Let me tell you a story.
A few years ago, I found myself in a small Bavarian village called Mistelgau, shuffling along a few narrow streets with my brother and father and the rest of the townsfolk toward a single football pitch in the foothills of the surrounding mountains. I stood and cheered for 90+ minutes with the rest of the citizens of this small village, hoping their young men could stave off relegation from the 8th tier of the German football system. There were no stands. No drums. No merch. No fancy amenities. No hot dogs. Just football, and pride in their community. There in the shadow of the Fichtel mountains, my understanding of what a soccer club could be completely changed.
A week later I was back home in O’Fallon, Missouri and founding a supporters group (the Mudpuppy Ultras) for my local lower league soccer club. When that team eventually disbanded, I jumped at the chance to help build our own team.
My name is Joe Miller, the Director of Marketing for Gateway Football Group. I tell stories. In my 9-5, I use data to tell the story of complex logistics networks. I narrate markets with the stories that mass data provides. My background is in biology and I use data to help explain how the world works. For fun, I got a Master of Fine Arts in writing so I could help tell stories about why the world works. I’m a storyteller. And here at Gateway Football Group, I'm no different. I see my role here not as a ticket seller or a scarf merchant. My goal is to tell the story of this town’s love for the beautiful game. My goal is to translate the passion of the fans and neighbors within this community into a rally cry. My goal is to tell the story of how a town that comes together to cheer on their players and themselves can make an impact on how we see ourselves and our environment. My goal is to change how we support a club. My goal is to tell that story. And as our fans are the true builders of this club, it’s your story, too.
And it’s quite a story to tell. Help me tell it.
