An Experience Like No Other

Marshall soccer fans show up in force, bringing new energy and their own brand of tailgating to create a unique game experience

By Cara Bailey

MU 72 | Fall 2024

On a sunny, late November day in 2019, Coach Chris Grassie readied the Marshall men’s soccer team for a historic game against in-state rival West Virginia University. The winner would advance to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen and be one game closer to the coveted College Cup.

Outside the stadium, new energy was stirring. Soccer fans mingled together, sharing food, drink and stories. A DJ blasted music, children ran around with a soccer ball, and the mood was a party. The traditional tailgate, a forte of Marshall football fans, made its way down Huntington’s Fifth Avenue and had arrived at the other football.

The energy from the tailgate followed 2,126 fans into the stadium and stayed strong as Marshall, then-ranked 11th nationally, defeated the Mountaineers 2-1 before a national audience on ESPN. The game earned Marshall its first NCAA tournament appearance. Marshall was knocked out of the tournament in the Elite Eight, but for fan Jeff Esteves, that November game was a turning point for the Marshall soccer fan base. The 2019 game against WVU was the first time the fans showed their potential — potential that continues to grow.

“It’s the best ticket in town,” Esteves said of Marshall soccer games.

It’s definitely one of the hottest. Marshall soccer fans show up in force, selling out nearly every men’s game at the Veterans Memorial Soccer Complex since the national championship run of 2021 and breaking attendance records year after year.

So, the fans are there, but what do they do? Enter Allison Grassie. A Huntington resident since 2017, when she joined her head coach husband here, Allison Grassie is the key to the Marshall soccer tailgating experience.

“I spent many a game by myself in the stands, with a toddler and a baby in a stroller,” she remembered. “It didn’t take long to figure out we needed something.”

That something has turned into one of the most popular fall spots in Huntington: a massive, all-inclusive tailgate that’s more of a party, utilizing the adjacent Veterans Memorial Park, operated by the Greater Huntington Park & Recreation District.

Unlike other sports, where people have their spot in a parking lot full of many spots, Allison Grassie strives to create a soccer tailgate that is truly communal, using the neighboring playground, shelter and green space to host one big party.

“The tailgate has become an institution,” Allison Grassie said. “This is what we do.”

Using her social media skills to organize and promote the tailgates, Allison Grassie draws fans like Tiffany Barbera, a Huntington resident and soccer season ticket holder who started attending the games with her husband, former Herd soccer standout Michael Barbera. The community she found at the tailgate and in the stands keeps her coming back.

“We have an environment where you can still converse as an adult, be with kids and watch them play,” Barbera said. “The playground is magic.”

The tailgate has become a space where old teammates, decades after their glory days, can meet up again. New friends are made, and community is united, under the green and white banner of Marshall soccer. For some fans, the regular tailgate is like coming home.

“It’s family dinner,” Esteves said. “I might have a lousy day at work, and I’m tired and grumpy, but I get to the tailgate and I know I’m going to see my friends and we’re going to have a great time.”

The tailgate energy leads into the game, as fans pack the Vet to stake their spot along the pitch. Seeing the energy grow over the years inspired Esteves and a group of soccer stalwarts to start a grassroots fan group, Annex 2550. Members of the Annex fill section 104 in the stands and often bring flags, chants, horns, bells and a few well-placed jabs for the visiting team.

“Do we troll? Yeah, we troll, but most of the opposing players enjoy it,” Esteves said. “When they come here and get to play us, we’re rooting against them, but they get to play in front of 2,000 people.”

When Marshall’s fan base shows up, it really shows up. According to game attendance records, Marshall averaged nearly 2,200 fans at home games in 2023, and more than 3,000 people at four of those games. On the road, the Herd saw an average of 1,200 fans. Remove the game against WVU in Morgantown, and the away average for fan attendance drops to 800. And part of those are Marshall fans, known to travel well.

The environment around games makes it enjoyable for fans, but Allison Grassie is sure it also has an impact on the game. She saw the difference a supportive, rowdy fan base can make during the 2021 run for the College Cup. Herd fans traveled en masse to Cary, North Carolina, selling out the COVID-restricted stadium. Prior to kickoff, fans lined along the street to welcome the Marshall team bus into WakeMed Soccer Park, but the opposing team entered the park first.

“I knew, looking at the faces of the (opposing) players, that we were going to win. They looked dejected just seeing all of the Marshall fans there for the game. And we won,” Allison Grassie said. “We were a force to be reckoned with.”

The fan base is a big reason Marshall and Huntington continue to keep the Grassie family in town. Chris Grassie just signed a contract extension, committing to Marshall through 2031.

“We know the grass is not always greener,” Allison Grassie said. “We couldn’t find this environment anywhere else.”

For fans who have not yet been to a Marshall game, Allison Grassie, Barbera and Esteves are ready to welcome them. Barbera has a few tips for those coming from other sports, because the loud and physical soccer environment might be surprising.

“Be OK with it being loud, with children running around, a bell ringing in your ear, someone screaming, and someone hugging you,” Barbera said. “That is the game. Be prepared.”