(I received a free copy of this book from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.)

From Toronto FC’s inception, the club and their fans did things their own way. After Danny Dichio scored the first goal in franchise history, fans at BMO Field threw their seat cushions onto the field in ecstasy. It looked as if TFC had a bright future ahead of them, but what followed instead was eight seasons of poor results, mismanagement, and misery.
Still, TFC fans never wavered, building the most unique atmosphere in Toronto sports. When it looked as if TFC were destined to become an afterthought in a city crowded with teams, the club carved out a niche by creating a winning culture unlike anything Toronto had ever seen and bringing a championship to the city in 2017.
Come on You Reds takes fans behind the scenes from the inception of TFC, through the team’s lowest years, and finally, to the story of how management built arguably the best team in Major League Soccer history.

I am married to a Canadian and have since taken an avid interest in all things Canadian: history, politics and, of course, sport. So when I discovered there was a book on the history of Toronto FC, I knew it was something I wanted to look at.

And I am very glad I did.

While this book does cover a lot of the history of the club on and off the field - from Dichio's first goal for the franchise, to their most recent successes, it was really the story of the fans - and the city - who took this team into the hearts and gave them their undying support.

Sure, the (mis)management of the club for the first half dozen years or so was painful to read (I have only been following them for a few years so to learn about those horrendous first years and the reasons behind them was fascinating - in a scary kind of way), and the year-by-year highlights (and lowlights) on the field would make for horrible reading for the long time fan, it is the supporters that have kept the team motivated and that is really heartening - and absolutely NOT surprising for Canadians. Or maybe it is - the Leafs and Blue Jays fans seem to ride the successes of their clubs but seem to disappear when the team is not performing. Not so the Reds fans - they seemed to get louder and more fanatical (in a good way) regardless of the results.

The book was a little repetitive at times, which was a bit frustrating but, in the overall scheme of things, it wasn't THAT annoying that it stopped me from reading.

If you are a football (soccer) fan, and enjoy a good rags-to-riches story with a fan base that deserves recognition, than this could be the book for you. It sure was for me.


Paul
ARH