The club whose name and motto is “Soccer is Real Futbol” has no club T-shirts, hats, or unifying group insignia that identifies their cause. Instead, members need only wear the jersey of their favorite team when entering The Cooler Restaurant and Bar or Villard Street Pub ­— the group’s favorite venues — to catch a soccer match on television.
Soccer is Real Futbol began meeting in 2006 as the brainchild of Oregon alumnus Jim Cleavenger.
In three years of Cleavenger’s guidance, the group grew considerably. Membership now stands at 800 people, a number which represents multiple nationalities and cultures, and includes supporters of close to 50 different teams.
“I believe we are the most diverse club on campus.” Cleavenger said. “It’s funny; at the finals, we will hear people swearing at the television in 50 different languages, and if they aren’t wearing their jersey, it’s not clear who they’re rooting for.”
Cleavenger remains an integral part of the program, which gained a following under his leadership. However, this school year marks yet another transition in the club’s existence.
The reins have been handed to University senior Alex Orr, who acts as master promoter, putting his advertising major to good use.
Orr put together an EA Sports FIFA tournament for club members already this year. The event’s success should, at the very least, make it an annual occurrence for Soccer is Real Futbol. Orr also plans to use some club funding to organize five-on-five soccer for the club in the fall of 2010. Cleavenger and Orr share a vision; both support the club’s new direction.
“A lot of exchange and international students come here, and soccer has been a major part of their life,” Cleavenger said. “So we want to give them an outlet to continue playing and watching the game.”
The best-attended matches are Champions League contests. Cleavenger and Orr expect around 300 people to attend at the bar on Villard Street or the Cooler for the championship. But unlike the Super Bowl, match coordinators in England do not work to please viewers in the Pacific Time Zone. So The Cooler should get a significant boost in business down the road, considering the lofty number of beers they will serve club members at 6:45 a.m. on March 10 for two round-of-16 matches: Lyon at Real Madrid and AC Milan at Manchester United.
“It’s 8 in the evening in England,” Orr said. “So a pint of cider or a lager is acceptable.”
Just one of the many transitions the club has made over the last four years is the venue. Taylor’s Bar and Grille, a popular student and community hangout, previously hosted the club’s soccer viewings. Why Taylor’s no longer hosts the crew of soccer fanatics depends, as Cleavenger said, on who does the telling.
Eight hundred members would swiftly say the joke is on Taylor’s. Regardless, Orr and Cleavenger have found two true homes in Villard Street Pub and The Cooler.
Orr maintains a good relationship with both establishments and simply sends them a viewing schedule that they oblige. This is true whether the club turnout is a meager two Everton supporters or more than 100 for a Manchester United vs. Liverpool match.
Orr commented on this particularly heated matchup of teams, both with significant backing from club members.
“It gets pretty hyped up,” Orr explained. “I’ve seen people spill coffee on themselves while yelling at the television; it gets intense.”
Ironically, Cleavenger openly represents his support of Liverpool, while Orr is an ardent Manchester United follower. However, their friendship and understanding for one another represents a fundamental custom in the United States that would be an anomaly in Europe.
“In England, you can’t go into a Manchester United pub if you’re a Liverpool fan” Cleavenger noted.
Soccer is Real Futbol avoids this segregation, which is common practice in Europe; however, rivalries, albeit less fiery, clearly exist. Whether the showing is a weekday Serie A or Bundesliga match or a weekend English Premier League fixture, the club presence will be felt, and rivalries are apt to pop up. All in good spirit, these friendly competitions embody what the club is all about.
Despite tense rivalries, the club’s ethos is acceptance. For soccer fanatics and the casual observer alike, Cleavenger’s brainchild and Orr’s development have created a soccer atmosphere to be envied. Orr commented on the direction of Soccer is Real Futbol.
“Whether you watch every game like me, or you … come in once or twice, the goal is to have fun, and we will always make it a good time.”
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