As long as it is enough to wear a funny hat and shout at the order of the arena announcer, there will be no change, writes Anssi Karjalainen.
This is how a lion fan shouted in the upper auditorium of the Nokia arena on Saturday.
– We were barked in the newspaper. Let’s show we know how. Finland! Finland! Finland!
He tried to get others involved. The nearest crew agreed to shout, but soon things went out.
The atmosphere at the World Cup in Finland has garnered criticism. The issue came up when Expressen’s Swedish journalists found a match between Finland and Sweden. According to them, the home audience sat like a church.
Perhaps the Swedish journalists did not understand or knew that there was nothing out of the ordinary about the atmosphere. Maybe they were used to the intoxicating noise, tiffs and encouragement of Swedish football series or SHL puddles.
In the case of lions, however, the situation has remained constant for a long time. Over the years, no exceptional encouragement has been seen in the matches of the Finnish national hockey team. Of course, as the games get tougher and the world championship is played, “the noise gets over there, and the pants are taken away soon”. However, the World Cup qualifiers and even EHT games must also be taken into account.
Supporters from Latvia, Switzerland and even the UK have brought a clearly more organized audience culture to the matches.
Because it is part of their culture.
Would the mood of Finland’s matches have even become such a big topic of conversation if the Swedes had not complained about it?
In recent days, the accusing finger has been pointed at the race organizers, the IIHF and the Finnish Hockey Association. Expensive tickets, too many business guests, too few hc fans. In part, that is certainly the case.
The general secretary of the tournament, Heikki Hietanen, said To Helsingin Sanomatthat “Everyone is a fan” and that “The stand is not working for us – it blocks places from the top row”.
Aalto will tour the Arena several times during the match. Jussi Saarinen
Expected comments from an organization that specifically wants to make money and no longer cares about a supporter culture.
12,000 spectators will be completed for the Zurich Lions in the autumn as the Attractive Swiss Life Arena, the other end of which is a stand alone. I hope that Hietanen will visit there and then explain why the stand would not work in Finland.
Nothing happens by itself. Not even if the race organization had limited at least one auditorium block to the other end of the Nokia arena, where you could stand all night.
The North Curve has been raised. The owls have one of the best supporters in national team football in all of Europe. However, everything is based on the long-term work of the Finnish National Team Supporters’ Association, which aims to promote Finnish football culture.
When the North Curve sings, it is easy for others to join in. Their job is to continue the match despite the situation and react correctly. Creating an atmosphere requires spontaneity, but also planning.
Where have those tens or even hundreds of Lion supporters been when it should have been? Should have put pressure on the Hockey Association and talked about the importance of a supporter culture. In the fan sections of the Finnish Championships, it is understood.
As long as wearing a funny hat, Ukkometso and just shouting at the command of the arena announcer is enough, no change will take place.
Toni Rajala of the Lions, who plays in Switzerland, said that there is nothing to be ashamed of when shouting, even after buying an expensive World Cup ticket. It was a gratifying moment when a spontaneous cry finally began at the end of the Austria match.
Upstairs yell at us! Downstairs yell at us! The words familiar from Helsinki IFK’s home matches echoed wonderfully in the Nokia Arena.
Why leave it alone?