Detroit City FC sees pushback amid new flag policy, supporters say

Soccer crowds, at the Paris Olympics and right here at home, love chanting, blowing horns and waving flags. But one passionate group of metro Detroit fans says they're being censored by the team they support, and its partnership with a major broadcast affiliate.

The Northern Guard Supporters, the independent fan group known for colorfully cheering on the Detroit City Football Club (DCFC), said in a statement Saturday on X that the organization's front office notified them Friday ahead of the team's nationally televised Saturday game vs. Rhode Island FC that it agreed to comply with flag restrictions requested by CBS.

The Free Press reached out Sunday to DCFC, which has not commented.

The policy, according to the fan group, says that banners cannot contain profanity or implied profanity and restricts displaying nation or country flags not related to the host country or ones not affiliated with the players on the field.

"This decision felt like a smokescreen to us, especially considering the frequent presence of the Palestinian flag at DCFC matches by supporters," the Northern Guard Supporters said in the statement.

Commentary:MLS team in Detroit? No thank you. DCFC is about soccer community, not money.

The Palestinian flag has been frequently displayed at soccer games around the world and in Hamtramck, where DCFC plays at Keyworth Stadium, to protest killing of tens of thousands of people killed in Gaza since October 2023.

Related:Detroit City FC to release documentary honoring passionate fans of the Northern Guard

The fan group said it has always supported marginalized groups both locally and globally and the decision is a disappointment.

"The move diminishes the opportunity for supporters to showcase the true essence of our unwavering support for the club we love," said the independent supporter group in a statementon X.

The broadcasting partnership between DCFC and CBS Detroit will allow the soccer team to appear on Detroit 50 (WKBD-TV) or CBS Detroit (WWJ-TV, Channel 62), and in a handful of nationally televised games. 

It allows spectators to watch men’s and home women’s matches free of charge on cbsnews.com/detroit.

In its first two seasons in the USL, DCFC matches drew more than 1.5 million viewers on both the men's and women's side.