We will start off with Metrotown's militia of teenage coffee baristas and the good folks at the G.F. Strong Brain Injury Clinic:
Not exactly appealing? Ok, why don't we skip ahead to a tune that is a particular favourite of the Surrey Central SkyTrain Fare Evaders Men's Choir?
For those of us who support the Whitecaps, Friday has a much different meaning. Half of all Fridays in 2013 will also be the eve of a Whitecaps game (we have 27 matches on Saturdays this season). What a fantastic way to celebrate the end of the work week!
Years ago, long before Vancouver even had a whiff of MLS expansion, people would often ask me about those crazy Southsiders at Swangard, and the concept of supporters groups in general - namely, "Why?"
There are many easy answers to this question when considered at surface level. Sports are fun. Fresh air and tailgate parties are fun. Cracking jokes and taking the piss out of the visitors are fun.
But the more I thought about it, the more I came to realize that there was more to it than that. It wasn't just about the entertainment factor. Those matches were about escapism. By standing with the Southsiders and other Whitecaps fans, it was my way of making a sneaky exit from my life as a 9 to 5 worker bee who was enslaved to the almighty dollar. For me, football was (and still is) the antithesis of toil and drudgery - it's freedom, even if it comes with sore lungs and the occasional heartache.
Football terraces and beer gardens are society's greatest equalizer. Vancouver's soccer supporters come from all walks of life, united in support of the Whitecaps. When we march to the match, the voice of the impoverished student reverberates with the same resonance as the wealthiest doctor. When we clap in the stadium, the young girl from Langley chops the air with just as much ferocity as the old man from North Van. When we gather as a tribe to cheer for our beloved team, the lines that so often divide our society tend to disappear. I believe it was famed diplomat and Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Henry Kissinger who put it best when he said "That's fucking awesome."
Friday is worth celebrating. It's where the hope of escape from the rat race begins. Let's show some love and appreciation for those who will help us sneak under the fence at dawn.
To the tune of "Friday I'm In Love" - The Cure
When I see the white and blue
I raise my scarf and sing so true
[Opponent] I don't care 'bout you
Vancouver - I'm in love!
Chorus:
Whoa-oh! Oh-oh! Oooooh!
Oh oh oooooh!
Whooooa! oh-oh-oh!
Vancouver - I'm in love!
Enjoy the weekend!
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