Auxilia One was born in April 2018 in Brooklyn, New York, with a vision to connect with Cincinnati transplants and supporters. Gatherings began in South Williamsburg at Banter Brooklyn until Aux One grew into an amorphous supporters' group, eventually holding larger pub watches, events, trips to matches in Greater New York City, and scarf releases. In 2019, Rosco the Rat was adopted as the official mascot and logo of the SG, giving the group the 'city rats' alias as an ode to New York's invasive and persistent rodent population. Today, Aux One is officially recognized by FC Cincinnati.
Ancient Rome's military primarily featured heavy infantrymen called legionaries, citizens that made up the bulk of the State's defenses. However, Rome was disadvantaged by its lack of cavalry and range fighters and frequently contracted mercenaries from other territories to make up for their militaristic discrepancies. Later, these units were designated under an official branch called the Auxilia. The Auxilia was made up of specialized non-citizen troops used to aid Rome in war. Most of the fighters were scrappy, ill-equipped volunteers, but eventually matched the prowess of the legionaries themselves. Auxilia One was named in honor of this history. As transplants operating outside of the seven hills of Cincinnati, we willfully defend our home through our support of club and city. The 'One' in our name represents the first remote SG.
Auxilia One does not have a formal membership process. If you show up, you're apart of the group. We do not expect anyone to buy anything, nor register their information with us. Memberships might work well for other SGs, but due to the revolving-door nature of living in a large metro, we like to keep things casual. In the same vein, there is no council nor president. Decisions are made on a case-by-case basis and involve consensus from active supporters.
We live in a tumultuous time where hate and fascism fester. We are concerned with the growing violence of right wing ideologies, namely the January 6th, 2021 attack on the US Capitol that sought to overturn the tabulation of electoral votes on behalf of Donald Trump in association with Republican co--conspirators in Congress and state legislatures. We are concerned with diminishing reproductive rights of women in the United States, especially the overturning of Roe v Wade. Our mission is to use our platform to condemn these actions, while maintaining a strong relationship to our community and progressive initiatives. In 2021, our group donated scarf sales to New York City's 'Refuse Fascism' chapter, a protest organization and podcast that uses its resources to spread awareness and news of fascist action in the United States. In 2019, we also participated in a clothes drive for the victims of the Dayton, Ohio tornadoes. We believe the best response to hate is kindness. We want to be models in our community. Soccer supporters and good neighbors alike.