Gallery – Fans gather early for SDFC home opener

This was the fourth home opener of an MLS franchise for me, the founder of Prost Amerika and Prost International.

More than a decade before, I was there in Seattle, Portland and Vancouver as they began their MLS lives. I may have aged but the palpable excitement of the fans on a day like this has never ebbed or weakened.

As legendary Scotland manager Jock Stein once said “football without the fans is nothing”.

So it semed fitting that Prost’s first coverage of the new San Diego FC club began by capturing memories of those who arrived there the earliest.

These shots were taken between 3pm and 5pm, four hours before kick off. The image at the top of this page was the first taken after parking next to them.

The fans captured here arrived at the stadium early to make the most of the day, to drink, to eat, to play or listen to music; perhaps to meet other fans in person for the first time.

Some costumes were indivdual. Others had waited many years to see this day. Here are some memories which I post with a deep heartfelt thank you to the subjects.

Follow us on bluesky
Follow us on Twitter