Photograph by Devin M. Young
On an early summer night in downtown Decatur, one can expect to find a “proper” soccer atmosphere. A booming drum reverberates through the stadium. Soccer’s quintessential “Viking Clap” comes and goes. Fans and sponsors watch the game on apartment balconies above the stadium, draping soccer banners from the railings. Hands find heads after shots whiz by the goal frame.
Though it was founded just last year, Decatur F.C., a women’s semi-professional soccer team in the Women’s Premier Soccer League, has quickly become a staple of the city’s culture. In its inaugural WPSL season, Decatur F.C. finished second in the Peachtree Division and 16th nationally out of 142 teams. Most notably, Decatur F.C. attracted a crowd of 2,126 fans to its home game against Georgia Impact at Decatur High School’s stadium—setting a new attendance record in the then 26-year-old league.
“Decatur has its own soul, its own identity, which is why they kind of latched on to this team,” says Alex Tiller, the man responsible for the drum beats ringing around the stadium.
In the 2025 season, Decatur F.C. continued to reach new heights. The team remained undefeated through eight games, dominating the league. With high-scoring home wins against Union 10 F.C. and Atlanta Fire United, Decatur dazzled its home fans with talented offensive displays. The team has also fought for wins on the road, beating Chattanooga F.C. and the UFA Gunners each by one goal. According to Decatur F.C. Head Coach Campbell Chapman, the team’s roster depth and internal motivation is behind its excellence this season.
“When they go on the field, they’re fully confident that they can do the job no matter what position they play, who’s on the field at that time,” Chapman says. “It’s just a really good collective group of players.”
In its opening game this year against Union 10 F.C., Decatur set the WPSL attendance record once again when about 2,550 fans showed up to watch the team’s 8-1 win. More recently on June 20, a sea of black and gold Decatur F.C. jerseys watched their team clinch top spot in the Peachtree Division.
The promise of watching a high-paced, technically skilled, aggressive team is one aspect drawing fans. Another reason is the strong connection established between the team and the people of Decatur. Before games, the team’s staff and players camp out in Decatur Square, talking with fans. Fans then march through the streets of Decatur to the Decatur High School stadium, and many people walk directly from their homes for the games thanks to the school’s central location. For away games, fans gather at O’Sullivans Irish Pub, a Decatur F.C. sponsor, cheering on their team.
“There has been a committed effort to make it part of the community and make it somewhere that you want to be as a Decatur resident,” says Michael Watson, a Decatur F.C. season ticket holder.
Photograph by Devin M. Young
For Decatur F.C. midfielder Emma Chapman, daughter of Coach Chapman and a former Decatur High School student, the response from the local community has been astounding, with games sometimes drawing larger crowds than her collegiate ones.
“I expected maybe my parents to be here, local fans, but Decatur as a whole, and the people that have been a part of our brand just pushing it has completely surpassed all of our expectations,” Emma Chapman says.
Campbell Chapman believes that Decatur is a true “soccer city.” Several club soccer programs are popular in the area, and many of the kids who attend the games play soccer themselves. The Decatur F.C. players also host a program called “Wednesday Night Lights” during the season to give back to local girls youth soccer. With people of all ages in Decatur hooked on soccer, the city was primed for a team to call their own.
Tiller, who plays the drums during games, is no stranger to a bustling soccer atmosphere: he can often be found playing the drums at Atlanta United games too. But Tiller acknowledges that Decatur F.C. offers something MLS games ordinarily can’t provide: familiar faces everywhere you look. In the stands and after the games, fans chat with neighbors, friends from school, and the players and their families, all at the local stadium down the road from their homes.
“That level of grassroots community is awesome,” Tiller says. “That’s what I love the most about it. There is no faceless aspect to this.”
