The Utah Royals supporters group, The Court, has come under fire for a statement the group’s twitter account posted ahead of Saturday’s match at Rio Tinto Stadium against the Portland Thorns.
“There is nothing we won’t do in support of our team, our players and coaches,” the post read in part. “This also means that we want away teams to feel as uncomfortable as possible. Traveling supporters take away from what we hope to achieve within the confines of our fortress. We do not welcome them or their supporters into our home.”
The statement prompted outrage from supporters around the NWSL. In response, The Court deleted the statement and posted out a “clarification” statement and said in a separate post that the person who posted the original strongly-worded statement has lost his or her admin status for all Court social media accounts.
We feel that a strong rivalry is the lifeblood of any sport, and we are all about stoking the flames,” the second statement read. “This morning’s approach was certainly on the poorly worded side, and apologies to anyone who felt personally attacked in any way.”
The Court did, however reiterate they would not be hosting joint tailgates, explaining the group, in its second home match, was still working out the kinks in organizing such event. The group would be open to changing its stance in the future, The Court said in its statement.