When you go see One Knoxville SC during their opening match at Covenant Health Park on April 26 (this Saturday!), you will be led by a boisterous crowd singing songs, sending smoke into the air and beating drums. The Scruffs aren’t soccer hooligans, but they are definitely One Knoxville SC’s greatest supporters. And, they’d love for you to join them.
Founded in 2022 during One Knoxville SC’s inaugural year by Dakota Booth, the Scruffs support the team at home and away. Tim Vacek, chairperson of the board for the Scruffs, told me that “we are the ones who are making all the noise at matches. We are the ones who are singing the songs and banging the drums. And trying to bring atmosphere to the stadium during match day.” The group was organically formed from members with diverse backgrounds and is now managed by a five member, elected board.
Scruffy Support
Supporting both the men’s and women’s teams, the Scruffs anticipate some fans will march with them into Covenant Health Park while others just sing along to help build an electric atmosphere. Vacek told me “we’re really excited about the new dynamic of that part of the process being through the Old City this year as opposed to from our little tailgate area outside of Regal Soccer Stadium, basically just around a corner.”
Carly Chwat, board treasurer and a founding member of the Scruffs, explained that one of the advantages to USL is that support organizations are closer to the players. One Knoxville SC will compete in USL League One this year, which targets cities with 150,000 to 1 Million residents. She said that the closeness allows them to create “very personal player chants or [getting] a lot of feedback and connection with them about things they like to see from us as far as smoke and TIFO and banners and things that we paint or merchandise. It just feels like we know them better.”
Chwat added that “this kind of soccer supporter culture isn’t something I think a lot of Americans have experience with. So I think sometimes people come to the games and they’re surprised by the things that we’re doing. They’re kind of caught off guard by like some of the songs or even the smoke sometimes.”
Before and during the match, the group sings custom songs, often parodies of popular tunes, to support the team and individual players. Members suggest songs, and the group decides which to use. Many members have high school band experience, so quality of the songs is strong. The Scruffs work throughout a match to keep the crowd’s energy strong.
Covenant Health Park will offer a chance for new traditions. As the Scruffs enter, they’ll line up on the pedestrian bridge (pictured above) at the entrance. The group will deliver a short pep talk to the crowd and perform the Scruffs Anthem by Kevin and Susan Carnes. Drums provide core instrumentation, with hopes to add a trumpet or bugle, similar to some British, American, and Mexican clubs.
Covenant Health Park will provide new angles for seating, leading to better support for the team. Regal Soccer Stadium positioned the group on a touch line (equivalent to the sideline in American football). At the new stadium, the organization will be seated at an endline behind the north goal, a more traditional placement for soccer support groups. Vacek said, “We’ll be singing [to fans] in their general direction.” The group will “feel out the atmosphere and current game circumstances to decide what’s gonna be the most fitting song…trying to keep the atmosphere up and as energetic and positive as possible to make sure that the boys are constantly feeling that they’ve got us behind us.” Some songs are written to cheer a specific player’s well-played moment.
Chwat told me that the move to Covenant Health Park “feels almost like a whole new venture where we’ve got a new stadium, a new coach and kind of a new vibe to the team…it also just really like puts us in the city. That’s something that we’ve not had before at Regal. We were definitely doing our own thing. Parking lot tailgating is super fun, but I think we’re excited to really be able to go to all of the bars and restaurants that are around kind of before and after games. So I think it’ll just feel really fun for us to be actually in the city and just have a lot more things accessible to us.”
Daniel Morrell of the Scruffs is the master painter for all of the Tifo banners hanging from the rafters and has new banners in production for the move. Tifo banners in soccer can be 60 to 70 feet tall. The Scruffs also maintain an active social media presence as a way to stand behind the team. You can find them on Instagram and Facebook.
Club Growth and Code of Conduct
The Scruffs are focused on growth this year. They introduced membership dues last year and ended with 54 members. This year, they’ve recently reached 67, even before the opening home match. Vacek hopes their visibility in The Old City will boost membership by 30–40%. While they recognize Knoxville is a UT-dominated sports town, they aim to attract more fans and grow to 200 voices strong. Chwat mentioned that the World Cup 2026 could spike interest in soccer in general. Altanta will be hosting a FIFA World Cup match in 2026.
Membership has its benefits. Not only do members have an exclusive section at home games, but they host watch parties for away games through a USL broadcast agreement with ESPN+. I joined the group at Knox Brew Hub on a Wednesday night and watched a match with them. I captured some exciting moments, including a goal scored by the team.
The Scruffs offer members-only merchandise. In 2024, this included a coffee mug with their mantra (“We are many, We are Knoxville”), along with beer glasses, t-shirts, and a scarf. This season, they’re adding car flags. Vacek laughingly said “We do live in the south. The SEC is big here, and all the Tennessee fans with their car flags, we want to join them.”
One Knoxville SC confirmed that their team merchandise will be available at the Gift Shop on the concourse level of the stadium as well as at mobile locations around the stadium. The larger gift shop that is available to the public will not currently carry One Knoxville SC’s gear.
As stated earlier, the Scruffs aren’t hooligans. Vacek emphasized this when he said “All of our songs are intended to be family friendly lyrically, whereas that is not always the case if you were in one of the Premier League stadiums in England. But we have kids in our ranks and one of the things we’re really proud of is the fact that we have all come from diverse backgrounds.” The family friendly and inclusive atmosphere was reflected in the many children at the watch party.
Another way the group is growing is through support of the recently-announced women’s team. The group expects several back-to-back nights across the women’s shorter season. Vacek told me that “if we can get up to being 200 voices strong for the men’s matches, then I want us to be 200 voices strong for the women’s matches as well.”
“Sports as Metaphor”
Vacek used the phrase “sports as metaphor” when we discussed why people join the group. Vacek told me “they start off as it’s because they love the sport. And a lot of us come from a pretty long background of supporting either one of the mega clubs in Europe or an MLS club back here in the States. And I think that’s what gets your foot in the door.” Tailgates, match day experiences and even community service motivate members.
Chwat noted that community was important for her as well. She said the group goes beyond just supporting the club; they support each other. In their Discord or via group texts, they discuss things like the weather or how members are doing. She said that she feels a sense of pride in her home as a result. European teams and stadiums serve as a central point of pride and community for their villages and cities.
Vacek elaborated on the idea. “Look, we know sports are a metaphor in so many cases. And I think what a lot of people see is that with these grassroots soccer clubs, it’s a way for you to passionately invest in the community that you’re a part of. And the vast majority of us who were loyal Scruffs, we also consider ourselves to be Knoxvillians and East Tennesseans. And it means something to us that when we put on the same shirt that the boys are putting on when they’re going out for a match or starting this year that the women are putting on for their matches, that it says Knoxville, that it says Knox on that crest, and that they can be from Iowa or they can be from Norway or they can be from Newcastle, England, where our skipper is from…and they very quickly become Knoxville. They become Scruffy just as we are…”
Serving the broader community is a cornerstone for the Scruffs. During the Wednesday watch party, the group held a raffle for Second Harvest. Chwat said that they were able to raise $320 dollars in a very short amount of time. The group holds other fundraisers throughout the year, and each June, they work to support Knox Pride at events. They’ve done cleanups at Ijams and will be working on an Old City cleanup.
Another major initiative is their Youth Soccer Fund. Vacek said that “youth soccer is very expensive in this country. And it doesn’t feel particularly democratic in who can play and who can’t play. And that’s not the club’s fault. That’s simply the infrastructure of the way that youth sports work in the United States. And so our goal is that anybody who wants to play this sport should have the ability to play this sport.” Funds go to One Knox Collective, which supports youth soccer operations and ensures both boys and girls have the opportunity to play.
The Move to Covenant Health Park and the Season Opener
As has been discussed here, the new Covenant Health Park is a jewel for the city. I visited during the VIP event for the ballpark’s opening and found myself extremely happy to see a space go from concept to reality with the same scope and vision. The technologies implemented are going to allow very quick conversion from baseball to soccer. One Knoxville SC’s front office told me that they can convert the field from the baseball to soccer configuration in anywhere from 6 to 12 hours, based on weather conditions.
The group has named their section in Covenant Park “The Fort” (just past the third baseline dugout) based on the many historical forts nearby and because the new stadium evokes the feeling of a fort. Chwat told me that new concession options are definitely a draw. The Scruffs also plan to attend baseball games to support the Smokies.
The Scruffs will work with the city as they shut down streets in the Old City for five block parties before and after games. Restaurants will be open along with visiting food trucks. With the architecture of the Old City, Vacek told me that the “experience felt very European in nature…I’m also a Tottenham Hotspur supporter and have been fortunate enough to go see matches in North London several times. And the atmosphere approaching the stadium on the Tottenham High Road, very much felt like us being in the Old City…some of the European players talked about how this feels like home in terms of that atmosphere.” Vacek said that the city of Knoxville’s support has been great.
The group wants to grow and would love to have you. For more information, including how to join, click here.
Five matches will include block parties with the Scruffs. Roads will be closed in the Old City with special events available. The dates coincide with a five-ticket package that ranges from $90 up to $400 (not including a service fee) and includes the “five best matches,” according to One Knoxville’s ticketing website. The Scruffs package is the lowest cost and averages around $16 per game. I have my ticket for Saturday and plan to join the Scruffs to support our soccer team’s move to the stadium. The Scruffs will start the march to the stadium at 6:15 on Saturday, April 26 from Central. One Knoxville SC wants to set a record for soccer attendance on Saturday, so come join the excitement.
Here are the block party dates:
- April 26: One Knoxville SC vs FC Tulsa (Home Opener) at 7:00 PM
- May 9: One Knoxville SC vs Forward Madison SC (Southern Skies Night Before Party) at 6:30 PM
- June 13: One Knoxville SC vs Richmond Kickers (Knoxville’s Biggest Happy Hour) at 6:30 PM
- July 19: One Knoxville SC vs Westchester Soccer Club (America Night) at 7:00 PM
- August 2: One Knoxville SC vs Portland Hearts of Pine (Vols Night) at 7:00 PM
Go to One Knoxville SC’s ticketing page to buy tickets for a match or a package for multiple matches.