We all know a part of what makes a organization great is
the atmosphere inside the stadium. Newcastle, Portland, Dortmund, Azteca
etc are all great examples of how the supporters add to the experience
of taking in a soccer game. So what will the atmosphere be like at an
Ottawa Fury FC match? A good place to start is to look at the supporters
groups.
We reached out to the three known Ottawa
Supporters groups and asked them the same set of questions. Only two
responded. The third, “Fury Ultras” are still in the planning stages.
The Bytown Boys SC chose to give their answers in the form below.
Name: Bytown Boys SC
Website: www.bytownboys.ca
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bytownboyssc
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BytownBoysSC
We
can argue about the name of the sport football or soccer, I grew up in
Jamaica so to me its football. Regardless of the name, all that matters
is that we want to love this sport. Being part of a true grassroots SG
is alot of work but every game day is worth it. I remember when Bytown
Boys was just beginning; we wanted to be a supporters group for CSL. We
had no idea what we were doing except singing our songs. We grew slowly
and we had a GREAT time. I use to joke about this but there is some
truth to this story.. If I hadn’t had a game in two weeks I got antsy
and miserable, going to a game was my salvation, my cure and you could
say my sunshine.
The group stuck around and had a
blast. We actually never looked at NASL but when Capital City Folded we
smartened up and saw the future. We as a group decided to aim for NASL.
We worked and still are working behind the scenes to make BBSC a great
supporters group in the city. We have a mixture of the three styles of
support, which vary from English to Continental to South American; mind
you that is most North American SGs. We accept anybody regardless of
age, sex or colour, all we ask is that you care to sing for our team.
Our
numbers are small but each single one of our members sing for three. As
supporters that’s all we ask is that you bring your passion to the
game, regardless of other supporters groups in the city, we will sing
for the Fury and show our passion at games. We ask anyone and everyone
with passion for this sport to come out and be a supporter, preferably
to join ours group.
Our name may have boys in it but
the female members that we are are dedicated and supportive. As the
president of BBSC I wish to invite everyone and anyone out to join us.
Let makes Lansdowne Park feel like Europe. I strongly believe in
“Support Local Football”.
Written by Stephane Brisson-Merrick
Name: Stony Monday Riot
Website: www.stonymondayriot.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/stonymondayriot
Facebook: What is the full name of your supporter's group?
Stony Monday Riot
www.stonymondayriot.com
Why was this name chosen?
Our
name comes from an actual event in the city’s history. It’s a bit of a
story. Before Ottawa was the capital of Canada it was known as Bytown - a
town at the end Rideau Canal. The lower town -Byward Market today- was
where many of the workers of Irish and Franco-Canadian descent lived. On
the other side of the canal was the upper town, where the wealthier
English lived. In the 1840s colonial Canada was a turbulent place;
people debated what kind of relationship Canada should have with Great
Britain following the uprisings of 1839. On September 17th 1849 -a
Monday- outside of a pub, now Fat Tuesdays in the market, a bunch of
Tories attacked Reformers who were meeting inside. Stones and sticks
were used in the ensuing fight, which overtook the market area. The two
sides brawled for the next two days going as far as to place cannons on
Sapper’s Bridge between the lower and upper towns. By that point the
British regulars located in the barracks on the hill were called stop
the fighting; one man had already died. The event became known as the
Stony Monday Riot.
Ottawa erroneously has been
labelled the city that fun forgot, we are not part of that Ottawa. We
want our presence in the stadium to be seen and heard, we want to be
made up of engaged supporters, and we want to take over the city with a
bit of the rebellious spirit of the Stony Monday Riot.
How did it start?
We
started with the idea of making a supporter group that is based upon
Ottawa’s diversity of football supporting cultures. The foundations are
already present: bars are filled by big European football matches every
weekend, Ottawa is made up of immigrants from some of the most
passionate footballing countries, and our youth clubs are amongst the
best in the country. The arrival of Fury FC will help provide a catalyst
to transform this base into a fervent supporter culture. We thought it
was the perfect opportunity to start putting together what will be the
most exciting, engaging, and passionate sports spectacle in the city.
Why do you support the Fury?
We
support the Fury as the epitome of professional soccer in the city. We
support competitive soccer at all levels in capital region.
Who does your supporter's group consist of?
Our
group is still very new and starting to grow. We are an anti-racist,
anti-sexist, anti-homophobic, and inclusive supporters group. We hope to
attract people who want to be a part of a unique supporters culture
that is shaped by the creativity of our members first and does not rely
on any one ‘style’ to show our support.
As passionate
supporters of soccer we will get emotional during matches. We do swear.
We will stand, sing, cheer, chant, stamp, jump to show our unconditional
support over the 90. While it depends on who joins the Riot, we would
like to have a strong rhythmic and musical section on match days. In the
coming months we will be actively recruiting.
Most
importantly, we believe that supporters are not mere consumers or
customers of a match-day experience; we believe that each person in the
stadium participates in creating the full experience and we take
ownership over what we create.
What is your objective? What are your goals?
Our
goal is to be a large presence at all local Fury FC matches. We want to
have a diverse and engaged group of members and on match-day many more
sympathizers. While match days are our focus we also will be organizing
social events for members and the soccer community in Ottawa.
How is the SG organized?
Right
now we are a small number laying the foundations of the group and
growing the membership. When we have more people interested we will
decide how ‘organized’ the group will be and what structure it will
have.
What are your thoughts about flares and similar stuff?
We
expect the stadium to have supporters sections that are clearly
demarcated. These sections include standing, singing, potentially
offensive language, banners and obstructive displays. We will push for a
form a general admittance for these sections, either officially by the
club or informally through the culture we establish.
We
don’t have an official position on flares but encourage our members to
be aware of the security regulations wherever they are so they make
their own decisions with full knowledge of potential consequences.
