This is the second of a four-part series highlighting FC Dallas’ Supporters Groups. They will appear on FCDallas.com each Wednesday in February.
FC Dallas Stadium holds plenty of unique qualities that differentiate it from other MLS structures across North America, but none more iconic than the concert stage at the north end.
The stage has famously housed Jimmy Buffet, Kenny Chesney, Metallica and others. But it’s FC Dallas fans, in particular the Dallas Beer Guardians (DBG), that call it their home most frequently.
Prior to 2011, the Beer Guardians were regular attendees at FC Dallas home games, chanting, yelling, and drinking beers the whole 90 minutes in the beer garden.
But it was what happened after FC Dallas’ 3-0 win over the Colorado Rapids last April 8 that sprung forth the idea of forming a supporters group.
“Our group started with a flag,” recalled founding member Andrew Gerbosi. “It was dirty, muddy, wet, and in need of saving. We brought it home and after being restored to full color, that flag has been given a second life by hanging proudly in the Budweiser Beer Garden. A few games worth of beer and a dimly lit idea later, our supporters group was born!”
Gerbosi along with American Outlaw members Kasey Baker and Brandon Beall attached the once downtrodden flag to their banner and created a slogan. As the season progressed, their group grew and the newly named Budweiser Beer Garden grew in stature and fame.
When their previous name initially created some issues, Gerbosi and company went about this past off-season re-branding their group to be welcoming to all fans over the age of 21.
“Once we decided to re-brand the group, we knew we wanted to keep the new name beer-related,” said Baker. “Dallas Beer Guardians is a play on the Budweiser Beer Garden, keeping the name appropriate for all fans, while still emphasizing that we are there to celebrate FC Dallas with a few drinks during the game.”
Their motto, “Sanguinem Sudorem et Cervisiae,” means “Blood, Sweat, and Beers.” It’s a tip of the hat to last summer’s wave of 100-degree heat.
“We bleed for FC Dallas, devoting ourselves to supporting the club through thick and thin,” said Gerbosi. “We put in the work as supporters, sweating in 100 degree heat waves, and losing our voices from chanting and singing throughout every match.”
DBG pride themselves in creating an English-style pre-game pub atmosphere with beers aplenty and scarves raised as the teams enter the field.
They also work with fellow FC Dallas supporters group, the Inferno, to chant “FC Dallas” across the field in a call and response fashion during the 12th minute.
From a growth perspective, DBG will continue its free membership thanks to beer garden sponsor, Budweiser. It will also distribute apparel among the members, a number currently at 20 but with aspirations to reach 50 by the season’s end.
So if you’re a fan of FC Dallas and enjoy beer, meet Gerbosi, Baker, Beall and the rest of the Dallas Beer Guardians in the Budweiser Beer Garden and soak in a game day experience only seen at FC Dallas Stadium.
For more information on DBG or how to become a member, go to http://www.wix.com/dallasbeerguardians/home, check them out on Facebook at Facebook.com/DallasBeerGrdns or Twitter @DallasBeerGrdns.
