remix, as the crown danced and Five Stripes flags waved through the air.

Next Governor Nathan Deal, Mayor Keisha Lance-Bottoms and Atlanta United FC and Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank made their way onto the covered stage. After that the Five Stripes executives and players were introduced as they stepped onto the stage.

Manager Tata Martino did the honors of driving the Golden Stake for the last time this season. Smoke shot up around the stage has Martino delivered the final strike as the crowd chanted oh-Ta-ta-Mar-Ti-no.

Governor Deal then stepped to the podium and offered his congratulations to Owner Arthur Blank and the team. He was especially complimentary of the fans and credited them for their enthusiasm that inspired the team.

Mayor Keisha Lance-Bottoms was next. She congratulated the team and thanked Mr. Blank for believing in the city. She finished by leading the crowd in an Atlanta United chant.

Atlanta United FC Owner Arthur Blank then spoke to deafening applause as he approached the podium. He first thanked the fans, he then moved to his front office staff and mentioned how proud he was of the team. He finished with a special thanks to manager Tata Martino and pledged to be back with many more championships.

Team President Darren Eales spoke next. He talked of how amazing owner “Uncle” Arthur Blank is and joked about how bad the weather was. He spoke about how incredible it was to win the championship with the incredible players on the roster. He credited them for their “focus and energy”.

Darren Eales really put the crowd in a frenzy when he addressed “the haters” who say Atlanta is a bad sports town. He closed by quoting famous Atlanta rapper Andre 3000 of the group Outkast. “The south got something to say and that’s all I gotta say.”

Technical director Carlos Montenegro focused his thanks on the players. Mr. Blank then stepped back to the podium and thanked his wife and family. He ended by pointing out the fact that Atlanta United FC amazingly now holds the record for the eight most attended matches in MLS history.

Tata Martino spoke in Spanish saying how much he appreciated the fans and the players and that he wants the team to keep it going for the future. Martino is leaving Atlanta United FC to coach the Mexican National team. Fans chanted “one more year” as he spoke on stage.

Several players spoke to the crowd of thousands. Captain Michael Parkhurst, Leandro Gonzalez Pirez aka LGP and Brad Guzan all thanked the crowd and expressed interest in defending the cup successfully next season.

The team then got out of their seats and headed to the front of the stage as smoke rose and confetti fell. They bounced and danced with the cup as music blared from the load speakers.

The Atlanta United FC Twitter account captured the moment beautifully in tweets like this one:

https://twitter.com/ATLUTD/status/1072234853494599687?s=19

“We Are The Champions” by Queen played, as different Five Stripes players held the cup up for fans to see. There was a giant replica of the cup to the right of the stage.

I witnessed Atlanta Dream superstar Angel McCoughtry soaking in the championship parade. Undoubtedly she must have been thinking about what it will be like when she is on the stage with her team, that is certainly a WNBA title contender.

Even after the players left the stage and the music stopped, there was still a large contingent of Five Stripes fans chanting, dancing, singing, and celebrating in the cold, rainy weather. Many were taking selfies and capturing memories with their phones. I took quite a few photos myself.

Here is a nice gallery that gives a great look for those who could not attend, shared by the Atlanta United FC Twitter account:

https://twitter.com/ATLUTD/status/1072313427803156482?s=19

This parade an was an incredible scene, unlike anything I have personally witnessed. The fact that thousands of fans ensured the cold, nasty weather is a testament to how dedicated this fan base really is. It’s deserving that the Atlanta United fans, are now beginning to gain notoriety as a top soccer fan base around the world.

The entire closing ceremony can be viewed here courtesy of Atlanta United FC via their YouTube channel:

When I was leaving the Atlanta United FC Championship Parade, I glanced to the left and saw CBS 46 Atlanta, Fox 5 Atlanta and 92.9 The Games Mid Day Show with Rick and John all broadcasting live. As I walked away I had one prevailing thought.

There is a plethora of talent on our Atlanta sports teams, the Georgia Bulldogs, the Braves the Falcons, the Hawks, and the Dream. Not to mention Atlanta United FC could repeat. Monday’s Championship Parade, will not be the last sports parade that we will witness.

Did you experience the parade? Let us know your experiences in the comments below. Atl All Day will have more on the Atlanta United FC offseason as the quest to repeat begins. We will also have more on all of your favorite Atlanta area sports teams.

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