Soccer fans at a hockey game. Oil and water?
We got a little indication in Vancouver last night as a group of Whitecaps fans, mostly Southsiders, decided to take in a Canucks game and tried to add a little soccer style atmosphere to a usually quiet Rogers Arena.
It had mixed results. But it's certainly got people talking.
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The Canucks earned a narrow 2-1 victory over Minnesota Wild. They now sit five points back of Chicago with 36 matches still to play. Should they catch the Blackhawks, it would be their third straight President’s Trophy as league champions. Still reading??!
In many ways, it was a typical night for the boys in blue. It was their 414th sellout on the trot. They’ve now won their last six matches. And as ever, there was a goaltending controversy with Roberto Luongo getting the nod over Corey Schneider. Yawn.
The night also featured a special appearance by their ‘noisy neighbours’, who made the short march to the westside of the upper bowl. We spoke to one of their number, Kristjan Aug, after the match.
<i>"It’s a great community to be a part of. We are always supporting the Whitecaps first, trying to have fun, do as many social activities as we can, but it’s always Whitecaps first. It’s great to be part of the family."</i>
On Tuesday, the family as he calls it, was 75-strong, with many more following at home and on twitter. As a group, they marched into the stadium, their chants and their songs filling the concourse until they reached their seats in the upper bowl, taking the last several rows of their section.
<i>"Well, going to Rogers Arena, I was hoping that we could provide some atmosphere, supply some energy, and some chants that maybe the other Canucks fans haven’t seen yet. We had a great time, certainly did most of the chants we were hoping for. It was pretty much a positive response."</i>
To that end, they sang new songs such as "We all dream of a team of Sedins" put to the tune of ‘Yellow Submarine’ by the Beatles; and Southside classics, like ‘Boundary Road, take me home, to place where I belong, Vancouver, pretty mama, take me home, Boundary Road," which is set to the tune of ‘Take Me Home, Country Roads’ by John Denver. There was also a wonderful tribute sung to the sadly departed Rick Rypien.
And they were a hit - at least at first.
<i>"The people in our general area, around our section, they took a pretty positive response, clapped along with us, maybe they didn’t follow along with the lyrics or the chants, but we weren’t expecting that. Certainly they clapped along, joined in, as much as they cared to participate with, but yeah, it was a fun time in the general area."</i>
If Rogers Arena is the successor to the Pacific Coliseum, then perhaps it is fitting that a Roman proverb comes to mind, 'Damnant quod non intellegunt,' which can be translated as 'people always fear what they don't understand'.
<i>"Well, there were certainly some issues with security. They thought we were standing more than we should have. We definitely had a little bit of a talk with security, but nothing more than I would have expected."</i>
<i>"It seemed to be a little bit of a learning curve for them. By them, I say the Canucks fans in general. They were a little bit more reserved than we normally are. We’re normally outgoing, singing and chanting, and all that kind of stuff. They’re more used to sitting back and watching the game. There was a bit of a culture clash there, but they certainly enjoyed it, joined in with us, and it was a good time overall."</i>
For Kristjan Aug, it was an eye-opening experience that will not be soon forgot. He had come to Rogers Arena to broaden the horizons of his neighbours, exposing them to supporter culture. In his view, the Arena did not need to be quiet, sombre, and reserved, as it so often is. This was a sporting event, an opportunity to show true passion, and he would encourage others to do likewise.
<i>"I wasn’t overly impressed personally with security and the way they treated us. Just in general the way they treated us. They sort of viewed us as outsiders rather than participants. That’s the way they seemed to look at it, that 'we were there to cause a ruckus', and we really weren’t. We were there to support the team and they didn’t really understand the supporters’ culture versus the fan culture."</i>
In hockey as in football, or any other sport, athletes are influenced by their surroundings. They play inside a stadium, populated by real people, who urge them onward. They hear the crowd, and when they’re tired, when they want to give up, to quit, or give less than their best; that noise, that little bit of encouragement, it can spur them to push past the pain and on to greatness.
<i>"In supporters culture, we really get behind the team and make noise and just cheer them on, whereas in the fan culture, where you’re kind of there more to watch it than support it. I’m not sure that really makes a whole lot of sense, but we’re there 100% behind the team, making sure that they know we’re there for them, rather than ourselves."</i>
The night also gave the travelling supporters a new appreciation for what they have at BC Place.
<i>"I’m just glad that we have the security that we have at BC Place. Those guys are fantastic. Every once in a while people complain about BC Place security, but I’m so glad that we have those guys compared to the guys at Rogers Arena. It’s just the way that Rogers Arena treats supporters and fans that make noise, get behind the team, and support them. I would not go back myself personally. I’m so looking forward to March 2nd."</i>
Strong words, but they should not be misconstrued as any kind of resentment towards the Canucks players, management, or their fans. Kristjan's issue is with the security of Rogers Arena and their handling of the situation. It’s probably safe to say that everyone can agree that it could have been handled better.
<i>"Canucks supporters are great. Don’t get me wrong. They really are. They are among the best supporters in North America for a hockey game. They do make noise, they’re all behind the team, and I have zero problems with that. But the way security treated us is something we need to work on."</i>
It should also be said that there were encouraging signs. Many of the season ticket holders and the casual fans seemed receptive. For most of them, it was a new experience to see people standing, chanting, and singing at Rogers Arena. Those are usually reserved for the national anthem, goals by the home team, or any particularly impressive segment of play.
<i>"The Canucks fans themselves, the guys five, six rows even in front of us, they were joining in on our chants, songs, and clapping. People were participating and that’s what I loved about them. We were there to provide a completely different kind of support of the team, and they were all for it."</i>
With 75 dedicated supporters, used to standing, chanting, and singing for 90 minutes at a time, a 60 minute hockey match should have been a walk in the park, even if it does take the better part of three hours to play it.
<i>"I loved it, and they loved it, and it was fantastic until security and Rogers Arena staff, and VPD even, stepped in on it. It was fantastic up until that point. And they kind of spoiled the mood. People didn’t get back into it. The second and third period, there was kind of a downward spiral; it just didn’t work the same as the first period."</i>
At the end of the day, it was a great day to be a Vancouver Whitecaps supporter. They exited the Arena as they entered it, with their heads held high, secure in the knowledge that they had represented the best part of being a supporter. They stood, as much as they could. They sang, in support of the Canucks. And they raised the bar, showed the neutral that there was something more, that you didn’t have to observe in polite silence, but could express your support and have fun doing it.
<i>"Yes, we did show that people can be energetic and supportive and all that kind of stuff. Certainly, we accomplished that, we did. People know us; the Team 1040 was talking about us for hours. People have seen how fan culture can be in hockey, they’ve seen YouTube videos of the Swedish and Finnish national leagues, but they haven’t realised what it can be like in Canada. And we have shown them that yes, it can happen here."</i>
To some, football is synonymous with hooliganism, and it always will. But one of the supporters’ favourite chants is beautiful in its simplicity, "We don’t riot!". On match days, hundreds descend upon the downtown streets, peacefully marching to the home of the Whitecaps, BC Place.
<i>"On the negative side, they’ve seen that yes, we may or may not be a loud, boisterous crowd. Mind you, we didn’t swear at all tonight. I guarantee you that we did not swear tonight. But people have seen us as sort of a loud, boisterous crowd, and a lot of people in Canada want to watch hockey, stay down, stay quiet, and that’s fine for them."</i>
Though the night may not have been a resounding success, it was still a good day. Some people may not have liked what they did, but they could not have acted any other way. They are not just fans, they are supporters and they make no apology for that.
<i>"In the end, it was positive. Did we accomplish what we wanted to do? I’ll say yes and no, because we did show what we could be capable of. But at the same time, we did dismay a lot of people, because they want to sit down and be quiet, and we didn’t want to be. So you can take from that what you will."</i>
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