A View From Outside The Zone

For a number of reasons i have chosen for the first time in 10 years to watch the last 3 games from outside the zone namely in isles 14/15 and 30.It has been very interesting and these are my observations.

Yes the zone has been vocal in the last 2 games BUT dont kid yourselves its been  mostly in the last 10 minutes of both games.Despite what some have claimed there have been extended periods of nothing at all.The periods of silence are noticed by those outside the zone and its interesting to hear some of the reasons that those outside think this happens They have all "gone to the bar gone for a leak/smoke/talking arguing about what to chant next."

Many of those in other isles like to take some part in whats going on in the zone.

Watching games from across the ditch what strikes me with most of the big ones is that noise/chants being generated are very basic and are done in such a way that those outside the active zone can become involved fairly easily. It seems to me that we try at times to be to smart with our chants and as much as i love some of them it seems they are mostly for the zone.

 Its the most basic of things but where ever i sat in the stadium EVERY time you guys started Phoenix clap clap Phoenix clap clap those all around joined in. Maybe we need to look at doing that more regularly during games because the more you can get those outside side the zone involved the better the atmosphere and experience and along with wins that will bring them back.

Has there ever been any thought to trying to start a 2nd active zone.

I would hope most people go to the zone first and foremost to enjoy themselves. If they can entertain Barry in aisle 28 as well then brilliant. That was what it was meant for - chance to hang with like-minded fans. Barry can do his own thing if he wants - or come into the zone 

My observations on the zone, from outside of the zone, are that there are a lot of people that seem to have their focus on drinking and chatting, with the occasional chant. I'm generalising of course but I can see what the rest of the stadium [all 300 of them] get the impression that Ballane got a sniff of.

That is just an observation, not a criticism, people are free to watch the game in the manner that they most enjoy. Its for that reason that I don't sit in the zone, I like to sit and watch quietly with the occasional outburst. However I do like watching and hearing the zone without being part of it. Adds tot he rich tapestry of game day. Long may it continue.

Nothing stopping an out of the zone group from starting up, as long as people don't go all silly, it will improve the game day atmosphere.

I think you're probably right Ballane in as much as there are a couple of chants that the rest of the stadium is more likely to pick up (Oh Wellington, Phoenix clap). 

But, as Greenie points out, the Zone has never been a place that people go to put on a show for the rest of the crowd. It's a place folks go for a bit of a laugh. 

Occasionally a gem of a chant evolves out of that (Tratt's the way, uh huh uh huh, I like it, uh huh uh huh has to be one of those. Greenacre My Lord is another).

Some chants are a bit convoluted but give Zoners a laugh (1 Barba 2 Barba for example). 

A second active area could be fun. Requires someone to take the lead and establish it. Does anyone have the pure charisma and animal magnetism of 2007 Feverish to make it happen, and the energy of the rest of us over the years to make it keep happening? Not sure. 

We don't fill up one active zone. 

I kind of disagree about having more simple chants, it sounds amateur like we don't have proper active support on TV. The last thing we want is more "way to go phoenix" chants that we get when we're doing the traveling circus.

in the hypothetical 15,000 seat stadium we should be playing in the place would have been rocking last night

A second zone made up of university students could be cool, would just require a student body to support the nix. Probably have a high turn over of members as people come and go from university but would create a lot of nix fans. They could sell discount tickets for the zone through university publication and maybe have a slightly cheaper lower quality beer/food behind the student zone. 

Watching on tv last night, the chants were certainly not confined to the last 10 minutes. 

There were extended periods in both halves when chants were cranking one after the other. As soon as one finished, it was straight into the next.

I heard the words of chants last night that I didn't even know existed. 

Perhaps there was a mic over there, or perhaps you can't hear them all from outside the zone in the stadium, not sure, but it was loud, and long, last night. 

Kudos to the Fever. 

Agree

Another reason that the chants do not carry to the far side of the stadium is the wind. When the wind was blowing sideways, it was sometimes hard to pick up what was being chanted 5 rows away, let alone from the other side of the stadium!

I thought that the chanting was good last night, only a few quiet periods, & as per usual, after halftime, it always takes a while to get going again. There seemed to be more quiet periods on the TV, than there were in the Zone. (possibly due to the mic placement & wind?)

The drumming lesson from Jag seems to have paid dividends, with Patrick"giving it some stick" last night!

Same for the weekend, please!

A second active support zone may dilute fans and noise. I don't think there's enough Wellingtonians able to make it happen unfortunately. Although I do agree that I would also like to see a higher number of university students going regularly to the game. 

I thought the Fever Zone were in great noise last night and I thoroughly enjoyed being in there. 

when we start geting regular 30,000 crowd pax then we could start a second active zone

Considering what the fever zone has  which is mainly alot of misfits from all over the place but mainly ex Brits and pakeha New Zealanders I think zone does is pretty awesome much better than the eggball code here. Where it lacks is localised character. For example about 15 years ago when East Coast Rugby Team played Hawkes Bay in a final the whole stand would sing their tribes waiata with actions. There's no local songs being modelled into chants from old kiwi musicians. Its all old UK based so nothing uniquely Nz.

The referee is shark, and he's wearing blue

Forgot about that one, its one of the better ones too!

kapai on the drums, they're awesome

In Auckland there used to be Bloc 23 as well as the main Bloc 5. But the smaller one never got many numbers to be heard as i remember it.

There is nothing like Tim Brown... 

We do the traditional NZ sports chant: *insert team name* clap clap; *insert team name* clap clap...

Referee, he just fell down

nanananananana

he's rolling on the ground the clown

nanaananananana

that's what we're telling you

you're shark and wearing blue

you turned away and then you gave the foul

There is definitely local flavour in the chants now, moreso than when I was in the zone in seasons 1 - 3.

As funny as "clap clap clap phoenix" is, it feels kiwi because of that. As mentioned above, Tim Brown and the Ref in Blue one, definite kiwi tunes. My own creation that I will eventually hang my hat on is "Poi-e, Hudson Te Atawhai" (disclaimer: still to be signed).

As for the rest, all clubs worldwide pick up popular chanting tunes that sweep the globe, like the Krishna one, Dura before that, it's only natural, and there's only so many leagues in english-speaking countries that we are exposed to, from which to take influences.

I think the YF do a great job in general when it comes to chant creation. 

Whilst on my sabatical over in Aisle 12 for a few seasons, I/we (My nephew) tried to get singing started and no one wanted to know. The zone sounded good on occassions back then. Last night it seemed the loudest I have heard for some time. More of the same please this Saturday. Bought a ticket for yet another work mate for the game. Bringing along another one too.

I miss the Fever Zone.

To quote the book/movie Fever Pitch:

It's not the smoking, Steve. It's the crapness!

Wasn't just the Zone.  Sat night was probably the best I can recall for the rest of the crowd supporting the YF chants.  Hard to remember going back ten years, but you often get a decent chunk of 22 and 23 joining in, but not much past that.  On Saturday I could see a lot of people in bays two and more past us (in 23) all clapping and singing.

And part of that was because you threw in enough of the "staple" "simple" chants for others to hook into.

Appreciate you do it for your own fun.  But: now, going to a Super Rugby game (which I still do occassionally - born and bred in rugby NZ, came to football via a daughter playing), is like going to a funeral compared to a Nix game (with the exception of when we are seriously steadily shark and you guys are manically depressed lols).

Maybe you don't realise how much of the game day experience you bring for the more casual fans. 

Needs more Dobbyn 

Needs more flares

Viva El Ballooninati 

That's enough balloons to get the whole Fever evacuated.

I still think we should have home again as our theme song, can't get more Wellington then that.

As I said before the fever zone is awesome for the game, you go to any other televised sports game these days and its dead. I come from a rugby family but have always had an interest in football mainly because I wasn't allowed to play it. I'm trying to encourage people to come along but because it isn't rugby or cricket the appeal isn't there. Was talking to my brother and he doesn't understand the game. When we get to the grand final I'm sure awarness and more fans will increase just like the Warriors in 2002

Nothing to do with me. I left him to it on Saturday. I thought he was doing a fine job. I think I might hit mine a bit harder than he does though! :-)

Great work all round in the last two games. Hopefully the crowds will build now and everything else will grow with it

Yeah and rebranded, and failed, but then they were reborn Phoenix-like!

I did like the Pacifier album...

The drumming is definitely helping, I think. Its a great way to drive up the noise level. It certainly carries well around the stadium.

More drum could only be a good thing!

I don't see security as an issue (we have just been drinking at the same pub!), although the authorities may not be quite as understanding (silly bunts).

The Knights tried this hard at NH using Massey and AUTU (lol) students.  I was heavily involved in this from the Massey side but as we all know it didn't take off.  

Big problem with uni students are that they are super transient and pretty flaky.  I see the same issues here in the UK with Oxford, Exeter and Cambridge, all big uni towns with sides in the football league crying out for fans.

One of the best calls I've ever seen on yellowfever.co.nz.   Even though they are Aussie based now, I always feel homesick for NZ when I hear this, and I'm sure for Wellingtonians, its even more poignant.