Member Spotlight: Rubber City Underground

Rubber City Underground Akron City FC – USL League 2

What started as a simple email turned into a movement. Founded in 2022 by Brandon Waithe and Alex Tennant, Rubber City Underground has grown into the beating heart of Akron City FC’s supporter culture. Born from a shared passion for the game and a deep love for Akron, RCU brings unmatched energy to matchdays, a strong sense of local pride, and a commitment to making soccer accessible for all. Whether they’re tailgating at Green Street Stadium, chanting in the stands, or raising funds for youth clubs like Akron Inner City Soccer, this group shows what grassroots support is all about. President Brandon Waithe shares how it all began and where they’re headed next.

ISC: What’s the story behind the name of your group, and when was it founded? What inspired the formation of the group?

BW: Rubber City Underground (RCU) was founded in 2022 by me and Alex Tennant. After retiring from the Air Force, I moved back home to Akron and discovered that a new soccer team had started up in the area—I was over the moon. I reached out to the team to see if they already had a supporter’s group. The owner, Nick Turchan, replied that there wasn’t one yet but that he’d love to see it happen. He also suggested I connect with another fan, a transplant from Oregon, who had reached out with the same idea.

That’s how Alex and I met, and within a month we launched the supporters group. When it came time to pick a name, I ran a quick poll with fans I bumped into at the local bar before matches. It ended in a tie between “Rubber City Underground” and “Rubber City Rowdies.” We didn’t want to step on the toes of the AK Rowdies—the University of Akron’s supporters group—so we ruled that one out. Plus, Ohio played a crucial role in the Underground Railroad of the late 1800s, which made “Underground” feel especially meaningful. So, that’s the name we went with! 

ISC: Describe your matchday setup – where do you gather, what’s the vibe like?Do you have any pre-game or post-game rituals?

BW: We tailgate a couple hours before the game at Green Street stadium at the St.Vincent St.Mary High School here in Akron. I try to make sure to have flyers and information about local nonprofit initiatives and soccer related stuff available to share out to people passing by our tailgate. After the game - win or lose - we go down the street to Frank’s to celebrate or co-miserate after the game. Sometimes the players and coaches join us!

ISC: What kind of outreach or community involvement does your group do?

BW: We have been supporting the Akron Inner City Soccer Club (AISC) the most over the past couple of years. 

AISC is a local youth soccer club that provides truly affordable club-level soccer to youth It was started by local Akronites to support the development of youth soccer for all of Akron no matter background or socio-economic status. What we have been doing is at the end of the year, we want to give a significant amount of our budget to a soccer-related nonprofit at the end of each year. Last year, we were able to donate $200 to AISC.

ISC: How do you keep members engaged during the off-season?

BW: Well since the USL 2 season is during the summer, our offseason is during the rest of the world’s actual soccer season. Our board meetings are also our membership meetings, since we’re a small SG, so that’s one way that we keep members engaged in the offseason. We also meet up to watch Premier League or USMNT/USWNT games to stay in touch. 

Rubber City Underground is proof that all it takes is a little passion and a lot of heart to build something special. From supporting Akron City FC on the pitch to uplifting the community off it, they’re showing what it means to be more than just fans.

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Reach out to RJ Montano on Slack or email membership@officialisc.com and let us help tell your story.