The Chattanooga Football Club (CFC) will head to Madison, Ala. this weekend, just outside of Huntsville, in hopes of bringing back a National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) championship back to the Scenic City.

Chattanooga, will face the Madison (Wisc.) 56ers in a semifinal game on Thursday night while the first-year Sacramento (Cal.) Gold will take on 2008 NPSL champion FC Sonic Lehigh Valley (Pa.) in the other semifinal.

And more than any of the other three teams that will be there, CFC’s players know they have the support of the fans back home.

While the team’s 7-1-2 record (6-0-2 in league play) speaks for itself, it’s a large and loyal fan base that has made CFC perhaps the biggest success story in the 35-team nationwide league.

In a league where 500 fans a game is considered high, Chattanooga supporters have poured into Finley Stadium in record fashion, averaging over 4,400 fans a game this season.

And that type of support is not overlooked by any of the players.

“The fan support here is just great,” said defender Russell Courtney, a Chattanooga native. “It really makes you appreciate it that much more when you go to an away game and only see 100 or so in the stands. Then you come back home to Finley and there are a few thousand people there. It really motivates you and makes you want to play well.”

“You talk about the fans being the 12th man and that is really is that case for us,” said midfielder Moises Drumond. “You get an adrenaline rush and your energy level seem to be higher at home and I know it’s because of them. It does a make a big difference to know the crowd is really behind you.”

Both Courtney and Drumond give credit to CFC’s marketing department for putting the team squarely in the center of the spotlight.

“The city has really adopted us and I think it has to do with everybody behind the scenes,” Drummond continued. “It seems like most everyone that comes to a game for the first time always says ‘we’ll be back’ because of the atmosphere and the fun they have.”

Richmond, Va. native Mac Gambill, who played collegiately at Wofford College, said he has been overwhelmed by the fan support.

“The first time I came out of the locker room and saw all those people, it felt like the NCAA tournament or a state championship game,” he said. “And it’s like that for every single home game. There’s just no comparison to these other places we go. Sometimes, I even feel bad for the teams that come in to play us because they have to deal with the crowds we bring in.”

Even head coach Brian Crossman says it’s hard to discount the boost the team gets from hearing thousands of CFC fans.

“That extra bit of love and support really makes a difference for the guys that are playing, for sure,” he said. “These guys are all great competitors, and they don’t need a whole lot of extra juice when they go out there to get them going, but that little bit extra does help.”

The players are confident they can get the job done this weekend and would love nothing more than to payback their fans with a NPSL title.

“It’s amazing to play in front of that many people and have that support,” said goal keeper and Belmont, N.C. native Thomas Hunter. “We’re having a great year and it’s a great feeling to know they are behind you. I definitely think we have the talent, and with some injuries we’ve had, we’re showing that we have depth too. I think we can win it all, no doubt in my mind.”

The third-place game is set for Friday night at 6:30 p.m. EST with the championship game scheduled to kick-off at 8:30 p.m. EST on Saturday.