A coalition of Toronto FC supporters groups plan to stage a silent protest during the upcoming Major League Soccer all-star game at BMO Field in Toronto.

TFC’s fans are noted for their boisterous support, but leading voices from each group are voicing their concerns about the possible expansion of BMO Field to accommodate CFL football and the Toronto Argonauts. Groups like the Red Patch Boys, U-Sector, Ultras 114 and the North End Elite feel are advising fans to wear black and remain silent, as the emerging fan culture at BMO Field is in large part due to the ground’s status as one of the league’s premier soccer-specific-stadiums.

It is not possible to fit a CFL field into the stadium without major reconstruction.

Toronto FC’s most rabid supporters in the south end and in the northwest corner will sit, rather than stand, during the All-Star game against English side West Ham United on July 24th. There will be limited chanting and cheering. Many of the most rabid supporters have pledged to boycott Toronto FC games should the stadium be retrofitted for CFL football.

“This is not an anti-Argos protest,” clarified Pedro Almeida of the North End Elite. “We have nothing against the Argos or the CFL… We wish them the best of success. But Toronto FC fans signed up in the thousands to support this team based on the premise of it being a soccer-specific stadium with real grass and an intimate setting. We didn’t get the grass. We better get to keep the intimate setting.”

“The supporters groups are united on this,” said Jack DePoe, president of the Red Patch Boys. “The club, the players, the media; everyone has acknowledged the contribution of the supporters groups in the club’s success. We want everyone to understand how upset we are about the possibility of a CFL football retrofit. We won’t stand for this kind of expansion.”

“This was supposed to be our national soccer stadium,” said Rudi Schuller of U-Sector, “but the national team players have already made it clear they prefer to play in other venues because of the Field Turf. Rebuilding for the CFL would further take BMO Field away from being the national soccer stadium.”

Soccer-specific-stadia have long been a key part of the league’s business plan. Seven of the league’s 14 teams currently play in SSSs. Two others will move into SSSs within the next year and the rest have plans to build one.