Each year on November 1 and 2, the time-honored Latino tradition of Día de los Muertos sees people gather to honor the memory of family members and loved ones who have passed away. In honor of Austin FC supporters who were part of creating the culture at Austin FC but who are no longer with us, the Club looked to this year’s Día de los Muertos as an opportunity to commemorate their love, support, advocacy, and passion.
Johnny Limón was one of those supporters. As Austin FC first began to put its roots down in the city, Limon worked to connect ownership and leadership to the existing Latino soccer community. He helped build support among East Austinites by explaining Austin FC’s intended purpose as a Club for all of Austin, far before the Club had come to be.
Limón saw the groundbreaking of Q2 Stadium, but passed away before the Club’s first home match there. His story is one of among those of many supporters and notable local soccer figures, including Wolfgang Suhnholz, who are no longer with us, but whose impact is still felt in everything the Club does.
Wolfgang, who passed away in late 2019, was a seminal figure in Austin soccer. A star midfielder at Bayern Munich in the early 1970s, Wolfgang started Austin’s Capital Soccer Club in in the mid-1980s. Capital Soccer Club was the first big youth soccer program in Austin, and the first to field both girls' and boys' teams. Though he went on to coach at the national level -- including at the 1999 World Cup -- Wolfgang continued to advocate for the beautiful game and coined the phrase, “Austin is a Soccer City.”
On this Día de los Muertos, the Club created an altar on which ofrendas are dedicated to Johnny and Wolfgang, as well as loved ones Austin FC supporters have lost.
Johnny’s nephew Lonnie Limón took the time to speak about his uncle’s role within the East Austin Latino community, his love of soccer, and his advocacy for Austin FC. Lonnie’s video will play on the video board at Q2 Stadium at Austin FC’s final home match of the 2021 season on November 3.
