With few days left in the year, we here at Chicago-Fire.com thought it appropriate to take a look back on 10 of the Most Memorable of what turned out to be a very successful year.
As it would be difficult to rank all the instances that pulled together a fantastic 15th year, we'll be listing them chronologically over the next two weeks. Some are club-wide and as the Team Writer, others are of a more personal nature but rest assured that all were special.
On Wednesday, I remembered the weekend events that led to the Fire’s return to the MLS Cup playoffs. Today, I look forward to the next day, when fans threw a star-studded 15th Anniversary Party for the club.
The team officially clinching their return to the MLS Cup playoffs for the first time since 2009 the day before made the club’s 15th anniversary the next day, October 8, 2012, all the more special.
Already in celebration mode, if you Like the Fire on Facebook or Follow us on Twitter, you were met with this image (the brainchild of Hot Time in Old Town founder Tweed Thornton) early that morning
The build up to the 15th Anniversary celebration allowed the club to take a deep dive into its history, looking back on the Top 15 players as voted on by the supporters, Top 15 games and even Top 15 goals in our aptly named series #Fire15 (presented by TrueCar).
The series allowed anticipation for the fan-driven event to grow and that night at the Chicago History Museum, 11 of the 15 players named in the #Fire15 were in attendance along with nearly all of the current Fire team.
In all, red-clan patrons had a hard time not bumping into the likes of Piotr Nowak, Lubos Kubik, Ante Razov and the many, many more Fire alumni that took time out to commemorate a club that had given them so much. In total, the alumni attendees combined for 3,569 competitive matches and 64 championships won in Chicago.
Rousing speeches were given by the likes of Jesse Marsch, Hristo Stoitchkov (with translation from Denis Hamlett), Peter Wilt, Brian McBride, Diego Gutierrez, Nowak, Frank Klopas and Chris Armas.
Reading a speech from the Fire's first head coach, Marsch toasted the evening and all that have worn the Fire badge by channeling Bruce Springsteen, "To the Fire and the ties that bind."
Truly a night no one in attendance will ever forget but in case you did, check out PHOTOS from the event and the video wrap below.
WATCH: Touchline TV at the Fire 15th Anniversary Party
