One On One: Andrew Dillon Campaigns to Bring Major League Soccer to Philadelphia

Andrew Dillon campaigns to bring a Major League Soccer franchise to Philadelphia.

Ooy 907 Ab Philadelphia has some of the most devoted, even crazed, Major League Soccer fans in the country. They show their solidarity through scarves and shirts emblazoned with their team's logo, by joining in rousing team chants and songs and by traveling hundreds of miles to jeer opposing teams. The one catch: Philadelphia doesn't have an MLS team - never has. The Sons of Ben, so named to honor one of the nation's founding fathers and also for its edgy acronym, was formed in January by a small group of soccer-loving friends looking to bring an MLS franchise to their home city. The SoB now claims some 400 members, and its organizers are confident that potential investors are taking notice and may help fulfill the MLS requirement for franchises to have a soccer-specific stadium. "We want to show that a passionate fan base is already in place once an expansion team arrives," says SoB co-founder Andrew Dillon. Nicholas Brown asked Dillon to explain his group's "if you come, they will build it" strategy.

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