An Interview with The 732 Supporters’ Club
Thousands of football clubs across the globe recognize one or more supporters’ groups that identify with their club, and FC Monmouth is no different.
A supporters’ group can be defined as a group of fans whose means of supporting their football club is seen as diehard, not casual. When people think of supporters’ groups, they tend to picture Ultras or British-style hooligans.
However, supporters’ groups range in their extremity and mannerisms depending on the club, country, or people that make up the group.
Early on in the club’s inaugural 2018 season in the National Premier Soccer League, an FC Monmouth supporters’ group known as The 732 emerged.
Hi guys, what are your names? How many people were involved with the initial founding of The 732?
Our names are Steven Durso, Neil Villapiano, Andres Chavez, and Colin Kilbourne. It started out as two people and we eventually expanded to four.
What are your backgrounds in terms of soccer fandom? What initially got you into the sport, what teams do you support, do you play?
Three of us are New York Red Bulls fans. The US National Team is what got Steven and Neil into the sport, while Andres got into it at a young age. He also plays the sport as well.
What were your initial thoughts when you learned of the founding of FC Monmouth? Are you from the Monmouth County area? In what ways do you feel connected to the club personally?
We are all from the Monmouth County area. When we found out about the club, we thought it was very exciting that professional soccer was coming to the area, we feel connected to the club since it represents our county. We feel a sense of pride in that.
What gave you the idea to start The 732 and how did you go about doing so?
The one who originally thought about the whole thing was Steven. He is a part of Sammers SC for the National Team and a Red Bulls Supporters Group and wanted to bring the energy that they bring to their clubs back home to Monmouth.
What are your plans with The 732? If you had to give me sort of like a “mission statement” or a motto, what would it be? … In terms of your overall ideas of what you want to achieve as a supporters’ club.
We want to make our group known in the community, have more people support the team and what it stands for both on and off the pitch. After that, we want to make ourselves known across the league and put Monmouth County on the map.
Now in more detail, what exactly will The 732 be doing on both match days in the stands/around the ground and off the field outside of matches?
Getting people excited for the game, meet and greet with fans, sing for the full 90, and really create a true home field advantage.
What are your initial thoughts on the squad, the coaching staff, the ownership, and the season so far?
The team has done well so far in its inaugural season and they can only get better and better with each game. The whole organization has done a great job of promoting the team, the area, the league, and the sport of soccer.
What are your thoughts on the NPSL?
The league has done great things that really promote the sport of soccer to smaller communities and make more young people excited and interested in playing the sport and getting more people to develop.
How do you think clubs at the level of FC Monmouth and their supporters can engage their local communities + children of the local area?
Camps, meet and greets, getting coaches and players more involved in the community. Also, doing charity work in the future when we have enough members.
Any other closing remarks or questions?
We're happy to be a part of this club and look forward to seeing how we progress in the future!
Follow The 732 on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and fill out this form if you want to get involved.