CANCELLED WC Prep Match #1: Canada vs Iran - Sunday, June 5 BC Place, Vancouver

[JamboAl]

32 minutes ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

It looked like we were outnumbered at BMO vs El Salvador, but that, as you say, was a long time ago 

To clarify, we weren’t outnumbered v El Salvador.  There were a lot of Salvadorans there but the visual of blue shirts on red seating shows much more than red shirts on a red background.  I am going to predict that there will be more Iranian support at BC Place.  But I’m not overly bothered since we are now in a different place support wise; and this is a friendly.

[Admin]

2 hours ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

It looked like we were outnumbered at BMO vs El Salvador, but that, as you say, was a long time ago 

We were not. 

They arrived at the stadium hours early and lined up.  They were the first ones in, and with covid protocols we still had people lined up at half time outside.

Herdman asked us to change this and we did.   We put the call out, explained it and people responded.  We told people to skip their pre game beers at the bar, they could do that anytime.   And they did.   Thousands did, and the message was greet the bus, own the stadium. 

 

[RS]

2 minutes ago, Admin said:

We were not. 

They arrived at the stadium hours early and lined up.  They were the first ones in, and with covid protocols we still had people lined up at half time outside.

Herdman asked us to change this and we did.   We put the call out, explained it and people responded.  We told people to skip their pre game beers at the bar, they could do that anytime.   And they did.   Thousands did, and the message was greet the bus, own the stadium. 

 

There’s no room for facts in regional pissing contests, you know this.

[Unnamed Trialist]

I was responding to @Bison44and others with short memories who somehow expect the rest of the country to do what fans in Toronto have regularly failed to do: dominate a stadium and its colours.

 

[RS]

1 minute ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

I was responding to @Bison44and others with short memories who somehow expect the rest of the country to do what fans in Toronto have regularly failed to do: dominate a stadium and its colours.

 

1. Bison’s from Winnipeg.

2. Thanks for proving my point.

[Admin]

9 minutes ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

I was responding to @Bison44and others with short memories who somehow expect the rest of the country to do what fans in Toronto have regularly failed to do: dominate a stadium and its colours.

 

It just isn't true anymore than people claiming Mexican fans were the whole stadium in Vancouver.

No game in Toronto at BMO has been a majority away crowd. Not a single game.  Maybe at the Caribanna cup games in the 90's

[RS]

6 minutes ago, Admin said:

It just isn't true anymore than people claiming Mexican fans were the whole stadium in Vancouver.

No game in Toronto at BMO has been a majority away crowd. Not a single game.  Maybe at the Caribanna cup games in the 90's

Ironically, the last game in Toronto I remember having a true majority away crowd was Iran in 1997.

I was a teenager then so my memory could be hazy, but I still remember the chants well. That said, they seemed to be vocally supporting both teams, although visually it was a pro-Iran crowd.

[RS]

6 hours ago, Dooghkor said:

But even if we go with the 50k number (I definitely think that's a small number) as opposed to the 100k number, that's still 5 times more than the number of Mexicans in Vancouver. 

If 1/4 of the stadium were Mexican in the game against Mexico then you do the math. 

I would go out on a limb and say that most of the Mexican support in that game was from the United States.

[Ally McCoist]

I'm starting to worry that there is going to be an onslaught of Iranian fans at this game.

[Unnamed Trialist]

4 minutes ago, Ally McCoist said:

I'm starting to worry that there is going to be an onslaught of Iranian fans at this game.

First, it is rather odd that on one hand you have a very vocal group who are critical of the Iranian regime and rightly so, and would not wave the flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Then people who may in fact have very similar sentiments, but still want to support the national team.

Then, it is quite likely some of the main stands will have alternate rows of Canada and then Iranian fans, because of how the two-match deals are set up. But I doubt it will be a true striped pattern.

I think we underestimate that most Whitecaps fans will have bought in; but even if just half of Caps regulars do so, say 10,000, if the lower bowl is anything under 75% Canadian I'd be surprised. It is also an opportunity for regular fans to encourage friends who are lesser fans to join them. If I were there I would have done just that, whether in the supporter section or not.

What happens with the upper bowl, opening up later, perhaps getting sales from Iranians travelling in and needing those extra hours to make arrangements, is another thing.

[Admin]

5 minutes ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

First, it is rather odd that on one hand you have a very vocal group who are critical of the Iranian regime and rightly so, and would not wave the flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Then people who may in fact have very similar sentiments, but still want to support the national team.

Then, it is quite likely some of the main stands will have alternate rows of Canada and then Iranian fans, because of how the two-match deals are set up. But I doubt it will be a true striped pattern.

I think we underestimate that most Whitecaps fans will have bought in; but even if just half of Caps regulars do so, say 10,000, if the lower bowl is anything under 75% Canadian I'd be surprised. It is also an opportunity for regular fans to encourage friends who are lesser fans to join them. If I were there I would have done just that, whether in the supporter section or not.

What happens with the upper bowl, opening up later, perhaps getting sales from Iranians travelling in and needing those extra hours to make arrangements, is another thing.

I think this is right. It will wake many from their slumber, and they will bring friends. 

I like the idea that the team is divorced from the politics of the country, I think that is a good thing.  For many of the people at these games it is a cultural event. They have no idea you can't be offside on a throw in say...  I have spent 20 years talking to a lot of these people, and when you find the soccer oriented ones they are usually quite interested in coming out and joining us.  Many have.  I can think of one guy I met at the Ecuador game in Toronto who has regularly brought up to 20 people to every game since. 

A long time ago I actually asked Canada Soccer if I could set up the away supporters sections as well.  Why? because we would find people like that guy above every single game. 
 

[Approve My Account Pls]

18 minutes ago, Admin said:

A long time ago I actually asked Canada Soccer if I could set up the away supporters sections as well.  Why? because we would find people like that guy above every single game. 

You'd know better than me, but I wonder if there's a way that Canada Soccer/Ticketmaster can show recommended sections for away fans divorced from an official supporters section. Any country we play will have a community in our major cities, and as you say it will be a cultural event for the majority of those people, so they likely don't know how to get supporters tickets. I'm sure those people would click the sections saying "Iranian Fans suggested" or something like that

[Yoginess]

None of us should be worried about Iran fans. There will be lots but they will be outnumbered. It will be a fun atmosphere and I hope to send all those fans home gloomy.

we should be more worried about the 5 tickets sold for the Curaçao match 

[Bison44]

2 hours ago, RS said:

1. Bison’s from Winnipeg.

2. Thanks for proving my point.

Well not Winnipeg (spits on ground), manitoba... but close enough (thanks for paying attention)....and I was just goofing.  The stones on our IRANIAN friend to come on and tell us that their fans will outnumber the CDN.....well I just couldnt let that go unchallenged.  Granted being stuck on the praires, I am no help as I'm not flying to Van or TO for games.  And as for UT, I dont have a short memory but I do think we have turned a corner and with the CMNT doing their job and qualifying, fans that wanted the games spread out across the country and now have the game in their back yards should show up and drown out the Iranians...and the boys from Curaco.  

[SpursFlu]

Is there going to be a giant fight or something? What are we talking about? There will be 55k people there. The majority of Persian people in Vancouver live in North Vancouver and they're engineers and dentists. Their kids go to Catholic school and private school. There will be a few thousand Iranians and a packed house with lots of fun, excitement and love. It will be a great day for soccer in Canada 

[Admin]

1 hour ago, Approve My Account Pls said:

You'd know better than me, but I wonder if there's a way that Canada Soccer/Ticketmaster can show recommended sections for away fans divorced from an official supporters section. Any country we play will have a community in our major cities, and as you say it will be a cultural event for the majority of those people, so they likely don't know how to get supporters tickets. I'm sure those people would click the sections saying "Iranian Fans suggested" or something like that

Every game we have played for at least 14 years  has an away section.   It is blocked off from regular sales and usually coordinated by either someone in the community or the codes are provided when asked about.

[Admin]

7 minutes ago, SpursFlu said:

Is there going to be a giant fight or something? What are we talking about? There will be 55k people there. The majority of Persian people in Vancouver live in North Vancouver and they're engineers and dentists. Their kids go to Catholic school and private school. There will be a few thousand Iranians and a packed house with lots of fun, excitement and love. It will be a great day for soccer in Canada 

No one has suggested that.

There are a lot of new people.  I had one guy message me and suggest, cause 'this is how it is done' that we as Canadian fans should have our own section.... lol.    Sure dude, thanks. Please enlighten us with your worldly football wisdom he who was clearly not paying attention to any of this until yesterday.  

[Unnamed Trialist]

4 hours ago, Bison44 said:

Well not Winnipeg (spits on ground), manitoba... but close enough (thanks for paying attention)....and I was just goofing.  The stones on our IRANIAN friend to come on and tell us that their fans will outnumber the CDN.....well I just couldnt let that go unchallenged.  Granted being stuck on the praires, I am no help as I'm not flying to Van or TO for games.  And as for UT, I dont have a short memory but I do think we have turned a corner and with the CMNT doing their job and qualifying, fans that wanted the games spread out across the country and now have the game in their back yards should show up and drown out the Iranians...and the boys from Curaco.  

I know you're a Valour fan so supposed Manitoba too, but that seemed a bad reason to miss a chance to get a dig at Toronto. 

 

 

[RJB]

The thing I'm interested in seeing is how the "Iranian" fans act.  I think we might see a very happy group that are excited to see the motherland playing here and will cheer for them, but many may also be Canadian or at least happily living in Canada so perhaps will cheer for both teams.  This might be a naive assessment.  I think it could be a really positive away support that makes for a really fun atmosphere. 

It also will help that these are two teams that can fairly beat each other.  If one team loses it won't be a terrible embarrassment - a shame yes, but not a disaster.  Plus it's a friendly, our first game since qualifying, I really think it'll be a blast. 

[SpursFlu]

I think it will be a cheer for both teams kinda thing. 

[LeoH037]

why tf are folk worrying about how many Iran fans there will be at a friendly? Its an exhibition game. Geez. If anything, the more people that attend the more $$$. Lets worry about the Curacao game instead, since that one actually sort of matters.

[Bison44]

1 hour ago, LeoH037 said:

why tf are folk worrying about how many Iran fans there will be at a friendly? Its an exhibition game. Geez. If anything, the more people that attend the more $$$. Lets worry about the Curacao game instead, since that one actually sort of matters.

Because we have all heard the usual shit talk that "there are more XYZ fans than canadian" from soccer haters over the years.  I for one thought that maybe we were past that with our new found "coolness". 

 And an Iranian fan came on here and said there would be more support for Iran than canada. People are responding to that. If you want to wax poetic about the curacao game, go to the thread about the curacao game.   Or did you miss the title of the thread??  

[gigi riva]

All I want is to see a competitive game , I want to see where this team stacks up  vs a team from a different confederation . To all the people who are making drama about majority Iranian fans Please STFU.  To all the Canadian supporters Instead of having that beer at the pub , get your butts to the stadium early, and start cheering I wanna her drums, trumpets  or any other Brass instrument , people doing pre game chants etc 

[cornerkick]

Found this clip of a canada cup game played in 1999

 

[TGAA_Star]

19 hours ago, Ally McCoist said:

I'm starting to worry that there is going to be an onslaught of Iranian fans at this game.

Okay and? I mean there are a lot of Iranians who are either Iranian immigrants or Iranian Canadians who were born here and raised here as Canadians but are Iranian by blood. So shouldn't they be allowed to cheer for one team or the other or even both teams?