FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Joe Franchino wanted a fresh perspective on his beloved club.
The former New England Revolution captain knows what it’s like to pull on the jersey and experience the sights and sounds of the action from the field; he made more than 150 appearances for the Revs during a nine-year stint in Foxborough from 2000 to 2008.
Franchino has also watched his fair share of Revolution games from the Putnam Club – slightly detached from the lower bowl below – a side effect of an injury-laden 2007 season in which he was largely limited to the role of spectator.
What he had never done – at least until this past weekend – was stand amongst the Revolution’s most vocal supporters in The Fort, singing and chanting alongside those who supported him for so many years.
So for the entirety of Saturday’s meeting with Columbus Crew SC, Franchino did just that.
“Sitting in The Fort was amazing,” Franchino said as he recounted the experience on Monday afternoon. “I’ve been away from the club for so long now and just coming back was awesome. (Rekindling) those old feelings and experiences was very memorable.”
Franchino’s journey to The Fort started with a simple request. Revolution Communications Associate John Machado, who was reaching out to former players for brief Q&As to be included on New England’s game-day roster cards, contacted Franchino to ask a few questions about his time in Foxborough.
The more the duo chatted about the past, the more powerfully Franchino began to reminisce. Still local, he mentioned a desire to attend the game when he’d be featured on the roster card. Machado obliged.
“I miss being part of the club and the experience there,” Franchino said. “I saw it as an opportunity to bring my daughter and a couple friends, and [John] was more than willing to help out. He was very accommodating. I guess it was all John – I just kind of went with it.
“Then I got back in the stadium, and these old feelings popped up.”
It’s been seven years since Franchino last suited up for the Revolution, but plenty of ties to his time with the club still remain. Watching pregame warmups from the sideline on Saturday, he couldn’t help but bump into a cast of characters from his past.
The first person Franchino saw was Nick Downing, currently the Revolution’s strength and conditioning coach, but once a Revolution teammate between 2001 and 2003.
“Right away, I just felt at home,” Franchino said.
There was massage therapist Glenn O’Connor, who’s been with the team since 2002. Players Andy Dorman and Brad Knighton, the last remaining links to Franchino’s playing days. Head coach Jay Heaps, who spent eight years playing on the same backline as Franchino. Even former teammate Avery John, who serves in an official role as a match observer at Revolution games, was there to reminisce.
But perhaps most special was a quiet conversation with both Robert and Jonathan Kraft.
“It was a whirlwind,” Franchino said. “For everyone to come up to me and take – whether it was a couple minutes, or 30 seconds, or whatever it was – it was monumental and it meant a lot to me.”
But the best was yet to come.
When Machado initially offered Franchino seats in the Putnam Club for Saturday’s game against Columbus, he happily agreed. But then he had a better idea.
“Towards the end of my playing career with the Revs, I was injured quite a bit and I was sitting up in the club quite a bit, so I experienced that,” Franchino said. “I wanted to get down to where the fans were – the diehard fans.
“Sitting in The Fort, I thought my daughter wanted to experience that and I wanted to experience that, as well, just because I’d never sat down there.”
So Machado set it up for Franchino, his 11-year-old daughter Kaitryn and a couple of friends to watch the game amongst the Midnight Riders, the Rebellion and the Rev Army. Franchino took to the atmosphere like a fish to water, waving flags and chanting and singing for the entire 90 minutes.
New England’s supporters, for their part, were thrilled to have a former Revolution captain among them, and did everything they could to make sure Franchino knew he was part of the family.
“They welcomed me with open arms and it was a fun experience,” Franchino said. “I’m just truly grateful that my daughter was able to experience it with me.
“We went straight over to The Fort and they were amazing. I never expected them to do what they did and the loyalty they showed me. They opened up their seats and to experience that was amazing.”
Much time has passed since Franchino was patrolling the field for the Revolution, but he quickly learned on Saturday that he’ll always be a part of the club’s history.
“To come back, it was a long period of time being away, and for them to be that loyal and show their support towards me and my daughter, and still look at me in that way was special, because I played a big part of my career here,” Franchino said.
The game itself didn’t pan out quite the way Franchino had hoped – ferocious winds stifled both attacks en route to a 0-0 draw – but there’s nothing he’d change about his experience.
Once a captain, Franchino is now a supporter. Either way, he’s part of the family.
“I couldn’t have written the script any better,” he said. “It was a great experience. I’m just truly grateful that John reached out and for the Revs family to treat us the way they did.”
