When Phil Bridges and Jake Payne first met at a Section 8 Chicago general meeting, the connection they made marked the conception of a new idea inspired by a common desire for change.

That idea grew along with the bond between Bridges and Payne, from a seed planted by a high five to a blossoming initiative aimed at making soccer supporters culture in Chicago more inclusive.

Thirsting for more representation and celebration of black supporters, Bridges and Payne announced the birth of a new supporters group on September 9 and their dream became a reality.

Ladies and gentlemen, introducing the Black Fires.

"The whole premise was creating this space for black fans who may follow the team but have not necessarily felt that type of connection towards the team," said Bridges.

"Since I've been supporting the Fire, I haven’t seen many people like me around and when I do, it's rare to be talking to them. It’s us trying to give fans a chance to feel welcomed and come into this space knowing that you're not alone in this."

The inspiration behind the Black Fires stems from Bridges' and Payne's personal experiences as supporters of the Chicago Fire which has lacked a key ingredient: more people who share and cherish their identity and heritage as well as their passion for soccer.

"I thought there would be a lot more considering Africa and Africans are super into soccer," said Payne.

"I want to think we started this group so that not only can we attract black fans but also celebrate this awesome culture that is not really explored in MLS."

Despite the lack of similar initiatives around Major League Soccer, Bridges and Payne found a source of inspiration down south in a city that, they consider, has laid a blueprint for how to grow black presence in supporter culture.

"Seeing what Atlanta was about to do, seeing the strides they made and having lived there, I knew that was going to happen. You can’t have Atlanta (United) without some kind of intersectionality with black fans," said Payne.

"I thought that would happen in Chicago and it doesn't look like it will. We want to start, we want fans to have an impact on this team. Black fans are really shaping how Atlanta (United) is going forward and we don't have that here."

In order to do so, Bridges and Payne have been working on spreading the word about their new initiative. Their mission already has the attention and support of key figures within local supporter circles.

"What Jake and Phil are doing is taking a group of people who are underrepresented and the idea is to get people to the games and make them feel comfortable," said Nate Cubeta, Section 8's director of fundraising.

"One thing that’s cool about supporters culture, in general, is that at it’s best it should be a way to represent your culture, your neighborhood, any type of social subset through visuals, through music, gatherings. The soccer aspect is secondary and that’s something you see around the world.

Improving the experience for black supporters, however, is not limited to only Chicago Fire supporter culture. The Black Fires hope to foster intersectionality and expand to more local clubs, supporters groups and underrepresented communities.

"We would love for (Chicago) Red Stars to be involved. It's not going to be live to just the Fire," said Bridges.

"The mindset we should have is, we’re one city, we're one team. And in order to that mentality, we need to bring in everyone when we can."

“We are thrilled to work with any supporters group that is passionate about the Red Stars and what we are trying to accomplish. The Red Stars are the oldest and winningest club in US pro women’s soccer – our team and fan base celebrate diversity and are all pulling towards creating one of the top women’s clubs in the world,” said Red Stars owner and CEO Arnim Whisler in response.

Courtesy of Phil Bridges Bridges (L) has been part of Chicago Fire supporters groups like Banter Buddies and Sector Latino, while Payne (R) has held leadership positions in Section 8 Chicago. Bridges (L) has been part of Chicago Fire supporters groups like Banter Buddies and Sector Latino, while Payne (R) has held leadership positions in Section 8 Chicago. (Courtesy of Phil Bridges)

As part of groups like Section 8, Sector Latino and Banter Buddies, Payne and Bridges have witnessed the breaking down of the relationship between groups like Section 8 and Sector Latino and the Chicago Fire in 2018.

Because of it, the two co-founders have decided to maintain their individual stances on the issue to the Black Fires as a group.

"To have a relationship with the front office, we have to actually believe the front office is willing to listen and willing to reach out and actually make efforts to make sure that us as a supporters group are not only feeling welcome but also feeling like they're going to listen to us. That's not happening right now," said Bridges.

"For us to decide to have that type of relationship. I think that's way too much of a jump right now. We're just going to stay where we are, as the small group that's starting. If they reach out to us we'll see what happens. I doubt anything happens."

“Everyone knows how powerful a positive supporter culture can be for the team and in-stadium experience. Working with current and prospective supporter groups to ensure an enjoyable and safe experience for all will be part of our off-season plans,” reads a statement from Fire president and general manager Nelson Rodriguez in response.

In the meantime, the seed planted in that Section 8 continues to germinate into a beacon of inclusion and celebration of black culture, an intersection where passion and identity can coalesce.

"We want to give respect to black culture, we want to show respect to a lot of things that probably aren't talked about a lot when it comes to black supporters within the game," said Bridges.

"And so that's really our goal, to give a stage and a platform and give us a chance to show our creativity, our bit of special flow and twang to certain things."

Belgian forward Eden Hazard was introduced by Real Madrid president Florentino Perez on Thursday, June 13 as the club's newest player in front of nearly 50,000 supporters gathered at Santiago Bernabeu stadium to welcome the former Chelsea star. The transfer fee has not been revealed but reports indicate the move to cost $163.5 million including escalators, a number that would represent the most expensive acquisition in Real Madrid history. (José Luis Sánchez Pando) (José Luis Sánchez Pando)

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