Roger Williams: The First Rogue
As Providence City FC is intimately related to its own locality and the diverse members of the Providence community, to speak to the city’s past undoubtedly reflects, in some ways, on Providence’s soccer club of today. To be a Rogue, to defy the expectations of others, to fight for a belief system, and to travel untrodden paths calls to mind a number of exemplary figures, yet, steeped in a locale of rich historical significance, it is no surprise that PCFC need not look far to find similarly driven individuals. Roger Williams, the abolitionist and radical thinker of the 17th century, lacked only a kit: his ambition to fight on behalf of the disenfranchised, his struggle for religious tolerance, and the resulting persecution endured for criticizing royal authority all point to his rogue nature.
While the Providence of today is undoubtedly different from the Providence of Williams’ era, the philosophy of its soccer club and the philosophy of one its primary settlers stand virtually indistinguishable. Indeed, as Providence City FC seek to build community through meaningful and local business relationships, as the club inspires a new generation of Providence soccer talent, and as they strive for relentless success on their own terms, the Rogues of today seek only to emulate the very original Rogue himself. As Providence and Rhode Island sought to provide a space for those cast aside under the auspices of Williams, so too does PCFC serve as a beacon for those who tire from the money and bureaucracy of today’s game in favor of the beautiful simplicity of soccer when played before fans who care and a city worth supporting.
What is so meaningful about becoming a Rogue is not only the innumerable connections it provides presently, but also the infinite ways it connects a fan to the defiant history of the city. To become a Rogue is not only to follow in the footsteps of eleven of Providence’s premier players on the weekend, but to use a sense of self confidence to enact positive change on a daily basis. For a grassroots club like us, it would be hard to lack those qualities and still be communicating with thousands of followers today.
To trace the history of Rogue spirit in Providence undoubtedly requires an acknowledgement of the unprecedented advances of our very own Roger Williams. He was the first Rogue, and it is for him, for the city past and present, that our insignia has come to represent.