Welcome to the refreshed Dirty South Soccer! To celebrate the new look and feel of our sports communities, we’re sharing stories of how and why we became fans of our favorite teams. If you’d like to share your story, head over to the FanPosts to write your own post. Each FanPost will be entered into a drawing to win a $500 Fanatics gift card [contest rules]. We’re collecting all of the stories here and featuring the best ones across our network as well. Come Fan With Us!

Arthur Blank announced the news of an expansion franchise coming to Atlanta back in 2014 and since then, the soccer community in Atlanta has grown rapidly. Although Atlanta United didn’t begin playing until 2017, the unconditional support the city has shown the franchise over the last 3 years has been incredible.

When I moved to the United States from England, I had little interest in Major League Soccer, nor did I have much knowledge about the league because I only knew of European soccer. As the years went by, the league grew in popularity and quality, which eventually drew me in but the problem was that I had no team to support.

As my interest and knowledge grew, I knew that Atlanta United was the MLS team I would support before the team even came to fruition. I moved to Atlanta in 2005 and from the moment I arrived in Atlanta, I committed myself to the city’s sports. Already a die-hard fan of the Falcons, Hawks and Braves, I didn’t just want a professional soccer team in Atlanta, I needed one.

There were times where I lost hope that Atlanta would be rewarded with an expansion team and my move to California took away hope of seeing a team in Atlanta in person. But when the dream came true in 2014 and Atlanta United became reality, I knew that I’d be a lifelong supporter, even if I didn’t live in Atlanta anymore. I followed every update about the franchise until 2017, when Atlanta United finally played their first game and now I have the opportunity to cover the team.

Atlanta became my second home in 2005 and Atlanta United became my MLS team in 2014, before they had even signed a player. My support of Atlanta United came through my commitment to Atlanta sports as a whole and while the franchise is still young, I’ve loved every second of supporting them.

As my support for the team grows every week, the soccer culture in Atlanta grows and it’s a beautiful sight to see when Atlanta United are selling out games before their own stadium is even open. Hopefully one day I’ll get back to Atlanta to watch the team that I’ve believed in before they even existed.

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