Latespotting: Vancouver's Unfortunate Pastime

Yesterday's post about the awful number of empty seats before kickoff absolutely resonated with Whitecaps fans who have been suckered into faithfully reading this blog since it started up last month. The post drew triple the typical traffic of my other posts, and for that I say thank you to all three of you. :p

In all seriousness, there's been some great discussion about Vancouver's chronic latecomers over at the Southsiders forum in the JMFC thread. If the situation bothers you as much as it bothers me, I encourage you to stop by for some perspective from other fans who share in your frustrations. 

Since my previous post went live I received a great email from a fellow named Mark Dailey. He's a long time Whitecaps fan going back to the Swangard days, and he has only just very recently joined the Southsiders. I wanted to highlight Mark's impressions of the situation to illustrate the point that it's not just the ornery ol' season ticket holders and long-time Southsiders who feel there's something to grumble about here. 

As you'll read below, Mark has only had the opportunity to attend the odd match here and there since the Whitecaps moved into MLS. As such, I think it's fair to say that the impression he's taking from these games would be comparable to a relative newcomer soaking up the BC Place "Latespotting" experience for the first few times.

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Hey Johnnie,

I read your blog a little earlier about the latecomers to the Caps matches.  I've only been to two of the first three matches this year, but it [the empty seats] was something that I noticed as well on Saturday.  

Now for one thing traffic getting into downtown was total shite for starters.  We made the trek in from the suburban paradise otherwise known as Coquitlam and I was both shocked and frustrated that it took so long to get in.  Add to that the line at the will-call ticket booth (which fortunately was very efficient) had me sweating that we might miss the opening kick-off for my son's first WFC match!  We made it to our seats by the skin of our teeth and did not miss a single kick of the ball and I was very happy.  

After we took our seats I took a look around and saw how many empty seats there were in the stadium. My first reaction was the it was going to totally suck balls and look totally bad on tv when I remembered that there was a mass of humanity lolling about on the concourse and outside the stadium.  Once everyone took their seats attendance was pretty good, and although I didn't see the final figure I would estimate it to be around the 19.5k mark. 

 

Want.

I can't honestly say why this happens here in Vancouver.  I think people are lazy and spoiled and to a certain extent they think their doing the club a favour just by showing up.  This is by no means a phenomena that is purely limited to the Caps, as I have seen it at Lions games as well.  As for the Canucks I cannot honestly say since I have not been to a game in years.

It is quite bothersome to see and wish that people would get their acts together and show a little passion. We're a big club in a big league playing the most popular sport in the world.  If people here don't realize that then they really need to wake up.  

Do NOT want.

As for solutions, well mate I don't know I have any.  I show up to as many matches as I can and I try to bring someone along with me who has never been before.  This past weekend it was my four year old son, who although has been watching matches with me on TV, was a little reluctant to come and watch in person. Now that he's been he has instantly been hooked.  I bought little WFC footballs for him and my daughter and for the rest of the weekend they were running around the house saying things like "Look at me I'm Camilo!" or "Pass it to Reo C!"  That's pretty cool.  

Other than that I wear the colours as often as possible.  Soccer was never discussed at my office before I started working there and now we talk footy all the time.  We'll talk about footy from far and wide, but it's mostly about the Whitecaps, which is cool.  Perhaps I'm rambling, but I do agree that something needs to be done to pump it up like our Cascadian neighbours have.  Hopefully things start to change sooner rather than later!

Keep up the good work.  Enjoy reading the blog.

Cheers,
Mark

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Mark followed his original email up with a few more details about his background, and the experiences that have shaped his viewpoints:

I've been going to the Lions for a long time, so I have always known what to expect at a game there, but when I came to my first WFC match last year I was instantly hooked.  I'm a first generation Canadian who has had the good fortune to have been able to live both here and back 'home' (Holland) and have moved back and forth several times in my adult life.  

When I went to my first match at BC Place I was shocked at how 'authentic' the atmosphere was and how there basically was no difference between the atmosphere between a match here and over there.  So in a nutshell I guess you could say that I've become pretty hardcore over the past year.  I'm not new to supporting our pro soccer teams here though since I used to be a regular at Swangard back in the early 90's (lots of good memories!).  I'm also a new Southsider this season for what it's worth.  I took in the TFC match from the Southside and it was brilliant!  I had a great time!

I think a lot issues here in Vancouver are cultural ones.  People aren't really that familiar with professional soccer here and I think that there is perhaps a perception that MLS is a second rate league and we'll never be mentioned in the same breathe as the bigger European leagues/clubs.  There is also that frustrating attitude that you wrote about in your blog on how people always show up 15 minutes late (and also seem to leave 10 minutes early might I add).  

I'm constantly working on my wife to get more interested in soccer.  When we met it was 100% Canucks, and I successfully introduced her to the Lions and I'm hopeful she will soon become a Whitecaps supporter as well!  

I guess what we can all do is just try and influence those who we come into contact with on a regular basis be that family, friends, co-workers, etc.  I'm passionate about our club.  This may sound a little strange to some, but I'm sure you'll understand where I'm coming from.  I grew up supporting Manchester Unitedand have a whole pile of MUFC kits, but honestly nowadays when I throw on a kit or something else - it's not red and black.  Those are collecting dust.  The blue and white ones are getting worn out because they're getting used so much!

Cheers!

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"...and THIS is how you get to a fucking match on time!"

The Whitecaps are very lucky that there are fans out there like Mark who still see the massive potential for fun and excitement in spite of the thousands of so-called "fans" around him who can't be arsed to get themselves into the building on time.

This issue really makes me angry. It just seems so awfully disrespectful to the players.  These guys - a lot of them young kids - are busting their asses to become elite athletes. Some day the Koffies and Teiberts of our team may be playing elsewhere, perhaps in Italy, France or Germany. They could make the big time under the international spotlight. When the press ask these guys about their humble beginnings in Vancouver, how is it going to reflect on us as a city and as a fanbase when they look in the cameras and say:

"Well.... it was okay, I guess. The fans were all right.... but it's much better here."

In my last post I mentioned how the poor optics of empty seats have the potential to damage the club's opportunities for landing and retaining corporate sponsors. Something I didn't even consider was the impact that this situation could have on the club's ability to draw the next Kenny Miller, Nigel Reo-Coker or Y.P. Lee from a more comfortable and lucrative career abroad to play Major League Soccer in Vancouver.

Make no mistake about it - atmosphere is a selling point for potential players as much as it is for ticket purchasers. No professional footballer wants to play in front of a stadium full of crickets chirping under seatcovers. This sport is their livelihood. If they're going to make the move across the pond, they want to go somewhere they are confident that football matters as much to the supporters as it does to them.

Vancouver and her Cascadia brethren can and should be within the top five picks for any players abroad considering a career in North America. But if the Whitecaps and the supporters who really, truly love and believe in the club can't fire up the reluctant and sluggish aspect of our fanbase, we're in for some real uphill struggles on many different fronts. 

Bad stadium habits have a reputation for spreading like a cancer amongst the casuals, and once they set in, it's difficult to carve them out. Perhaps we supporters need to start a pre-match shame campaign? Something along the lines of "We can see you sneaking in?"  Essentially the opposite of this:

What do you think can be done to get asses in seats before kickoff? Send your suggestions, thoughts, threats and bribes to johnniemonster@gmail.com

Thanks again,

@johnniemonster

We're Grey, We're Red: Our Watches Must Be Dead

Dear Whitecaps Fans,

There is something very ugly creeping into BC Place on Whitecaps matchdays. No, it's not hooliganism or dirty language. No, it's not Tommy Soehn either.


What I'm talking about is empty seats. Or, more specifically, the THOUSANDS of seats that remain unoccupied right before kickoff and well into the first half.

We've all heard the jokes about how Vancouverites are laid back, way mellow and too cool for school. One could argue that Vancouverites will take their sweet time going anywhere unless the VPD riot squad is chasing them towards a Lululemon sale.

Make no mistake about it - when the TV cameras pan across a gulf of empty seats at the first whistle, it reflects very poorly on the club and creates a damaging perception for casual onlookers that a Whitecaps game is not nearly the major league pro sports event it claims to be. That's a terrible shame. I believe in this club and always will, but I really think it's time the front office took more aggressive steps to spread the gospel to their season ticket holders.

Here's a video I took mere seconds before the players took the field this past Saturday against RSL:

Talk about a buzz kill. There's more red and grey plastic visible before a Whitecaps kickoff than at a Toronto FC fan convention.

When your front office is competing for ad dollars against the Canucks, Lions and Giants, these are the sort of hideous visuals you need to nip in the bud, and pronto. The Whitecaps are trying to encourage season ticket holders to arrive earlier by rewarding them with Caps Card reward points for doing so. It's a nice idea, but this is approach is far too passive - and the rewards far too small - to accomplish any significant traction with the lumbering, cement-footed masses.

Fast forward to 15 minutes after kickoff. As you can see, many empty spots have filled since the first whistle, but even at a distance the still-unoccupied red seats stand out like a sore thumb across the stadium.

I'd be interested in hearing from all of you readers out there as to whether there is more to this problem than meets the eye. I'm always in the stadium well before kickoff, so I fully concede that I really have no idea if BC Place line-ups at entrances and concession stands have anything to do with this unfortunate phenomenon.

What do you think, folks? Is it laziness? Is it traffic? Is it a carry-over of behaviours that have been established at Canucks games? Please write me at johnniemonster@gmail.com to share your thoughts.

One thing is for certain - whatever Vancouver is doing wrong, Portland is doing very, very right. The Timbers have a season ticket waitlist of 7,000 and counting. Significant numbers of fans are known to line up outside Jeld-Wen on the night before matchday to ensure a good spot in the general admission areas.

This city's passion needs to be ignited, and it's going to take some leadership from the club and supporters alike to fan the flames.  Portland's FO has taken great steps to create a sense of major league urgency. I really hope Vancouver's FO closely examines what our neighbours down south have done to see if there's any tricks in the bag worth repeating here.

Thanks for reading,

@johnniemonster

Hall & Oates - "Whoa-oa Here We Come"

The Monday morning earworm has bit me once again. I remember bopping along to the inspiration for this chant when I was a little kid stuck in a hospital bed at Surrey Memorial after having my tonsils removed. Mom taped it for me from good ol' LG73, and she managed to get the whole thing without the DJ talking over the end of it. It was right before Human League and right after Phil Collins.

I'm having a laugh right now because I know that most of our younger Whitecaps fans have never heard of LG73, Constable Bob or the Morning Zoo, and how much those things were a part of Vancouver's pop culture during the Expo era. Even fewer will have firsthand experience with the frustration of having a chatty radio DJ botch the end of their perfect radio mix tape.

Either way, this one sounds like a keeper to me. Perhaps it needs a bit of clapping somewhere in there?

To the tune of "Maneater" by Hall & Oates:

Whoa-oa here we come
Watch out boys, we'll chew you up!
Whoa-oa here we come
We're Vancouver!

Enjoy!

@johnniemonster

Reo-Coker Sends Cronin To The Stratosphere

Not much to really say here, but feast your eyes on the glorious "horror tackle" heard 'round the world:

The Daily Mail is really making a meal of this, but you know what? There's no such thing as bad publicity. Unless you're John Furlong, that is.

Doo doo doo... Nigel Reo-Coker!

Steve Perry - "O'Brien"

Since arriving in Vancouver, Andy O'Brien has been a rock solid presence on the back line and an absolute pleasure to watch from the stands. His no-nonsense approach to the game makes for great football... but it's his no-nonsense approach to his opponents that makes for some really fantastic entertainment.

His bollocking of fellow Irishman Robbie Keane during the Whitecaps 2012 playoff match against LA Galaxy was popcorn worthy to say the least... but his recent attempt to dwarf-toss a ground-hugging Steven Lenhart during last night's match against San Jose is the sort of thing that will stamp his name on the minds of Whitecaps fans for a generation or two.






Word to all you MLS primadonnas out there (this means YOU Ferreira!):

Andy O'Brien will not be intimidated. He will not be starstruck. He will pack you and your bullshit into a trashbag and dump you at the curb.

Here's a simple wee song to sing our praises of the hardworking Irishman who never gives anything less than his best. The chorus kicks in at the 0:50 mark:

To the tune of "Oh Sherrie" - Steve Perry:

O'Brien!
Our love! 
Holds On!
Holds On!

PS: A lot of you young 'uns might be asking "Who the hell is Steve Perry?"

He's just the guy from a little band in the 80s that has collected a zillion dollars in royalties since one of their tunes was on the final episode of The Sopranos.  Maybe you've heard of it?



 Cheers,

@johnniemonster

Big Ridge Is A Big Deal

The Whitecaps match away to Chivas has concluded. I am hoarse and disappointed from the result, but far from heartbroken. Our boys in blue and white were done in by an awful curveball of an own goal, but otherwise showed tremendous promise as a gutsy attack-minded team that has allllllmost got their shit together. We're not quite there, but we're on the verge. Patience.

One thing you will not have to wait long for is a freshly poured beverage of your choosing at Big Ridge Brewing Company, the Southsiders' new "South of the Fraser" pub partner. Sweet mercy, our server worked the room like Kekuta Manneh on rocket fuel, and I don't think my glass sat empty longer than a minute without an offer to top it up. Well done, Sara C. Those efforts were nothing short of heroic.

I had been to Big Ridge a few times in the past, but tonight was my first excursion there to join my fellow Southsiders for an away game viewing. It's located at the corner of 152 Street and Highway 10 (56 Avenue). If you come to Surrey by SkyTrain, they even have a shuttle that will be dispatched to pick you up at King George Station, and it will take you back there once the evening's tomfoolery and shenanigans have come to an end (call ahead to make arrangements).

The pub side of the venue was decked out in scarves hung with care from the light fixtures, and the bar staff were wearing the Southsiders "Never Mind The Bollocks" and Subbuteo shirts. Over on the restaurant side, Southsiders and other Whitecaps fans took up a good number of tables while watching the match on the big screens.

It goes without saying that there were more people watching the game at Big Ridge than the Home Depot Center.

This is the view from near the entrance to the pub side. There's quite a few more tables just out of the frame, but all were filled with cheery, optimistic Whitecaps fans. Full marks to the pub for giving us priority during a simultaneous broadcast of a Canucks game - it was the Caps game you heard on the overhead sound, while the Canucks skated silently through their latest embarassment in Edmonton. 

Much credit has to be given to Rob Wheeler, a Southsider who recognized there was a real need for a soccer-friendly suburban venue to complement the group's existing partnership with Doolin's Irish Pub in downtown Vancouver. Through word of mouth and social media he has grown small gatherings of Caps fans  into worthwhile community events that really bring supporters together. As word spreads, these viewing parties are only going to get better, so be sure to give Big Ridge a try.

It doesn't hurt that the food is fantastic, either. Today I tried the beer battered garlic fries, and let me tell you, the name does not do those things justice. Forget every preconceived notion you have about fries served at a pub. These were crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside, well seasoned with garlic, shallots, jalapeno and... dear mother of god... is that a hint of cinnamon and sugar?  These are almost a hybrid of proper British chips and, if you can believe it, Those Little Donuts from the PNE. Put them in your face hole immediately! You will thank me later, and when you do, I sincerely hope your gratitude will be shown in the form of purchasing more of these delicious garlic fries and shoveling them into my gaping maw.

So here was the damage tonight... not bad at all. It only shows two free pop refills on there, but I'm damn sure I hit double digits.

It's always great to see our membership perks materializing outside of BC Place. Don't ever lose sight of the fact that supporters who work together can become a highly desirable and influential demographic with a little bit of effort. What I'm talking about goes beyond soccer. There is real strength in numbers and unity, and businesses in the Lower Mainland are starting to recognize what groups like the Southsiders bring to the table.

Big Ridge Brewing Company: thanks for letting us bring the party to your doorstep.You've been great hosts so far and we're looking forward many more matchdays under your excellent hospitality.

Cheers,

@johnniemonster

Rain City Brigade: East Van 's Heart Beats On At BC Place

This past week I reached out to some of the growing number of supporters groups who are helping stomp out the city's No-Funcouver reputation chant by chant, scarf by scarf, beer by beer.
 
This week we start things off with the Rain City Brigade.

We caught up with founding member Mike Kruk, and he was gracious enough to do a very lengthy Q&A to help introduce his crew to the rest of the city.

We covered a tremendous amount of ground, so much in fact that I'm holding quite a bit of it back for now. It's my intention to visit a few specific issues in future postings that relate to the growing supporters movement, such as ticket prices, pub culture and stadium policies that are either helping or hindering the efforts of supporters to be at their best.  Mike provided some great stuff from the RCB perspective, but for now we'll just stick with the introductions, the basics, the how do you do's. Be sure to revisit this blog as I bring those other important discussions forward later.

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JMFC:     Tell us about the formation of your supporters club... how has your group grown over the past couple of seasons? 

Mike:     Basically we were a group well before our brand and name of Rain City Brigade came about. We were a core group of about 10-20 friends who have been going to VWFC games for many years now. It wasn't until the move to Empire where we decided to try to all get tickets together. This worked a bit, as there was a vast difference in the desired price, but wasn't perfect. Then again, once the move to BC Place came, we decided to once and for all move to one single section, that being 248 (VWFC FO gave us that section as it was the only lot available), and claim it as our own. We then came up with the name, designed a logo, and branded ourselves RCB.

The group officially began in 2010-2011 season with around 20 people. We are currently sitting around 125 members at the start of the 2013 season. Our growth is generally attributed to our organic approach to having fun and supporting the team; that being, meet up, drink beer, and see friends, all while supporting the team we love.

JMFC:     What sort of factors do you think are driving that growth?  

Mike:     Driving our growth is two things. We are not about having a strict regiment for chants, etc. We chant what we want to chant, when we want to chant. No predetermined timings, no routine to follow, we just go off the vibe of the game and the crowd. The other force attracting people I believe is our brand. The idea behind the clothing/merch/etc that I designed is that I wanted to make something I would gladly wear anytime, not just at a Whitecaps game. Most of the initial members in the group are of a similar style, kind of old school east Vancouver punk rockers/skateboarders, so most of us don't wear jerseys or team colours as a fashion sense. The black and white colours, the themes of the logos, and the look of the merch more fit with our own personal style.

People who know what RCB is, will know it supports the VWFC, but if you don't know what RCB is and you see the logo, it encourages you to ask about it. This seems to attract people to the group and get people talking. Both are good traits of a logo design and brand. 

JMFC:     Supporters groups are congregating at a variety of locations around BC Place. What has been the match day reaction / response from non-members near your section? Do you reach out to them in any way ? Do you try to engage them in what you are doing, or do you just let those who are interested in your style of support come to you?    

Mike:     With our section, 248, it has been a mixed bag.  We are on the cusp of the "supporters sections," and there is a soft line between 248/246 which is not defined by a staircase or anything. Occasionally this means we have to explain why were are not sitting down and why we are yelling like crazy. Nobody has really had a problem with it, we have just found a education gap there. This generally applies to one off tickets for the games, as to the season ticket holders in the section, they enjoy having us there (from what they have told us anyways). Within the first few games at BC Place people were asking us what we were about, so we would explain and invite them to our events at the bar before the match. Sometimes give them some free swag to make them feel included. It generally has been a success.

An interesting thing we have noticed, which I'm sure the other groups experience as well, is that after the halftime break, we always have a few dozen more people in our section. They just pile in and want in on the action. Sometimes they join up after, sometimes we never see them again. But everyone has fun.

JMFC:     Each supporters group has its own style of support. What is unique about your group’s identity and personality that sets you apart from others at BC Place? 

Mike:     Well, I think we just are there to have a good time and support the team. We don't desire to be the largest group, or the oldest group, or even the group with the most flags, we just want to drink beer, have fun, and be with our friends.  That, and our East Van edge, and the fact that we don't take ourselves too seriously make us a bit more unique then the other groups.

JMFC:     You’ve been handed a magic wand. The instruction manual says “Wave this wand at BC Place, and 20,000 people will participate in ONE song or chant of your choice for 15 minutes.”  What's your pick?

Mike:     Another tough one. To be selfish, I'd like to see our "Goals" chant kick in one day [Editor's note: It's posted at the end of the article].  But in a real world, it would have to be to a chant that we don't have yet. As supporters for the team, all of the individual groups need to figure out a single chant that will raise the spirits of anyone who hears it, make them want to join in and will invoke fear into the visiting team and fans. Seattle has their "Take em all," Portland has their "Portland Boys," and we don't have anything really yet.

This will be a difficult endeavour until all the supporter groups for the VWFC come together and create an over-arching name for team supporters. We can keep our own names, our own brand, etc, but we need some kind of singular name to represent the VWFC supporters, and this is where the decision by the FO needs to be influenced.

My personal first place winner for what song to use is  The Exploited - "What You Gonna Do." Great old-school Scottish punk band if you don't know them.

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Thanks to Mike and everyone at RCB for bringing the noise at BC Place. They've been a great asset to the betterment of match day atmosphere, and I'm personally looking forward to singing my guts out alongside them during Cascadia awaydays.

If you're looking for more info about the RCB, I suggest visiting their Facebook page or following @raincitybrigade on Twitter.

Now here's that chant Mike is hoping will catch on... it's catchy, it's recognizable and it has great potential if Whitecaps fans give themselves permission to have a little fun once in a while. There's a YouTube video underneath to give you a sense of the tune.

Cheers,

@johnniemonster