I’m faced with a big decision. After two enjoyable years in the Red and Black Bloc of the Western Sydney Wanderers, I’m contemplating a move away.
To paint a picture for you, the RBB is a mass of passionate football fans committed to singing until their throats are sore in the pursuit of supporting their newly established team.
Hesitantly buying my Wanderers membership two years ago, I chose Gate C, where the RBB calls home. I did so mainly for it’s cheaper price. After a few games however I realised I had struck an even greater bargain, now finding myself on the outer fringes of the RBB.
Sitting in Bay 56, row and seat an ever-changing situation, I was lucky enough to watch a small band of die heart football fans morph into an army of Red and Black. At first lucky to fill out a single bay, the RBB quickly grew and with it, my support of the Wanderers.
Committing to a completely new team can be a gamble, and one that can take a long while to pay out. Having watched the AFL team the Greater Western Sydney Giants struggle to win a single game in their first few seasons from essentially my backyard, I should have been a little more apprehensive to throw my support behind the Wanderers.
But thankfully any apprehension was eradicated by the RBB and it’s successes.
Making even a loss feel like a win with their unwavering spirit, the RBB almost makes the on-pitch result obsolete with the love they show for their team. Having said this, nothing compares to the raucous celebration a goal, let alone a win evokes within the RBB.
Much like the icing on an already delicious cake, a Wanderers goal makes the time in the RBB all the more salivating. When the chant “Let’s go (expletive) mental” erupts, you know things are going well and you have permission to lose yourself in the moment.
Unity is another trait the RBB manages to elicit through it’s chants and general message. The 80th minute Poznan and any chant requiring contact with another person is embraced by all in the RBB with enthusiasm. Linking arms with a stranger, you truly do feel part of something so much bigger than yourself.
While this terrific atmosphere does exist elsewhere at Pirtek Stadium, the sheer passion on display in the RBB is unrivalled. Standing tall, rain, hail or shine, those in the RBB don’t care if their legs are sore after a day of work and resist the urge to sit, realising they are contributing to something on such a vast magnitude.
Around the stadium, the same dedication simply doesn’t exist with many a fan preferring the comfort of their seat over raucous celebration.
I was one of the many in the RBB who looked down upon these supporters as lazy and as supposed ‘band wagoners’, but over time my attitude has changed and I now find myself among them.
My first taste of life from another stand came in the Wanderers first ACL clash, and boy did I savour it. Gifted the luxury of being able to sit, I was able to watch the game from not only a far greater angle but with my unwavering attention.
The RBB you see, in being so passionate and raucous, has transformed in to a cult of sorts – where everyone in Gate C is expected to be chanting loudly and proudly. While I love hearing an echoing chant as much as the next guy, I’m not one to scream my lungs off. I prefer to absorb the sounds than contribute to them.
Unfortunately over time the RBB sprouted it’s own enforcers of sorts who take it upon themselves to march up and down the rows ordering those transfixed by the game to focus on the chanting rather than on-field action.
These ‘enforcers’ are usually drunk. Nobody’s looking for their moment in the sun, but they sure did put an increasing dampener on my experience in the RBB. From day one I was there cheering on the Wanderers, only for these so called ‘football fans’ to turn up and say that I wasn’t supporting my team hard enough.
So busy looking to pick out those trying to focus on the game, many of these ‘enforcers’ rarely glimpse the game being played behind them – and they say I’m not a fan?
This culture of focusing more on the chanting then actually watching the game reached it’s height mid-way through last season with the so-called figure heads of the RBB telling us fans that if we didn’t start chanting louder they’d pack up and go home. Now what sort of fans are they?
I relish what the RBB represents for Western Sydney and the atmosphere it creates, but I find it ludicrous to think that some fans are putting chanting above actually supporting their team.
As a football fan I’m inclined to always put the game above all else. Even though I love the increasingly great atmosphere of A-League games, I’m more focused on what happens on the pitch than off it. Now is that such a sin?
Some in the RBB would have you believe it is, so I have been gradually warming to the idea of a move away as a way to escape my apparent sins. Elsewhere I can watch the game without a flag or over-zealous chanter blocking my way, albeit at the cost of having to watch enviously on at the sheer synchronisation and mass of people the RBB maintains.
At the end of the day unfortunately the RBB has made me chose between atmosphere or the game, and I’m one to favour the game.
Joshua Thomas
Roar Guru
Great to hear your view of things Simon. Happy to see you got the point of the article!
Simon Smale
Roar Guru
I have found myself in a similar situation before in the UK Josh, I love football, and I love (God help me) Southend United, and I was once regularly found standing in "the blue voice" section at home, and on the terraces with the die-hards at away games, and the act of chanting and cheering and making noise and supporting the team is one of the things that makes watching live football such a fantastic experience. In the football league in England you regularly get two two sets of supporters all competing with each other for noise and throwing banter backwards and forwards and it creates a real sense of enjoyment and comradeship with your fellow supporters. Until you get to the point where nobody watches the game and you miss the nuances of the match while you are busy looking around at your own fans for people who aren't conforming to your idea of what a true fan is. I happily and vociferously support my team in every sport I go to watch, and at football matches I shout and scream and chant and sing as much as any of the so called "super-fans", but I go to football to watch the football. Being a part of the crowd is a definitely benefit, but to refer to other fans as not real fans because they don't sing? Ridiculous. After a game I want to talk about the match, and about what happened on the pitch. Not about missing the goal because some idiot was having a go at me for not singing loudly enough. Crowds are meant to be organic, not set up with hymn sheets and "singing enforcers". I applaud you for bringing this up Josh, but people need to relax a bit. Josh is no less of a fan because he doesn't want to miss the action on the field, and neither are the guys who jump up and down doing the Poznan. Football is brilliant because there is something for everyone. Don't throw the whole "real fan" argument at people just because they don't want to sing. It's small mind and petty, and causes supporters to turn on themselves. Enjoy the coming season Josh.
AZ_RBB
Guest
Returning your membership? *fingers and toes crossed*
TheDudeAbides
Guest
Spot on mate! You should hear some of their "arguments" if you try to say all fans are the same it's La Banda this La Banda that.... Like playing a drum makes you a better fan they are all arrogant and I'm ashamed to be associated with them
Bfc
Guest
Firstly, a declaration of interest...I am a long term season ticket holder/fan of the RoarFC...(and the Qld Reds rugby for that matter..). My mates support opposition teams...MVFC, SFC, Waratahs etc...but we still wash games together. We sledge each other of course, but do not take it too seriously...we are all sideline experts, but there is a reason why we are 'sideline' experts and not playing or coaching at professional level! I profess that I am similarly bemused by the attitude of some fan groups....cannot understand why a 'fan' has to behave in a particular manner in an overt display of tribalism. I am happy to cheer, applaud the skill, and boo the officials if they do not see an incident that I saw with my jaundiced eye...but I am there primarily to watch the game so often do not get involved in the group behaviour. I do not think anyone needs to succumb to the 'group think' mentality to be considere a true fan. Here is a novel idea...even cheer for an opposition player when he/she displays skill... The RBB added a lot to the atmosphers at the Grand Final but I cannot understand why they turned their backs to the ground (is not the watching and enjoying of the game itself important...?), and turning their backs when the winners medals were presented was an example of bad sportsmanship. The teams are not enemies...they are simply adversaries on the day. The RBB has a deserved reputation for passion, but supporters should not mistake boorish and unsporting behaviour for passionate support....such behaviour simply tarnishes the image of the WSW and Oz football in general. Players 'get over' a loss...why can't fans? Bouquets and brickbats...your choice, but be good natured, no aggro required:) I
Davo
Guest
The people that keep going on about the MCG going off are clearly people that haven't been to a packed house AAMI park or a melbourne or sydney derby. Do us a favour and attend then comment with an opinion. Personally i've been to the MCG for the Anzac day match which supposedly rivals grand finals, and to be honest the atmosphere wasn't all that great. I've also been to dozens of Swans games, and again the atmosphere considering the size of the crowd was rather dull. Quite pedestrian.
rookoz
Guest
I know trolling for clicks is what pass for Journalism nowadays. But trolling your own club's supporters?
Bondy
Guest
AR Do AFL celebrate the Champion team that finishes first in the regular season, prior to the finals ? ...
RipEnke
Guest
Grammar is a foundation that makes words mean something, other than letters haphazardly put together. It can make something a joy to read, or a chore. Read a book by Stephen Donaldson, his writing is beautiful, one of the best wordsmiths I have read.
Sm6
Guest
Garcia,I personally think that the word plastic gets over and in lots of parts of Western Europe it's a defining term.Most teams in those areas have atleast a couple of tiers of active support.Where the is a defining difference between active ends or home ends and ultras.So I agree with you .Now on the plastic part,don't go there as it really upsets people.
Sm6
Guest
Belmore eel,Just for the record you know that on google maps Belmore is 2kms closer to the toolshed in Oxford street than it is to parramatta Stadium.To be fair the drive to parramatta would be more pleasant.
Sm6
Guest
No of course not.Just 1.5-2K away allocation would be satisfactory in my opinion.All your members would get a seat and allow for walk ups.We got 1K last derby.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
@Glenn Innes ABS Participation figures 2011-12 (from 5 years old to 50+ years old) 1. Soccer (outdoor) = 887k 2. Netball (indoor and outdoor) = 673k 3. Basketball (indoor and outdoor) = 575k 4. Australian Rules = 468k 5. Cricket (outdoor) = 412k 6. Soccer (indoor) = 242k 7. Rugby league = 214k 8. Rugby union = 160k
ciudadmarron
Guest
Poor diddums. I suppose the wanderers should turn away some of their members to accommodate away fans. If only you could fill your place you might be able to return the favour. You might need a few more members and be able to pull more than half your ground though. Yes parra is smaller... so as I said, do you honestly expect the club to just tell some members they can't go to the biggest fixture there?
ciudadmarron
Guest
Sometimes I think that some people are too hamstrung by embarrassment or ironic coolness to just give in and enjoy themselves. When they see others doing so they call them tryhards or full of bs or criticise them for not watching the game or being gauche or taking things too seriously or being showoffs or any number of things. You’ll never get whole stadium stuff going in quite the same away across town.
Garcia
Guest
The RBB are not Ultra or Ultras as you put it Belmore eel (maybe you should learn about football supporter culture before spreading such lies). The RBB are modern football plastics
James
Guest
These are the jokers who turn backs to the play every 80th minute...I swear they could win a penalty in a grand final in the 80th and still turn away, show offs.
Midfielder
Guest
love it Ben
Belmore eel
Guest
Did you guys even read the comment, the first ever sydney derby at parra stad in about october 2012 - this was before we started winning and getting bigger crowds. At that stage we only had about 6k foundation members and fc fans were spread thru other parts of stadium aswell. By the 2 nd syd derby at parra later that season it was a different story - fc fans were in away only
Professor
Guest
I paid attention to SVBs argument, and not his spelling or grammar. I guess if there is a supporters group for literacy, I will be sitting somewhere else watching the game..