Autumn Allison

It's standing room only as thousands of fans squish, dance and scream together in the crowded general admission seating at the Aug. 30 Indy Eleven game.

Flags are raised, scarves are twirled like rally towels and songs are sung as the group urges on the offense with the Eleven trailing 2-1.

A floater to the Eleven's Jermaine Johnson sends the ball sailing into the net. The stadium section of 2,000 plus screams in unison. It's a tie game. Cue the smoke.

Welcome to the Brickyard Battalion, the rowdiest section in the stadium and a fan experience unlike any other in Indianapolis.

"It's not just being an observer of the game," BYB member Justin Wiese said. "You are participating in the game."

Founded long before the Eleven, the now-4,000 member strong Brickyard Battalion has carved an identity alongside (but separate from) Indianapolis' professional soccer team by making their presence known through the use of chants, signs, blow horns, merchandise and, yes, smoke after every goal.

"Even when the team goes down, they don't stop cheering, in fact they are louder," said Peter Wilt, the president/general manager of Indy Eleven.

It's not all "Go, Fight, Win," however. Led by chant callers, or capos, the Battalion bellows out for the "boys in blue" and declares its love for Indy.

"Most of our chants I would say come from soccer culture, things that are popular and well known," said Peter Evans, a frequent capo. "As we keep progressing as a group this year, we keep coming up with songs that are uniquely ours."

The newest chant is based on the theme song to the children's cartoon "SpongeBob SquarePants":

Are you ready fans?

Aye, aye Capo.

I can't hear you.

Aye, aye Capo.

Oooohhhh who plays the Carroll in the heart of Indy?

Indy Eleven.

Known as the boys in blue are we.

Indy Eleven.

Sillier aspects of the Battalion aside, Evans and the rest of the BYB are adamant about keeping the section from descending into the more unpleasant aspects of wider soccer culture — threats of violence and racist, homophobic or sexist comments.

While they can't control everyone, most fans keep their actions PG-13, according to Wilt. Cursing the referee's existence and eyeballs for a perceived bad call is fairly common. Throwing a can on the field (which happened once this season), not so much.

It's this dedication to quality that allows the Brickyard Battalion become the franchise's in-game experience.

"Unlike most professional sports teams, we don't play jock-rock. We don't play any music during the games, the video board is just to show the game," Wilt said. "We don't have graphics that say 'Make noise!' We don't have dot races on the scoreboard or fake entertainment. We just let the crowd themselves make the atmosphere."

That atmosphere also provides the players with extra motivation.

"When you are tired and you've made three 70-yard runs and you hear them cheering you on, it kind of gives you that extra boost," Indy Eleven forward Michael Ambersley said.

"I feel it as a player and I know the rest of the guys on the team feel it too."

But before the cheers, chants and even the team, the Brickyard Battalion was nothing more than a Facebook group with a far-off dream.

Three years ago, a group of nine soccer fans formed the group with the intention of gauging the interest of bringing a Major League Soccer team to Indianapolis.

Over time, the group became real supporters for a fake team.

A name (Racing Indy FC), colors (green and white) and all the logistics that come with it were discussed and decided on by the growing collective without even an inkling of a team coming to Indianapolis.

"It was really about engaging people," said Brickyard Battalion president Derek Richey. "We didn't do it because, 'Oh we need to trick people into coming.' We did it because we were really excited about the possibility of having a team.

For two years this continued ... until Wilt stepped in.

Wilt reached out to Richey and began to work with the Battalion to research the market, garner interest and run jersey design concepts by the fan base.

"We connected with them and listened," said Wilt.

By taking the grassroots approach, the team quickly gathered a dedicated fan base that has stayed throughout the season.

Since the first game on April 12, the Eleven has managed to rack up 10 home sellouts in NASL play alone at the modified Michael A. Carroll Track & Soccer Stadium on IUPUI's campus.

The Battalion's close relationship with Indy Eleven's front office is a partnership, not an extension of the organization the BYB supports.

"The power of it is that it is them," Wilt said. "They have that independence. It wouldn't work if they were an instrument of us."

However, they are some things a strong fan base can't fix. Out of 19 games, the Indy Eleven has three wins, none at home. The seeming inability to win at home might deter fans of another sport, but Richey is confident that it won't affect attendance here.

"Soccer fans are kind of different than, I think, other fans. We are not fair weather fans at all. This is a culture and a family," said Richey. "The BYB is a family and that's why those stands are going to pretty much always be full."

Of course the fans still grumble about the number of loses and critique the team's play, mentality or tactics.

"The reality is that the passion for the game is greater than the anger with the play. So people will keep coming regardless," Brickyard Battalion member Lou Carranza said.

But that doesn't mean the team can slack off.

"Certainly at some point we need to deliver and give them what they want," said Wilt.

Until that day comes the BYB is committed to providing the necessary support game in, game out. Minute to minute.

The full 90.

Follow Star reporter Autumn Allison on Twitter: @Aallison25.