May 5 was a Sunday afternoon like any other, another spin of the globe completed and the inevitable start to another work week. Lansing Common FC kitted out in their new home & away uniforms capped off the club’s Community Kickoff at Eastern Stadium with a Red/White intrasquad scrimmage. A free soccer clinic pre-match saw dozens of children learning drills and with fun back and forth games while the Robins prepared alongside. Faces both new and old, treated those in attendance to an exciting match ending 2-2 in regulation and a PK shootout soon followed to settle things, much to the delight of The Branch Supporters Group. The white road kit, a love letter to the Lansing Soccer Football Club of 1912, eventually came away with the bragging rights. Though the event lasted only a few hours, it was a visual and audible display of what truly makes them Lansing’s club.

Year four of the Common’s existence is a sentimental one for the small, but the loudest, part of the fanbase, marking ten years of soccer since Lansing United’s 2014 debut in NPSL. The 2014 Great Lakes West Champions would eventually fall in the National Semi-Finals to the New York Red Bulls U-23s, the eventual NPSL National Champions. Five different leagues and three different clubs have been serenaded by this core group of diehards through the decade. Although the colors and the names have changed, this group has continued to be, Lansing First.

Quick Lansing soccer supporter history for you..

2014: The debut of Lansing United in the NPSL saw the formation of the Sons of Ransom SG, an ode to Lansing automotive pioneer R.E. Olds. Headed up by yours truly, current Lansing Common President Eric Walcott, and Stefan McMillan who currently works for the USSF as Manager of Coaching Operations.
2018: Lansing United adds women’s team and the SoR rebrands to “The Ransom” embracing both teams.
2019: Debut of Lansing Ignite FC in the inaugural year of USL League One, a group of The Ransom members laid the framework for the “Assembly Line” as another callback to Lansing’s automotive history.
2021/2022: The debut of Lansing Common in the MWPL from the ashes of LIFC. The Branch SG name debuted in the 2022 season, because the Robins and the community needed something to stand on.

The Branch goes about their business refusing to completely “cut off the dead bit” when it comes to each new club they’ve poured their support behind. Patrick Jacobs joined SoR in Lansing United’s second season and has been a mainstay in the group experiencing every iteration of the SG. “I think from my perspective you see The Branch, and it literally is a combination of The Ransom and the ALSG, each bringing a unique style. ALSG was to push-the-envelope and make people see ‘Hey, supporters bring that real true atmosphere.’ The combination of the two is so well blended.”

Rufus Isaacs joined The Branch after witnessing the atmosphere during Robin’s inaugural season. “I only caught the tail-end of Ignite, but it was clear there was a passionate supporter group who were devastated by that team's folding,” he said. “But it's amazing to see what has happened since the dark days of 2020, with the growth of Common and The Branch as a new chapter of Lansing soccer history. I hope we can do the Lansing soccer ancestors proud this summer!”

Isaacs can be spotted pregame pulling a cart packed to the brim with drums, cowbells, and drumsticks, giving the players an atmosphere seldom seen during MWPL matchdays. As a prominent voice for the supporter’s community efforts along with involvement in the club’s Community Engagement arm, Isaacs can also be found rolling up his sleeves to prove they are more than just a rowdy bunch on the weekends. “Our time and fundraising has helped youth soccer programs, kept local parks free of trash, and purchased Christmas gifts for needy families,” Isaacs explained. “This also provides a great way for club members to be engaged in the club and connected with fellow supporters all year long. From helping prepare Potter Park Zoo landscaping in spring to working with community gardens in fall and backpacks for food insecure families in winter, we get to help this community in many ways.”

It’s one thing to talk about it and another to be about it. Park clean ups, Blessings in a Backpack, Prideraiser campaigns, assisting local recreational soccer organizations prep/tear down for the season, creating post season Player of the Year trophies or tifos for players…this is not a type of group you can find everywhere in the lower league scene. These folks are battle hardened and have experienced the euphoria and despair that comes from loving this game, but the path traveled to get here makes this season just a little sweeter. It’s hard to say that this group hasn’t left lifetime memories ingrained in all the young men & women who have had Lansing as a nothing more than a quick stop in their young lives. “I've seen a lot of lower league soccer, and what we've done in Lansing to make change in showing everyone we have amazing players in this city,” Jacobs said. “Lansing is a soccer town, and the supporters I personally feel give these players that feel of ‘I want to come back next year.’ I love knowing that the retuning players have told their teammates whether it's college or high school.”

You can tell The Branch that all things come to an end until you’re Robin Egg Blue in the face. They will look at you, give you a nod, offer you a cowbell and keep on drumming because they’ve been there, done that and have quite a few shirts to prove it.

- Rich Schenck

Twitter: @TheBranchSG

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