Dear Roustabouts,
I would like to be one of the first to thank each and every one of you for the great first month of professional soccer back in Tulsa! We have learned a lot in such short time. We have our first victory, and over the mighty Seattle Sounder 2 no less! The support from the city has been tremendous. If you add up the total attendance from the four matches, over 20,767 people attended Tulsa Roughneck FC matches. The transition to Section 101/102 has been a success! Coach Irving and Taylor are especially happy with the change and love the pressure we put on the opposing goalie during the second half. One only has to ask Saint Louis FC goalie Mark Pais to know what it’s like to stand in the net in front of the Tulsa supporters. As the season goes on and we continue to grow, it’s time we should talk about what it mean to be a Roustabout.
To Be a Roustabout
WE are thrilled at how many new people have been wanting to join us in supporting the Tulsa Roughnecks in The Rig for the matches. To make it a more enjoyable experience for everyone, here are a few things you should know:
As The Official Supporters’ Club of the Tulsa Roughnecks FC (TRFC), The Tulsa Roustabouts have worked extensively with TRFC to establish a set of guidelines to ensure we all can have a fun night whilst supporting the team we all love! As fellow members of the Tulsa Roustabouts, we expect each and every member in our section to follow the guidelines that we have agreed with the TRFC.
STANDING: In accordance with most supporters sections around the world, The Rig stands for all 90 minutes (and extra time). Sometimes during chants and songs we jump up and down and slide side-to-side. The Rig encompasses all of Section 101 and all the way to seat #6 of Section 102. If you wish to sit, please move to the periphery of the sections and allow the people who wish to stand to come forward.
CHANTS AND SONGS: Whilst standing in The Rig, we want to hear you sing. Did you hear who received that yellow? Who sponsored the post-match fireworks? How much time was added? We don’t know either because we are too busy losing our voices! Our Capos (chant leaders) put in their 90 minutes leading the section, the team puts in their 90 minutes fighting for a win, so we want all of you to do the same. Whilst in The Rig, you won’t be able to have a civilized conversation over the noise, so we encourage you to join in and chant with us. It’s critical that you don’t work against what the Capo (standing on the designated Capo Stand) is doing! Our Capos work hard to create a festive atmosphere that works with the ebb and flow of the match. It’s great when chants happen organically, but wait until a break in what the Capos are doing. Also, if you have a great idea for a chant, write it down and pass it along to the Capo. You can email your ideas to our Capos by kicking a message to capos@tulsaroustabouts.com.
TIFOS AND FLAGS: We are starting to get national attention for our tifos. From having the largest tifo in league history to the Seattle tifo going viral, we are becoming known for our creativity. When tifos are unveiled all we ask is for the two or three minutes that the tifo is over your head, you follow the directions of the leadership team. The tifos are really fragile, please don’t “punch” or push up on the underside of them. As for flags, we expect the flags to be flying! When the ball is in play, the flags need to be lowered and flying straight out and the moment the ball goes out of play, the flags need to go up and fly high and proud. There are plenty of people in the section, so if you get tired, pass your flag off to someone else. Watch for the Capos to help you with keeping the flags flying.
SMOKE: In accordance with almost every supporters group in the league and the region, we use the same cold smoke for when TRFC score a goal. If the smoke bothers you, we suggest standing towards the back of The Rig when goals are scored. Alternatively, we have found that supporters’ scarves work quite well for filtering the non-toxic smoke. The average smoke last only for a few minutes so don’t worry! By the way, only the Capo Corps is designated to use the pre-approved smoke. If you are interested in learning more about match day smoke please contact a Capo!
FLARES: Flares are not allowed in the stadium! Don’t bring them. The police are instructed to confiscate them. Don’t waste your money.
LANGUAGE: The passion that we bring to the USL is getting noticed, let’s keep it up. The lead Capo is the ultimate authority for what is crossing the line during the match. If he/she tells you that what you say is inappropriate then you must listen to the Capo and need to stop. We will not censor you for what you say. For example, things will be said about the opposing keeper’s mother and girlfriend. We know the keeper can hear us, and we know we have been in a couple of their heads. As long as what you say is not heard on the web broadcast feed, the club has not really cared (so far). However, let’s not abuse this freedom. If the opposing team scores and they try to provoke us (like OKC’s Evans) or the referee makes another incorrect call, I expect to hear a few F-Bombs and such. It’s a part of the match. If you do not see young ears near you, go nuts. The old rule in my supporters group in Europe (as well as a few supporters groups here in the States too) was that if someone tells you that you are kind of being a jerk for what you say or are doing the first time, then you probably need to tone it down a bit. However, if someone calls you out again, then you probably should leave. At the end of the day, Tulsa is a classy place and let’s keep it that way!
VIOLENCE: Violence in our section will not be tolerated under any circumstances by us or the TRFC staff in our section. Other supporters groups may try to provoke us with chants and beer but we must not lose our heads. ONEOK Staff will be on hand to mitigate any issues that may arise from other supporters groups standing above our section. If any issues arise, please notify a Capo so swift action can take place. Anyone involved in the incident may be deemed an instigator and removed by the proper legal authority for the general safety of The Rig. This is a park policy, not ours.
CHILDREN: Please be mindful that there are children that do come into our sections so do not get too out of hand whilst a kid is near you. If you do not see young ears near you, go nuts. Parents, this is a bit of a disclaimer too, the Tulsa Roustabout Leadership works hard to make The Rig an all-welcoming environment, however, this is a supporters sections and Coach wants this to be a tough place for opposition teams to play. Though we work hard to control obscene language and gestures, in the heat of the moment, words will be said.
PROJECTILES: In accordance to league policy and pretty much policy of every league of every professional sport, the Tulsa Roustabouts DO NOT CONDONE THE THROWING OF OBJECTS ONTO THE PITCH. Period! If you throw something on the pitch, not only will you be tossed from the match, you run the risk of being banned from ever returning. Trust us, it is not even worth it!
In the end, if there are any issues please bring them forward to the Roustabouts leadership if it is before/after the match or directly to the Capo during the match so we can mitigate any issues before they happen. As The Rig is the eternal home of the Tulsa Roustabouts, we strive to do our best to provide the best experience for our members at ONEOK Field. With our hearts on our sleeves, flags flying, and Tifo appearing in national publications, our leadership team is here to help you with any issues that may arise. REMEMBER we are all here for the same reason! To support the Tulsa Roughnecks!
LET’S GO TULSA!
–Mason ‘The Eagle’ Robbins
Capo of the Tulsa Roustabouts
Have questions, comments, chant ideas?
To contact Mason and the Capos, email capos@tulsaroustabouts.com
For other general inquiries, email info@tulsaroustabouts.com