John Wondolowski - Devotion Scarf

You’re officially a Quakes Devotion Scarf recipient! What does it mean to you to get this honor?

It means a lot. I’ve been involved with soccer long enough to remember the void between the NASL and the MLS. Having that inaugural MLS game at San Jose was awesome. Losing the team to relocation hurt a lot but the dedication of the local fan base and new ownership rekindled the Earthquakes which was wonderful.

I used to take my three sons to Spartan Stadium to watch the Clash and to the Arena to watch the Grizzlies Indoor. To have it come full circle and have this great stadium in a robust professional league has been a great ride. To be able to watch it first hand has been a great way of joining my youth with the NASL Earthquakes and Stompers to today with the tremendous level of sophistication and talent.

Talk to us about your Quakes fandom. How long have you been cheering on the black & blue? What is your most memorable moment?

We went to Spartan Stadium back in the early MLS days and then to Buck Shaw after the relocation/expansion and finally to Avaya in current times. I’ve had amazing personal moments at Buck Shaw and Avaya but I probably enjoyed taking my three sons to games at Spartan most of all – and to finally see my son subbed in from the bench at Spartan Stadium for his first MLS minutes at home. That is a nice cycle.

Who is your favorite Quakes player and why?

I’ve grown quite fond of Chris Wondolowski. In fact, it is almost like we have a kind of connection – and I like to think that he has been like a son to me.

What would be your message to Quakes fans out there?

We shouldn’t take professional soccer in the Bay Area for granted. Oakland is not going to take NFL football in Oakland for granted nor are they going to take NBA in Oakland for granted. If that is what it takes for Oakland to pay attention to the A’s – then ok. But let’s not get into that situation, we have the Sharks and Earthquakes in San Jose and let’s never take them for granted.