SETTING SAIL: YACHT CLUB FUELS FAN PASSION FOR SHOWBOATS
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by Andy Seeley
For Bill Alexander, one of the founders of the Memphis Showboats fan group dubbed “The Yacht Club,” being a Showboats fan has always been about more than just football.
It’s a connection to family, city pride and a dash of nostalgia. A fan of the original Showboats team from the United States Football League in the 1980s, Alexander remembers it all like it was yesterday.
“We had season tickets. It was one of the last things my father, me, and my grandfather all did together,” Alexander said. “It was a fantastic time, I mean, those two seasons here were just incredible. Reggie White, Walter Lewis, Derek Crawford—on and on. These were legends in the city. It is really hard to explain how great it was and how it captured the city in that short period of time.”
When the USFL returned in 2022, Alexander and his wife felt a pull to attend the very first game in Birmingham, Ala.
“Great nostalgia,” he recalls of that experience. But he had no idea that nostalgia would come back even stronger when the USFL announced the Showboats would be returning to Memphis in 2023. When that news broke, Alexander knew he wanted to do something to bring together fans, both new and old.
With that spark, the idea for a fan club was born.
From Tailgate to Tradition
Alexander and a few friends decided to kick off the first home game with a big tailgate, inviting people from all over.
“Old seat cushions, hats, Reggie White jerseys—they were everywhere. It was a great experience,” he says. “So we decided that we were gonna do a tailgate. We were at the second game, and someone suggested, ‘Let’s just call us the Yacht Club, and we’ll be online and try to get an experience out of it.’”
The name stuck, and so did the tradition. With each game, the Yacht Club tailgates grew, pulling together hundreds of fans on any given game day.
“We cook out, we do a lot of things together, and we go to the games and come back afterwards,” Alexander shares. “That’s kinda how it grew.”
The Yacht Club has since become a staple of Showboats games, celebrating the old and embracing the new.
More Than Football
During one of those first tailgates, the Yacht Club decided they wanted to do something to support one of Memphis’ most important institutions – St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
“We decided to raise some money for St. Jude, by doing some (fund-raising) at our tailgate. And, you know, so we raised $2,000 during the first year for St. Jude,” Alexander said. “In Memphis, St. Jude is the beacon of beacons.”
The Yacht Club has worked to find children and their families who have been the beneficiaries of the great care St. Jude provides and works with them to support the hospital.
“Our story here is also about helping St. Jude, helping some young kid because that kid got to go on the field after the game and receive a game ball,” Alexander said. “That's something they'll never forget. And we won't either because it was something you can't buy. That's something you won't forget, and that spurred on a lot of people after that to join the Yacht Club.”
Excitement for 2025 and New Leadership
With the announcement of new Showboats head coach Ken Whisenhunt and general manager Jim Monos for the 2025 season, the Yacht Club is eagerly looking forward to the 2025 season, which will be the first time a professional football team in Memphis has played three consecutive seasons.
“I've already met the new coach. He was great at the event they had (at Brookhaven Pub),” Alexander said. “I thought the new general manager was great. They really came across, to all the fans that were there, as really genuinely wanting to help out, to do things.”
For the Yacht Club, they are all about creating an environment that shows what Memphis and the Showboats represent.
“The Showboats is a football team for everybody, and that’s what’s really great about it,” Alexander said. “It’s very affordable. It is a lot of fun. Everyone we’ve had with us really enjoyed it. You can see both teams are playing as hard as they can possibly play. And that’s the thing we’re trying to get across to people: it’s affordable, it’s not time-consuming, it’s a lot of fun, there’s so much to do, your kids will enjoy it.”
Alexander believes the Yacht Club can help bring more people to the Showboats’ games, building a new legacy for a younger generation.
“We like to win, but the fun and affordability, you can’t match it,” he said. “In today’s day and time, you just can’t. I think our job is just to continually try to tell the message of how great it is and how much fun we have doing it.”
Showboats Treasure Yacht Club Relationship
The Yacht Club loves the Showboats and the Showboats love them back. Wide receiver and fan favorite Vinny Papale has felt the zeal of the Yacht Club first-hand.
“The Yacht Club is awesome,” Papale said. “From the beginning, when the team came back in 2023, they have been there supporting us. It means a lot to the players. We love their passion and the energy they bring to the stadium.”
It isn’t just the players who recognize and understand the impact Alexander and the Yacht Club have. The Showboats organization presented Alexander with a full-size captain’s wheel just last year as a thank you and recognition for his leadership and dedication.
For fans interested in connecting with other Showboats supporters, the Yacht Club is active on Facebook at “The Official Memphis Showboats Yacht Club.” Fans new and old can join the discussions, get updates, and look forward to the 2025 season.
Season tickets for the 2025 Showboats season are available now, starting at just $100, giving fans a chance to be part of the next chapter of Showboats history. Tickets can be purchased attheufl.com/teams/memphis/tickets.
For Alexander, the Yacht Club is more than just a fan club. It’s a legacy—a way of honoring the past, building the future, and sharing a love of football that’s unique to Memphis.
“It’s truly something special,” he said.