I note his wedding was a four day affair. Reported as mixed cultural. Not sure what that means. His wife definitely of Fijian Indian descent.
I'm pretty sure that she's Indian, but not Hindu.
Ahh. Makes sense.
I once had a Fijian Indian workmate of Hindu descent, who married a Fijian Indian with the surname Khan. She converted to his faith.
And I believe that Roy is Christian, anyway
I think that Indians-from-India probably embrace Fijian Indians as their cousins; when the AWs were playing in India, apparently some in the crowd couldn't understand why Sarpreet Singh wasn't playing for them
Also I'd be interested to know whether his workmates were from say an Indian background, or more an East Asian background (say China). If they had an Indian background I would have thought the presence of Krishna & Singh would have been of some interest. If they had a Chinese background, they may have been more interested if the team had 2 Chinese players starting! If I was living in Japan and Michael Fitzgerald was a regular starter at Kawasaki Frontale - that is definitely the J League team I'd follow, and pay to watch. I'm sure Honda's signing for Victory, has massively increased the number of Japanese fans attending their games. If the Nix want to tap into the Wellington Korean expat community, sign a player from the K League.
Uh.. Krishna's Fijian.
Uh....is he not Fijian Indian?
Who similar to people of an Indian immigrant background in much of the world, keep many of their Indian traditions and celebrations alive. Like Diwali.
I note his wedding was a four day affair. Reported as mixed cultural. Not sure what that means. His wife definitely of Fijian Indian descent.
I imagine you could call Sapreet a Kiwi Indian.
Do the Nix, ever try and link Chinese NY celebrations into a game? They should
Yeah, he's Fijian Indian - sure they speak a similar dialect - but that doesn't mean people from India will identify with him.
That's like saying we're supportive of England because we were colonized at one point or Austalia because they're out neighbours.
Sarpreet's parents are both from India - so I can see the comparison there.
Honestly, I want to hear directly from people of East Asian background whether they are put off supporting the Nix because of the possible racist meaning of Yellow Fever. If and only if so, then we have a problem.
Also I'd be interested to know whether his workmates were from say an Indian background, or more an East Asian background (say China). If they had an Indian background I would have thought the presence of Krishna & Singh would have been of some interest. If they had a Chinese background, they may have been more interested if the team had 2 Chinese players starting! If I was living in Japan and Michael Fitzgerald was a regular starter at Kawasaki Frontale - that is definitely the J League team I'd follow, and pay to watch. I'm sure Honda's signing for Victory, has massively increased the number of Japanese fans attending their games. If the Nix want to tap into the Wellington Korean expat community, sign a player from the K League.
Uh.. Krishna's Fijian.
Uh....is he not Fijian Indian?
Who similar to people of an Indian immigrant background in much of the world, keep many of their Indian traditions and celebrations alive. Like Diwali.
I note his wedding was a four day affair. Reported as mixed cultural. Not sure what that means. His wife definitely of Fijian Indian descent.
I imagine you could call Sapreet a Kiwi Indian.
Do the Nix, ever try and link Chinese NY celebrations into a game? They should
Yeah, he's Fijian Indian - sure they speak a similar dialect - but that doesn't mean people from India will identify with him.
That's like saying we're supportive of England because we were colonized at one point or Austalia because they're out neighbours.
Sarpreet's parents are both from India - so I can see the comparison there.
I've met a few Fijian Indians. They identify with India to a degree, and certainly keep the customs and holidays from India (Hindi, Muslim etc) alive. They all know what part of the subcontinent their descendants immigrated from.
India never colonized Fiji and the Australia comparison, I just don't get.
Basically all I'm saying is that a person of Indian background living in NZ, may have more interest in Roy Krishna than other players in the Nix squad - with the obvious exception of Sapreet.
Yeah, my sister-in-law is from Fiji and knows that her people came from Chennai about 150 years ago. Indians weren't colonizers, they migrated for work.
If you're wanting to feel a little depressed with some of the responses (mainly from Aussies, I must say), check out the post on the A-League's Facebook highlighting the presence of the flag.
https://www.facebook.com/aleague/photos/a.10150334...
It must be said there are a lot of positive comments on the photo, they just ended up further down the pile
Yeah, my sister-in-law is from Fiji and knows that her people came from Chennai about 150 years ago. Indians weren't colonizers, they migrated for work.
They weren't colonisers, but their presence in Fiji was part of the British Empire's colonisation efforts in the Pacific etc
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Back to the topic, over the years I have spoken to a lot of people in the Welly region about the Nix and the invariable responses I get as to why they don't go to games are its too expensive or the team is shark. When I used to commute into town I would often have a chat with the chef at Trax (he was Thai from memory) and we would talk about football endlessly and his only opinion on the nix was that they are a shark team in a shark league and he wouldn't spend money to watch them. He went to three games in total; v Galaxy, v Boca and the semi final played here.
He never mentioned any sort of racism or lack of diversity, as someone who only watched Chelsea he didn't see the point. I bet that is true for the vast majority of people (or they come from a culture that isn't that into football).
Slightly off topic again but back to the Indian thing, holy shark imagine the marketing opportunities if someone like Real went and bought Singh for their Castilla team and marketed him as an Indian. Easily the most promising young player of Indian descent in world football. Millions and millions of new fans just like that, plus would make us Kiwis proud.
Spurs did the same for a guy called Bongani Khumalo. Signed when he was 24, stayed for four years and never got anywhere near playing a match, but Spurs profited a ton from shirt sales from new South African fans.
(and to the above post, very true - I think the team's image and historical performance is far more impactful to fans than whether or not a fan group's name may be offensive to some people. I think we'll find the demographic of people at the game matches the demographic of football fans in Wellington and this problem is way, way overblown.)
I think you will find the following are the real reasons why fans or want to be fans don't attend.
7pm Sunday games & to some extent Saturday night games, when 3pm Kick offs might be fun and leave the evenings free. Very child friendly time too.
Very expensive car parking at the stadium
Very expensive food and beverage at the stadium
Team results from the past.
Gate ticket and Online ticket prices.
I find it hard to believe low attendences have anything to do with racism or perceived racism. It's not like the place is full of skin heads and white power surpremisists. Yellow fever imho means yellow being one of the two major Wellington colours and fever as a play on the disease - football being infectuous. I strongly believe the founders of the YF did not even think that it was or would be a racist term. That suggestion would be just PC Bullshark dreamt up by someone.
I think you will find the following are the real reasons why fans or want to be fans don't attend.
7pm Sunday games & to some extent Saturday night games, when 3pm Kick offs might be fun and leave the evenings free. Very child friendly time too.
Very expensive car parking at the stadium
Very expensive food and beverage at the stadium
Team results from the past.
Gate ticket and Online ticket prices.
I find it hard to believe low attendences have anything to do with racism or perceived racism. It's not like the place is full of skin heads and white power surpremisists. Yellow fever imho means yellow being one of the two major Wellington colours and fever as a play on the disease - football being infectuous. I strongly believe the founders of the YF did not even think that it was or would be a racist term. That suggestion would be just PC Bullshark dreamt up by someone.
very much this!
Cost is a massive inhibiter to people attending - even if it wasn't accurate, it seems that the cost of food ahs increased since the new caterers came in - for little improvement. Parking at $30-$35 is insane - especially when they offer it at half the price for the rugby.
Besides this, the biggest issue we have in getting people to the games is results. A-league is widely considered a poor league within the football community, why would they bother watching the worst team in that league? Sure there could be an element of people who thing YF is a racist name, good on them, its clearly not the main issue that the nix need to be worrying about.
Queenslander 3x a year.
Of course there's a lot of "ExPats" whom don't come to games because it is not of EPL standards and that they live in the time warp of 1966 and Woorr Bobby etc. I have met these people at various club rooms. They do exist. And it annoys me. Just come along and have fun is what I tell them. It's live football and a chance to vent the lungs out or at least help create a great atmosphere.
If you're wanting to feel a little depressed with some of the responses (mainly from Aussies, I must say), check out the post on the A-League's Facebook highlighting the presence of the flag.
https://www.facebook.com/aleague/photos/a.10150334...
It must be said there are a lot of positive comments on the photo, they just ended up further down the pile
Oh god that's depressing.
"Can we just keep football away from politics? It's supposed to be something that brings us together not drive us apart"
The flag is literally about bringing us together.
Why does inclusiveness and politics get so damn intertwined? Just because there are a lot of politicians that are bigots, the two shouldn't be so tied up.
The flag doesnt say "Vote National" or something.
At least the offical sites posting it are in a positive light.
Of course there's a lot of "ExPats" whom don't come to games because it is not of EPL standards and that they live in the time warp of 1966 and Woorr Bobby etc. I have met these people at various club rooms. They do exist. And it annoys me. Just come along and have fun is what I tell them. It's live football and a chance to vent the lungs out or at least help create a great atmosphere.
I just tell them I'm not there for the quality of the football - I'm there to enjoy the sport I love, spend time with mates and have a good time.
I get that its not for everyone but "Its low quality" feels like a piss poor excuse, especially when these people are playing remarkably sharkty football themselves!
Valley FC til I die?
There seems to be some delusion that because it's local it's the same level they are playing at. You're unlikely to change their minds. I've been trying for approaching 20 years.
Slightly off topic again but back to the Indian thing, holy shark imagine the marketing opportunities if someone like Real went and bought Singh for their Castilla team and marketed him as an Indian. Easily the most promising young player of Indian descent in world football. Millions and millions of new fans just like that, plus would make us Kiwis proud.
Dunno about that bud, think you're being a bit too optimistic. There's a kid Yan Dhanda whose played a few games for Swanseas first team.
Anyone who listens to Bloodhound gang should have their opinion privileges revoked. What a steaming pile of shark those cods were.
If it's The Bad Touch, I hope it's at least a tribute to the Mariners' strikers last week.
There seems to be some delusion that because it's local it's the same level they are playing at. You're unlikely to change their minds. I've been trying for approaching 20 years.
Valley FC til I die?
Of course there's a lot of "ExPats" whom don't come to games because it is not of EPL standards and that they live in the time warp of 1966 and Woorr Bobby etc. I have met these people at various club rooms. They do exist. And it annoys me. Just come along and have fun is what I tell them. It's live football and a chance to vent the lungs out or at least help create a great atmosphere.
There seems to be some delusion that because it's local it's the same level they are playing at. You're unlikely to change their minds. I've been trying for approaching 20 years.
Some of the worst are Club Officials. One Club Official spent some time rubbishing the Nix to me saying that he would never attend a match but gladly advised at a later date how great it was that a couple of the Nix turned up for kids prize giving.
Of course there's a lot of "ExPats" whom don't come to games
Enough with the politically correct term "expats". Let's call them what they are - immigrants.
Of course there's a lot of "ExPats" whom don't come to games
Enough with the politically correct term "expats". Let's call them what they are - immigrants.
It's common to refer to "expats" when talking about people of one's own origin also living in the same (foreign) locale. So this may have been a correct usage of this term, if LG is himself an "expat".
"Immigrant" is a pretty formal term. It describes a person who moved with the intention of living in another country permanently. An "expat" has no such formal connotation and can refer to someone who is temporarily or permanently abroad, but who did most likely did not travel with the idea of not coming back home.
In New Caledonia the Continental French on secondment from the "mainland" who are referred to by the locals as "Metros" are a good example of expats. Some stay for their one or two year contracted stint, some stay forever. Often they are not sure themselves, and that is just fine - they're expats.
Actually, getting outplayed quite a bit these days
PC Free thread? Pom's is another term.
Of course there's a lot of "ExPats" whom don't come to games because it is not of EPL standards and that they live in the time warp of 1966 and Woorr Bobby etc. I have met these people at various club rooms. They do exist. And it annoys me. Just come along and have fun is what I tell them. It's live football and a chance to vent the lungs out or at least help create a great atmosphere.
speaking to a lot of the old guys at my local club and the clubs that surround the area - they are mad on football, just not the nix. They'll support Team Wellington and attend their games occasionally, but have no interest in the phoenix at all.
Queenslander 3x a year.
Every Football Fan has a level n Team they support.
Never anything wrong with that. We all spend to our Entertainment budget on what/Where/Who never thinking Why ????
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Of course there's a lot of "ExPats" whom don't come to games because it is not of EPL standards and that they live in the time warp of 1966 and Woorr Bobby etc. I have met these people at various club rooms. They do exist. And it annoys me. Just come along and have fun is what I tell them. It's live football and a chance to vent the lungs out or at least help create a great atmosphere.
speaking to a lot of the old guys at my local club and the clubs that surround the area - they are mad on football, just not the nix. They'll support Team Wellington and attend their games occasionally, but have no interest in the phoenix at all.
The ones I talk to I'd say its probably more to do with age and they'd rather sit at home in a comfy chair and warm house and watch the game on Sky rather with a beer from the supermarket rather than sit in a cold stadium that takes a bit of time to travel to and from and drink expensive beer
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Win, then keep winning and then win some more and they will come. Black, white, Asian, Indian, Poms, Gay.
Of course there's a lot of "ExPats" whom don't come to games because it is not of EPL standards and that they live in the time warp of 1966 and Woorr Bobby etc. I have met these people at various club rooms. They do exist. And it annoys me. Just come along and have fun is what I tell them. It's live football and a chance to vent the lungs out or at least help create a great atmosphere.
Surely these sorts of people grew up watching rubbish lower league football. They can’t have all grown up in the same postcode as a first division club. Some of them must be from Grimsby or Swindon or something. I spend Saturday afternoons in the UK watching a team in a league two relegation battle, and it’s lower quality than the a league. If these Expats are football people they must have put up with their clubs playing lower league football at some point.
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The answer to life's problems are rarely found at the bottom of a beer glass - but it's always worth a look.
Lee from Accrington Stanley are you there?
But Sth Jeff has it right, get on a winning run, and they will start to turn up. Aka the Warriors.
Then the fair weather fan, agruments can start.
speaking to a lot of the old guys at my local club and the clubs that surround the area - they are mad on football, just not the nix. They'll support Team Wellington and attend their games occasionally, but have no interest in the phoenix at all.
TeeDubs often have under 200 people... it must be very occassionally.
An important factor here is to realise that people don't always say what they mean.
Asian construction workers might not want to come to Nix games because the Nix fanbase are a bunch of white folks. That can't really be handled unless some enterprising existing Asian fan wanted to start their own fangroup and try to build it. On the other hand, maybe what they really mean is that they're Premier League snobs and the A-League is beneath them, but they don't want to say so.
Let's put it another way: when the Nix play Auckland the local Fijian community turn out in droves to support Roy Krishna. I wonder if we'd see more Asian faces if we got some superstar from the Chinese/Japanese/Korean league.
I was involved with getting Akl Uni students to Knights games (free tickets no less). Had a lot of communication with the Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Indian student groups and they all showed significant football snobbishness even before the Knights were found out. The South Asian students (Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Indian, Sri Lankan) were the best at actually turning up while the Chinese especially couldn't care less. Even at the WC this year I saw the same behaviour from the Chinese. #LostCause
why aren't all other people into the thing I'm into?
Normo's coming home
I remember one of the Knights games when there was a Chinese appreciation day. Leilei Gao was playing well for the Knights. There was quite a big turn out of Chinese. They were welcomed.
I also remember Miyazawa playing for the Kingz and the crowd embracing his Japanese heritage.
I was heavily involved with that, took a lot of work and then they never showed again. :-(
And I believe that Roy is Christian, anyway
I think that Indians-from-India probably embrace Fijian Indians as their cousins; when the AWs were playing in India, apparently some in the crowd couldn't understand why Sarpreet Singh wasn't playing for them
Going to those games were classic examples of Snobbism too; they only turned up when their captain ostracised them for not bothering to show up when tickets were basically free in a city of 18.4 Million!!! Good thing they don't have Nix metrics.
Slightly off topic again but back to the Indian thing, holy shark imagine the marketing opportunities if someone like Real went and bought Singh for their Castilla team and marketed him as an Indian. Easily the most promising young player of Indian descent in world football. Millions and millions of new fans just like that, plus would make us Kiwis proud.
Spurs did the same for a guy called Bongani Khumalo. Signed when he was 24, stayed for four years and never got anywhere near playing a match, but Spurs profited a ton from shirt sales from new South African fans.
(and to the above post, very true - I think the team's image and historical performance is far more impactful to fans than whether or not a fan group's name may be offensive to some people. I think we'll find the demographic of people at the game matches the demographic of football fans in Wellington and this problem is way, way overblown.)
There are plenty of talented British Asian footballers in the UK, many are of a standard far better then Singh: Zesh Rehman, Yan Dhanda, Neil Taylor (Indian despite the name) just to name a couple who have/are playing in the EPL.
Of course there's a lot of "ExPats" whom don't come to games because it is not of EPL standards and that they live in the time warp of 1966 and Woorr Bobby etc. I have met these people at various club rooms. They do exist. And it annoys me. Just come along and have fun is what I tell them. It's live football and a chance to vent the lungs out or at least help create a great atmosphere.
Surely these sorts of people grew up watching rubbish lower league football. They can’t have all grown up in the same postcode as a first division club. Some of them must be from Grimsby or Swindon or something. I spend Saturday afternoons in the UK watching a team in a league two relegation battle, and it’s lower quality than the a league. If these Expats are football people they must have put up with their clubs playing lower league football at some point.
Jolly, I support Plymouth Argyle and attend a lot of games, I also live in High Wycombe. Both places have massive numbers of "football fans" who only support Man C/U, Arsenal, Hotspur, Liverpool and have never watched their local team play.
I think TV has a lot to answer for in NZ, Asia, Aus and the UK among others in turning fans into snobs and not watching their local team (Team Welli, South Brisbane, Morecombe etc)
Uh.. Krishna's Fijian.
Yeah, nah.... pretty sure Krishna's a Kiwi bro.
Of course there's a lot of "ExPats" whom don't come to games because it is not of EPL standards and that they live in the time warp of 1966 and Woorr Bobby etc. I have met these people at various club rooms. They do exist. And it annoys me. Just come along and have fun is what I tell them. It's live football and a chance to vent the lungs out or at least help create a great atmosphere.
Surely these sorts of people grew up watching rubbish lower league football. They can’t have all grown up in the same postcode as a first division club. Some of them must be from Grimsby or Swindon or something. I spend Saturday afternoons in the UK watching a team in a league two relegation battle, and it’s lower quality than the a league. If these Expats are football people they must have put up with their clubs playing lower league football at some point.
Jolly, I support Plymouth Argyle and attend a lot of games, I also live in High Wycombe. Both places have massive numbers of "football fans" who only support Man C/U, Arsenal, Hotspur, Liverpool and have never watched their local team play.
I think TV has a lot to answer for in NZ, Asia, Aus and the UK among others in turning fans into snobs and not watching their local team (Team Welli, South Brisbane, Morecombe etc)
So you’re also watching a lower league relegation scrap. Good luck with that. That’s true, and similar in Cambridge which is full of spurs fans.
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