Whether you say "soccer" or "fútbol," there's more to the beautiful game than the final score. In the U.S. and around the world, people talk about the special relationship between the community in the stands and the players on the pitch.
Whether you say "soccer" or "fútbol," there's more to the beautiful game than the final score. In the U.S. and around the world, soccer is a game embedded in the daily life of many communities, and the people of many communities form a special relationship with players on the pitch, and with each other.
In Argentina, supporters of Boca Juniors call themselves "La Doce." At Lumen Field in Seattle, it’s "The 12th Man." The name embodies the idea that who and what a team plays for can change the outcome of a game, and that the relationship between the game and the fan is part of who they are. In Atlanta, we're calling our monthly digital magazine, "The 12th," and we invite you to join us.
We're bringing you stories from Atlanta's soccer culture that go beyond the game to the people and communities that live the game. You might learn about the concept of "Vivir Sabroso" and the best place to enjoy authentic Colombian food during the 2026 World Cup. Or how a new amateur conference is opening the door for clubs in places like Lithonia. We may spend several months dodging insults as regulars at Brewhouse Cafe explain why new fans of the sport should really only support their chosen Premier League club.
Or investigating how the arrival of the World Cup to Atlanta affects local neighborhoods and the people who live in them – including unhoused people.
We'll be coming to you each month with a mission to set a new standard for sports writing in the city of Atlanta. If you subscribe today, you'll get full access to the website and email newsletters about new content when available. Your subscription makes The 12th possible. You can also support us by sending in small contributions after reading a story that moved you.
Who are we?
The 12th is a project of Timothy Pratt and Paul Glaze. Timothy's written about soccer for The New York Times, The Guardian, FourFourTwo, NPR, Howler magazine and more. He has immersed himself in different immigrant communities to write about how they experience the World Cup, explored the sport's connection to protest culture in Colombia, his second country, and documented the rise of Atlanta United's Supporter Groups. As you’ll read about in our first issue, he also raised two soccer-playing children, one of whom, Dylan, was a diez clásico, a classic No. 10.
Paul is a media and public relations pro who has worked with vital Atlanta organizations such as Georgia Conservation Voters, the Cop City Referendum Coalition, the Georgia Resilience and Opportunity Fund, and New Georgia Project, and who played for years before accepting that he wasn’t that good in the first place. You can find him now playing in the Sons of Pitches co-ed leagues for Goal Dancers FC, proudly sporting the Clermont Lounge kit or volunteering for Play Fair ATL, a coalition dedicated to ensuring that the World Cup in 2026 isn’t a repeat of the worst impacts of the 1996 Olympics on the city’s working people.
Together with rotating guests ranging from former pros to fellow writers, we’re bringing our storytelling and life experience to celebrate Atlanta's soccer community, and the game in general. We hope that The 12th contributes to the sport's popularity and growth in the city we love.
If you’d like to contribute to this project, please reach out to paul@12thnews.com. We’d love for this to be a vessel that can support the community long-term, and your participation makes that possible. We’re starting this thing, but it’ll only succeed if you help us.
What can you expect?
Every month, we will have a mix of stories and videos focusing on some or all of the five themes that interest us, but always centering the people who make this community and sport what it is. These themes are:
Club & City – Atlanta United: its economy, stadium, and supporter culture.
The People’s Game – Portraits of the people who make this community incredible. Think immigrant stories, family connections, amateur and grassroots efforts.
The World Cup – Investigative and Service Journalism about the biggest event in sports worldwide and its relationship with our community.
The Women’s Game – Coverage and profiles of Atlanta’s growing women’s scene.
From the Vault – Stories from Timothy’s career writing about the sport from Las Vegas to Barcelona. Each edition comes with added commentary on the story’s relevance today and a link to the original.
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