The suitably dodgy bunch of Toronto FC supporters known as U-Sector stand in section 113. Photo: Elizabeth Keay

It’s spring and for supporters of Toronto FC that means another season in the stands at BMO Field with a cool breeze coming off Lake Ontario, the flags of every nation a player hails from flapping beside Canadian and City of Toronto flags.  Full disclosure, I am one of those supporters and have been a season seat holder from the first season.

Every time I’m asked why I support a club that has had such a dismal record for so long, I try to explain that it’s not just about the performance of the team, but also about the group of supporters that have become my friends. Calling ourselves “U-Sector”, a name the group traces back to when they supported the Toronto Lynx in the “U” section of Varsity Stadium, we occupy section 113 behind the net in the south stands.

While I admit TFC’s lackluster years have taken their toll on what was once our youthful, or at least younger, enthusiasm. We are, as we often sing, “all in this together.”

This time, it seems like it may be different than the previous years, which have seen Toronto FC, linger at the bottom of Major League Soccer. With three wins in five games so far this year, TFC is off to a decent start and even the most cynical supporters are grudgingly saying it might be a respectable year for the club.

With the signing of former Tottenham Hotspurs striker Jermain Defoe and U.S. National team captain, midfielder Michael Bradley it looks like Maple Leaf Sports Entertainment, who own Toronto FC, are finally investing and fielding a competitive team.

With the return of Canadian national team striker Dwayne De Rosario and the addition of Gilberto Oliveira Souza Junior from Brazil, Toronto FC is clearly looking to end the goal drought that has plagued the team for many years.

Whether the historically shaky back line can keep the goals against down, might be the difference between a long sought after playoff spot and another disappointing finish.

While the honeymoon between Toronto FC and supporters ended a long time ago, at times it has felt like a rocky long-term relationship, the changes that TFC have made this year are spicing things up in the south stands again.

While we’ve been there for the club through all of the highs and lows, this year looks like it’s the year to fall in love with TFC all over again.

See you in 113.