The off the field saga involving Chicago Fire supporter group Sector Latino took another notable step on Friday.
The Fire released a statement saying Sector Latino has had its supporter privileges “permanently revoked” after failing to win an appeal with the Fire. The group was initially banned from the June 9 home game against the New England Revolution.
Sector Latino’s ban came after reports of multiple violent incidents during the past 14 months. The group was given a written final warning before the June 2 game against San Jose. On the same night of the final warning, a smoke bomb was set off in the section, which was deemed the final straw by the Fire.
There was a meeting between leadership from Sector Latino and the Fire on June 27 at Toyota Park, which served as an appeal for Sector Latino. According to a letter the Fire sent to Sector Latino leadership, the group “failed to provide any evidence that contradicted the League and the Club’s findings regarding the June 2 violation.”
In addition to revoking the group’s supporter privileges, all tickets in section 101 have been canceled and refunded for the rest of the season.
The Fire’s statement included some of the reasoning behind the decision:
“Although not all members were involved, the number of violations by certain group members – including some of the group’s leadership and the unwillingness or inability of the leadership to prevent further violations – left no alternative: Sector Latino Chicago is no longer recognized as a designated supporter group by Chicago Fire Soccer Club, meaning all its supporter privileges are permanently revoked.”
When section 101 was empty for the June 9 game against New England, Section 8, the biggest Fire supporters’ group, did not show up in big numbers as a protest of the Fire’s decision. A statement from Section 8 on the decision states that this will continue:
“We will forgo organized support for tomorrow’s game in solidarity with #Free101. The ethos of collective punishment shown this year goes against the long-standing spirit of collaboration between this club and its supporters. The ISA remains committed to working with both Sector Latino and the Front Office to reinstate season ticket holders to section 101 and seeking out a conversation to determine better ways to ensure the fan code of conduct is adhered to. In light of this, we are withholding organized support from home matches, pending the reinstatement of 101.”