Public perception

Pride-you my kind of fan fella.   If you don't want a section of fans who sing,laugh,swear a little, and generally take the piss out of the opposition,or the ref (bearing in mind we in a minority sport and are predominantly 16-40 odd years old,with a bit of pride in where we're from) then Egg-chasing's your game.

Sorry but hate to disagree as much as i understand where you are coming from but if that happens then im afraid we are in trouble and one of the chants the 1000 would be using is

We're just like auckland just like auckland used to be

First and foremost we need the numbers so that the Phoenix can survive as a self-sustaining business. If that means 10k prawn sandwich eaters and 2k passionate supporters, then so be it (Making up numbers for the sake of argument btw)

Next step is for those 2k to do such a good job of spreading the passion and love for the game that it rubs off on those other 10k so the ratios get closer.

The Yellow Fever contagion needs victims to infect before be can become a true pandemic


...besides, who are we to say how other people enjoy the Phoenix? If it dilutes the atmosphere, it just means we'll have to work harder to encourage the black and yellows. For security and making sure the Phoenix stay in Wellington, I'd gladly raise my chanting a few extra decibels

I think football appeals because it's a simple game that flows well, and has a good balance of strength, speed, skill, strategy, and passion/emotion. Worldwide appeal.

Even when I want a bit of variety from my football addiction (even worse when you're on holiday because of those Premier League fixtures on all the time), then surely League is a more exciting game than Union. Super 14 is entertaining enough because it involves overseas teams but why anyone watches the Air New Zealand Cup is beyond me. The NRL however beats rugby hands down.

Now back to reading about all the Cup upsets . . .

'ken oath.

One of the few sports i love more than football is League. A few years ago i also really enjoyed rugby, but very quickly it became so apparent how much more entertaining league was than rugby.

Now i laugh at everything about rugby. Going to Uni the day after NZ was bundled out of the world cup was great fun.

League is great and the NRL fits in quite nicely between the EPL and A-League.

My wife is bored rigid by sport but she does like soccer, thank god. That's partly because, as someone already mentioned, the game is always pretty free flowing, but mainly because she loves the theatrics and tantrums both on and off the field.

It was also pleasing to see the Umbrella man in action on Friday night - an un-impeded by security.  Those yellow rubber gloves are a bit dodgy though!

The public perception is odd for those of us who have attended most of the games.  I took three of my kids to Sydney (4, 6, and 10) and they all loved it.  (The younger ones for the chips and coca-cola I think).  Suffice to say that if I had thought they were in any danger of harm they wouldn't have been there.  Do be a bit patient with us family groups those of you in the Zone, we do join in the singing and chants (and offering of useful advice to the officials) but a four year old is a small person and needs to be in a more stable environment than the Fever Zone.  We're raising the next generation of Nix fans and they have to want to go to the games.  The three I took want to go again so my days of a day out with the boys are over -  but now the Nix have four fans instead of one.  If I'd brought the kids home soaked in beer with post-traumatic stress disorder I suspect my wife would have banned future visits.

I honestly can't see where these people are getting their ideas from, I've seen worse behaviour at thugby games then what goes on in the Fever Zone. One bottle throwing incident, peeing in a cup - that's minor compared to bottles being used in a wave, or the refs getting bottles thrown at them at least once a season. These whingers need to come to a game see that we are rather civilized in our support and get over themselves. theprof2008-01-07 09:13:00

I go to the games with the kids and always have a lot of fun, especially when we dot in a goal and the crowd goes nuts. My daughter knows the chants and Ben loves yelling out Who are ya! at the corner kicks.

As for rowdy, it's no more rowdy than the terraces were in Carisbrook in my Uni days. I'd be p***ed off if I saw bottles flying though, just as it used to nark me off when they biffed full cans around at the rugby.

Maybe they need a family zone discounted for the stadium? Might even fill up a few more seats.

Got no time for the opinion of people who, more than likely, haven't even come to a game to experience it for themselves. 

This topic is just a non-starter for me.

i think they got scared off after earlier posts complaining about them being anywhere near the stadium on match day

Who complained? They were fun, better than those that used to annoy you during a warriors game. They would let up, The Brazilian band knew when to stop.

I think the drums are great at the games. Really adds to the atmosphere, very 'football', and doesn't step on anyone's toes.

I feel your pain there stopout

I hate the drums, don't care if it's coming from a group of organised, rehearsed drummers or an individual with a bongo, they just get on my t*ts.

I agree with Feverish, a few people at work have given me some stick about the Phoenix at work and their league position. I asked them if they'd been to a game, they hadn't so I convinced them to go, they loved it and spent the next month doing "who are ya's" at people walking past their desks in the office. (bloody funny to watch 4 middle aged women doing a who are ya at the mailroom guy as he walks past by the way).

All it takes is to convince them to come to one game and most of the time they are suffering from yellow fever a week later.

I think the drummers had Xmas / new years off. They normally practice on Sundays at a hall opposite my house and they weren't there the last couple of Sundays.

They do actually have a few different beats which sound awesome - not sure why they only ever do like 2 or 3 at the games.. sounds like a broken record sometimes.

They've just released an album, so they may well be out on tour.

I am a convert (in a way) and the Yellow Fever is what got me into the Phoenix.

I missed the batacuda guys (and ladies !!!) - great to hear live music before the game begins - walking thru the aisle 21 tunnel and up the steps to be assailed by the noise of the batacuda band; rather that than the stuff piped over the tannoys; also noticed that the numbers in the band increased as the season progressed, so they were probably getting good publicity from their appearances.

Where's that mate??

Taranaki.

Its funny, and kinda odd in a way, all the rugby die hards will sit there and complain about how boring their game has become with the refs and the reset scrums and penalties - the list goes on, and yet when given an opportunity to watch a free flowing game like football, you can see their minds clouding over in confusion! i think the beautiful game is simply beyond some ppl, as is change!

the Phoenix and yellow fever are perecieved very well up here (Horowhenua/Manawatu) . Me and my family have been to a couple of games and have watched all the other ones on tv. My son (8) , daughter (5) and myself have Phoenix tops and we always hear positive comments on both the team and yellow fever I cant think of 1 negative one yet. Some of the rugby and leaugue guys ( I work in a factory with a staff of 100 people) at work have even said they would love to go to one of the Phoenix games.

when we are top of the league this time next year public perception will not be a problem, the higher up the league we go i guarantee so will the fan numbers too.