Northern Guard Announces Matchday Protest at Detroit City FC Games

Jonathan Turner
Aug 25
2 min read

NATIONAL SOCCER NEWS: www.nationalsoccernetwork.com

Northern Guard Announces Matchday Protest at Detroit City FC Games

Detroit, Mich. — Aug. 25, 2025 — Detroit City FC’s most visible supporters’ group, the Northern Guard Supporters (NGS), says it will scale back its in-stadium presence “starting [the] last home match and continuing forward,” citing concerns over the club’s treatment of key figures, declining communications, and on-field performance.

In a statement shared publicly, NGS said it will not fly flags, hang banners, or pop smoke on matchdays — a striking visual change for a group long known for choreographed tifos, drums, and smoke displays at Keyworth Stadium.

“Our support is reduced because the club we support has been reduced,” the statement read, framing the action as a protest designed to “demand better from the front office and the play on the field.”

VIDEO COURTESY OF NATIONAL SOCCER NETWORK

The three grievances cited by NGS

Treatment of club figures: NGS criticized the club’s handling of Trevor James and Tiffany Ebert James, calling both “two legends of the club” who “deserved a better, more respectable send-off.” The group said a “lack of explanation” and “side-stepping of the truth” from the front office in that matter was “unacceptable.”
Declining communication standards: The statement alleges a “continued degradation of communications from the club,” from proofreading and mailing lists to injury information. NGS argued it “should not be up to a player to disseminate their own injury news to fans in a professional football club.”
On-field performance: While acknowledging a strong start to the season, NGS said results “have fallen flat over the last four months with no effort to change course,” and asked that players and staff “give their 100% to earn our support.”

“From a place of love,” not malice

NGS emphasized the action is not rooted in hostility toward the club but in commitment to its long-term health.

“This does not come from a place of malice or hatred. In fact, it comes from the exact opposite: love and support,” the statement said. “We are using the power we have built to demand better from the front office and the play on the field.”

The message closed with the group’s signature rallying cry: “Up the Fucking City.”