When I established Orlando City UK in November 2015, I could’ve only dreamed about having 40 members as part of what is now an Official International Fan Club of Orlando City SC.
Signing up as a member in May, we caught up with die-hard Watford and Orlando City SC supporter Harry Salvidge about his Lions love affair and just why MLS means so much to him.
Why did you choose to follow Orlando City SC?
It’s a long story but I originally came across Major League Soccer back in 2007/08 whilst playing FIFA 08 when I got bored of playing with teams in England and Scotland. I looked at the other nations and leagues in the game and stumbled across MLS and started playing with New York Red Bulls.
Being eight-years-old at the time, I didn’t know too many American cities and only really heard of New York so I slowly researched some of the teams such as San Jose Earthquakes, LA Galaxy and the then named Kansas City Wizards.
I already maintained a full interest following my own team in England, Watford, which my family have been supporting since the clubs formation in 1881!
It wasn’t until Jermain Defoe joined Toronto FC that I reignited my interest in MLS and throughout the 2014 season, I watched as many games as I could and felt that I wanted to support a club in North America but I couldn’t find a team I wanted to support as I had no solid relationship with any city.
I then found out that MLS were introducing two new clubs in 2015, both New York City FC and Orlando City SC, and I felt it was right to support either of these two clubs. I researched both clubs and being a fan of teams who are very close to their communities while not going cash crazy on players – which I felt NYCFC were doing at the time with David Villa, Andrea Pirlo and Frank Lampard’s signatures – I chose Orlando City SC.
From this point, the Lions were the club for me and it also helps that I visited Walt Disney World on holiday in 2009 so I could claim I had been to the city.
What is your favourite thing about Orlando City SC?
When Orlando City SC play at home, the UK kick-off times can be friendly at times which helps massively!
Also the social interactions with supporters based in the UK and the States on Twitter is unbelievable. Despite living on the other side of the Atlantic, I still feel a huge part of Lion Nation.
I absolutely love game days, especially at Orlando City Stadium when I can check out videos of the marches as well as The Wall getting ready for the game and the songs that are sung throughout the entire 90 minutes even if we are winning or losing. This is something which rarely happens at any ground in England.
This makes me want to travel to Central Florida to take in my first game even more!
Do you think there is good access to following Orlando City SC in the UK?
As previously mentioned, one of my favourite things about following Orlando City SC is Orlando City UK, the Official International Fan Club we have in the UK. In many ways, it’s one big family!
The Orlando City UK Twitter page is fantastic to follow and keeps me fully up-to-date with all the news breaking in Central Florida. Massive credit goes to my good friend Taylor who keeps Orlando City UK as updated as possible.
My own personal Twitter notifications are always on in case I miss anything Lions related! I find Orlando City SC is one of the best and easiest clubs to follow in the UK due to the aforementioned Twitter page as well as Sky Sports airing many live MLS fixtures each week with some at UK friendly times.
Who is your favourite Orlando City SC players, past and present?
The problem I have with selecting favourite players with any club I follow is that they have a habit of leaving the next transfer window!
I’ve also named my MLS fantasy teams after two Orlando City SC players in the last two years, which within weeks have been traded to Vancouver Whitecaps! Thanks Brek Shea and José Aja, I look a tad foolish with an Orlando City SC crest next to the name, That’s the way Aja Aja, I like it Aja Aja!
In the early days of Orlando City SC in Major League Soccer, my favourite players where the likes of Cyle Larin, Luke Boden and Seb Hines. I loved Larin as we always knew he was capable of scoring in any game. As for Luke Boden and Seb Hines, I liked this duo because of the English connection but I’ve also been a big fan of Seb and was gutted when he was out injured.
On our current roster, one of my favourites is Chris Mueller, a player I really like and was surprised he was drafted so late especially with his record at Wisconsin being so strong. I also enjoy watching the likes of Jonathan Spector (when fit!), Sacha Kljestan, Dom Dwyer and Yoshimar Yotún.
I supported Yoshi throughout the 2018 FIFA World Cup with Peru and he is definitely a player we missed massively whilst he was away on international duty with Los Incas!
Where do you think Orlando City SC will finish in 2018?
Funnily enough, I was asked the same question by MLS UK Show host and fellow Orlando City SC fan Elliot Holman when I was interviewed on the podcast shortly after James O’Connor’s appointment. I said I would give it five or six games before making any solid prediction.
Right now, I think we will miss out on reaching the 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs but our fortunes could change in a few games!
In truth, I’m still not sure what will happen this season. As a Watford supporter, I feel I’ve become a glass half empty type of fan. We put in a strong performance against Toronto FC in James O’Connor’s first win and felt if it wasn’t for Zlatan Ibrahimovic, we could’ve got all three points at LA Galaxy on Sunday!
With less then half of the regular season to go, I really hope we can push on and get a result from somewhere but despite all of our best efforts at the moment, either sheer talent or poor decisions have denied us from a point or more! I’m struggling to see when our fortunes will change.
As each game goes by and the constant failure to pick up points continues, it’s tough but I’m fully behind the team. If we don’t reach the post-season, I hope the board give James O’Connor as much time as possible to put his own stamp on the current squad which is still very much Jason Kreis’ dream team!
What is your favourite memory following Orlando City SC?
Being an Orlando City SC fan, you have many different experiences from sheer joy of winning a game to waking up at 4am in the morning to watch the Lions lose. Credit to our Western Conference supporting friends in the UK who get up or stay up even later into the night!
I have quite a few favourite memories to be honest. One of my favourite games was the crazy 3-2 comeback victory over Portland Timbers which seems like years ago with the way our 2018 season has unfolded since. It’s what we love about football, end-to-end action, the highs and lows of being 2-0 down with 10 minutes to go, looking dead and buried and then going on to win the game. That Portland Timbers fixture had it all and more!
What made that game even more special was the reaction within the Orlando City UK group chat we have on Twitter, all of us joking around saying; “If we score next, I’ll pay for a round of drinks at our Watch Party at the end of the month”, and then low and behold, we’d score!
It happened again when Sacha Kljestan scored the equalising penalty, then it was the moment after that goal of who dares says they’ll get the third round of drinks if we score again! Luckily someone plucked up the courage to say so and that suggestion led to the same fate as the previous two strikes and we won the game, just like that!
Another favourite game was my first Orlando City UK Watch Party that I attended against Colorado Rapids earlier this season. We all met up at the Euston Flyer pub in Central London despite some of us travelling from the other end of the country.
If you were to recruit more people to support Orlando City SC, what would you tell them?
Orlando City SC isn’t any ordinary club! If you want surprises around every corner, a real roller coaster of a ride with major highs and major lows, Orlando City SC is the club for you!
What we all live for as sports fans is social interactions with other supporters, players and even board members.
When you’re an Orlando City SC supporter, you become part of one massive family, no matter who you are or what other team you follow from your home country.
Harry Salvidge
Orlando City UK Member