Gusto mo sumama sa Ultras Filipinas?

Teka, bagong fixture nanaman ulit, at World Cup Qualifiers na ito. Bagong stadium din ang gaganapan ng qualifiers. At madami ulit na fans ang gustong sumali sa Ultras Filipinas.

Handa ka na ba sa mga laro ng ating bansa, kapatid?

Ano ba ang hinahanap namin sa mga sumasali sa Ultras Filipinas?

1.) Commitment ng kanyang oras

Ang pagiging Ultras Filipinas ay umuubos ng oras, lalo na kung palapit na ang mga friendlies or mga qualifiers. Ang commitment ng oras ay isang PINAKAIMPORTANTENG requirement ng U.F.

2.) Commitment ng kanyang efforts

Ang pagsali sa ultras eh may karagdagang effort. Ineencourage namin ang mga sasali sa ultras na sumali sa diskusyon ng mga plano at maging aktibo sa pag-gawa ng mga tifos, pag-compose ng chants, at pagplaplano ng mga proyekto ng grupo.

3.) Pagiging pamilyar sa Ultras scene

Marami pang mga football fans dito sa Pilipinas ang hindi pamilyar sa Ultras Scene, kami ay nageencourage ng mga tao na manood ng mga videos sa internet tungkol sa mga ginagawa ng mga ultras.

Walang problema ang mga taong  sasali na walang alam sa ultras culture basta tayo ay open sa mga ganitong bagay.

4.) Walang kiyeme, walang hiya.

Ang gawain ng ultras ay moshing, pagchant tuwing me laban. Dapat tanggalin ang hiya at kyeme sa pagchant, para sa Pilipinas ito mga kapatid, kaya wala ka dapat ikahiya!

5) Pagiging isang myembro ng barkada at kapatiran

Huwag maging loner, pagiging isang tropa ay isang mahalagang aspeto sa pagsali sa Ultras Filipinas. Sa ultras, ikaw ay kabarkada ng katabi mo sa pwesto. Kapatid mo iyong nasa harapan mo, at kaibigan mo lahat ng tao sa grupo. Dapat nagtutulungan ang mga ultras para makamit ang mga layunin sa pagsuporta sa ating bansa.

6.) Isang proper mindset.

Dapat maisapuso na ang pagiging sa ultras ay hindi pagsali sa fansclub. Ang pagsali sa ultras ay pagsali sa isang grupo ng mga kapwa football fans na may mithiing sumuporta sa ating bansa. 

Ang pagsali sa ultras ay hindi isang pribiliheyo o isang bagay na dapat ipagmalaki sa ibang tao. Ang pagiging ultras ay isang karangalan, isang tungkulin na kailangang gampanan para suportahan ang watawat ng pilipinas sa futbol.

Ang pagsali sa ultras ay isang paraan para makahanap ng mga bagong kaibigan. Isa itong paraan para makahanap ka ng mga kapwa football fans na may adhikain, at may kaisipang kagaya sa iyo. Ang pagsali sa ultras ay isang bagay na magbubuklod sa mga taong may mithiing suportahan ang bansa sa larangan ng futbol.

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Ngayon, kelangan nila ng supporta sa terraces, mga kapatid. Kailangan nila ng boses natin. Kailangan nilang malaman na tayong mga football fans ay narito, sumusuporta. Kung kaya nyo ang mga hinahanap namin sa mga tropa, rakenrol! Lahat tayo ay may potensyal, mga tol.

Kaya mga pre, takits sa mga laro ng ating national team. Tanggalin ang hiya, at tayo'y todo sumuporta.

IKAW NALANG ANG KULANG!

The local scene needs to step up

Some group of lads have been receiving flak lately for their views on supporting a club. The prevalent view of people here is when a club plays international club football, they must have the support or sympathy of every other football fan. But some asserted that's not always the case. And they stood up. What's bad about sticking to their beliefs?

When you say support, how do we support? In the local scene nowadays, it's frequented mostly by internet football fans, who has the majority of the vocal opinion on the local football scene. The problem with basing your opinions on just things that you've read or heard on the net, is that you don't see the underlying reasons why a certain group of lads wants to support a single club, fiercely and loyally.

The unfortunate side effect of an internet-based local scene is they don't quite see the reality and people with honest beliefs gets flak.

Hoy, Bawal Yan.

SOMK (Sons of Mighty Kaya) supports Kaya FC. You can't change or sway them on supporting another football club. The journo reiterated that you can just simply give a goodwill gesture, that's it. The football fans needs to be united even for a single day so he says, but the lads say "No Thank You".

The problem with this journo is that he didn't grasp the loyalty of these supporters. He only saw the viewpoints of his own and others.

SOMK's under fire because they're a visible group of lads out there, supporting a club. That's not a problem, an ultras group supporting their beloved club. The problem is the local scene itself. The majority is on the internet. There are hundreds of people telling a few lads what to do. It's distressing that the majority are just content in sitting it out, while criticizing others' moves in the internet. The lads just want to support their beloved club, but these people doesn't understand their loyalty and that's where the lads get the flak. The concept of loyalty is different here, and some lads got the ire of many because they stuck to their beliefs.

"yabang nito, naka Kaya FC tattoo"

The majority of fans here are on the internet, the vocal majority. Why did this journo singled out a lone group? Is it just because they're the visible one? That's where your problems start mate. The journo missed the point, that the invisible yet vocal majority, is what the league needs, not a group that who just wants to support Kaya FC over any other UFL club. People just want to shame them without looking at themselves. Where are you (the majority) when the local football league needed you the most? Only on the internet? Why didn't you just get out of your couches, buy a ticket and watch the games and support your beloved club? Why does SOMK need to get the flak when in fact the local supporters and the local scene also needs to be blamed on the local scene's chronic attendance problems? 

People are not stepping up. When the club needs supporters, where are the majority? When will they show up? People has say over anything, they love to criticize without looking at themselves. People love to discuss football without doing it, what the league needs is not supporters being asked by a stupid journo asking a stupid question whether they will support another club, with the embryonic stage of football at stake as an excuse. Clubs need to develop active fanbases, on how can they attract attendances, period. People think that bringing in loud bands and music will suffice, it won't.

The local scene needs to step up in order to support their club They need to step up in the national scene too. The internet is a mere vehicle to show your support, it's not the best medium to do it. It's not the front lines. The terraces and the pubs are.. I challenge the lads and lasses out there, you're the best hope of the local football scene.

Football ain't just a sport being played on the pitch. Football ain't just a thing being discussed on internet forums, it's more than that. There are people that will take great lengths to support their club.

You need too. You need to step up.

Fans doesn't need to rely on a few bunch of lads. Can we just blame the cheerleader mentality (that a few bunch of active lads is enough as a support during matches)? No mate, NO! Get out of their comfort zones, watch the games and be active on the fanbase. The internet ain't a bad place to start. SOMK started on a tiny little chatroom somewhere in the corners of the internet. But we must not stagnate on the internet, our club needs support right now at the terraces. Clubs need to think outside of the box, don't take support for granted, just getting a drum line or some pep squad to make some noise ain't the key. It can be a short term solution, but without a tangible, active fanbase, it will be just utter tosh. The lack of fanbase is also a reason why this journo singled out SOMK. It shows that the local scene is a far cry from the glory of 2010, to a point that he asked a stupid question. He should've asked the invisible, vocal majority of the football fans to watch the games LIVE. That's what matters.

We salute those lads who are in Visayas and Mindanao who are willing to step up when they support a club like Ceres or Stallion or any other local clubs that they support, but doesn't have the capability  to do it yet. Your time will come, your time will come. Wait for the national league.We salute those lonewolves that we saw supporting live, while they are being laughed at when they chant the name of the clubs. You lads need to endure, you need to endure. The mediocrity of our football scene won't be a hinder if people will blaze a trail, set a new trend.

You can say that the ultras are different from the established norms of the local football scene here. They are not necessarily higher, that would make them seem superior. Everyone supports differently. So do we. So do you. Your passion belongs to your club values. Only the club, not the players or the management. Players and staff come and go, but your club is always there for you.

If those people whom you criticize are stepping up, why won't you?

 

PFF and Cynicism

Some of us terrace lads have friends on other international football scenes. For example, we, from the local Manila scene like to exchange terrace stories with football casuals of Selangor of Malaysia, FC Sion of Switzerland and even a lad from Union Berlin (who went all the way from Dresden, Germany to watch games in Manila).

We exchange stories about the local happenings of our respective leagues (be it positive or not), and we always come up with this conclusion: "Every football governing body hate active support."

So, back to the local scene. September. 2014 Peace Cup in Manila.

Philippine Football Federation, in their short-sightedness, published their 'PFF Stadium Code of Conduct'  during for the tournament. For those who haven't read the PFF's Code of Conduct, it's the DOs and DON'Ts while watching games at RMS. It's just a bunch of rules banning drums, flags, banners. Technically it tells you to shut yer yammer, sit down, and just watch the goddamned game.

Some journos and other personalities in the local scene cried foul on the Code of Conduct, seeing that the Code of Conduct is a surefire way of making the atmopshere stale and dead inside Rizal Memorial Stadium. But PFF again doesn't care, because they're a bureaucracy, they don't like things that doesn't concern football at all, like for this instance, active support.

During the Peace Cup, we were supporting with hands behind our backs, meaning that we can't even bring in flags that we can wave, let alone patriotic banners. It's a shitty gig in our case, because PFF doesn't realize the potential of supporters in the terraces.

MEETING UP WITH PFF BIGWIGS

Cyril Dofitas, the one holding the microphone

So we decided to meet someone on PFF to finally clarify our intent to bring in flags, banners, tifos inside Rizal Memorial Stadium. And so, with good intentions, we sent an e-mail to Mr. Cyril Dofitas (see picture above), the head of the local organizing committee of PFF. They confirmed quickly about our supposed meeting, and so we went to the PFF headquarters at Pasig City.

We had this in mind before talking to Mr. Dofitas:

1.) If we can convince PFF to allow supporters (not just us) to bring our banners, tifos, drums AGAIN with no restricitons inside Rizal Memorial Stadium.

2.) That we need to clarify to them that our only intent inside that stadium is to support the national team and nothing else.

3.) And that we ultras support our national team with all of our heart and expect nothing in return.

We had a lengthy talk, BUT DOFITAS SAID NO.  It's apparrent that the problem when talking to bureaucrats is that they adhere to rigid, uncompromising rules, like the PFF Code of Conduct. He loves to use the word RULES AND REGULATIONS. We felt gutted seeing the shortsightedness of these people. And we ain't just suffering alone, other groups like the Kaholeros can't unfurl their giant flag last Peace Cup, and some fans can't bring their flags just because the flagpoles because they suspect that sole purpose of bringing your flagpole inside is that you will use it to hit someone. Cynicism rules the day.

They "sympathize" with you, but they say: RULES ARE RULES. What is the purpose of these cynical rules and regulations like the CoC if we're just supporting our national team?

Upon the conclusion of the fruitless meeting with Mr. Dofitas, he asked us if we can meet with Mr. Ed Gastanes, also one of the bigwigs of PFF. You know what's funny about this? Mr. Gastanes told us in a prior message days ago that we need to talk to Mr. Dofitas instead of him.

In short, pinagpapasa-pasahan  lang kami ng mga opisyal ng PFF.

Another thing, Gastanes was busy to have a talk with us, and so after this fruitless venture, we left the PFF Building. 

THINGS WE QUOTED FROM MR. DOFITAS (non-verbatim, with comments)

1.) "Kayo ba ang cheering squad sa Green Bleachers?"

It seems that some people, especially at the top of PFF, doesn't know the terrace scene here in the Philippines. We understood that they have so many things to do in their line of work, but being naive on some important aspect of Philippine football is a bit of a dead giveaway, that they know little about active support, hence their controversial decisions.

2.) "Na appreciate namin iyong ginagawa ninyo, but we need to follow regulations."

Why do we need to adhere to rules and regulations like those written at the PFF Code of Conduct, kung hindi ka naman gagawa ng masama? You are being labeled guilty before charges are filed at you. They jumped into conclusions that ultras is synonymous with hooliganism. It's a completely different idea, but the terms are being scrambled up by football officials here, as if it's just a given that rowdy people at RMS are there just to pick fights, nothing else. Cynicism again.

Pati sa pagsuporta, kailangan pa ata ng RED TAPE.

3.) "Ultras din ako dati, kaya naiintindihan ko kayo."

Ultras daw siya dati. He doesn't know what he's talking about.

4.) "Pwede namin papasukin iyang mga gamit niyo basta iinspeksyunin muna namin iyan at depende pa sa security kung papapasukin."

You can check our things before entering. Besides the security's bollocks, considering people are pissed that they can't retrieve their confiscated items before the match because the stewards just threw them at the side.

Supporting our national team is a RIGHT, not something to ask permission for. They are afraid that supporters might use banners against the PFF, but hey, PFF is playing safe, gusto manatiling mabango.

5.) "Hindi namin papakialamanan mga costumes ninyo."

I guess he compared us to those clowns who wore outrageous costumes during the World Cup. Jesus.

6.) "Huwag na kayo mag dala ng flag na me flagpoles, puwede nalang ba kayo magdala ng sticks na ginagamit dun sa mga lobo?

Susmaryosep.

7.) "Kelangan me specific sizes ang mga flags ninyo"

But they just allow advertisements everywhere in RMS. Kaching-kaching. Business is business.

WHAT'S THE FUTURE OF FOOTBALL HERE?

The local scene is full of indifference, for many people, they only see things on a television or on a computer. They don't see the issues happening on the terraces, or they care little at all. People doesn't give a damn about PFF's stupid Code of Conduct, aside from those few lads who watches the terraces LIVE. That's what PFF likes: too few people complaining, less pesky people to care about.

Watching football live is just secondary in spreading football here, it's more lucrative to have TV deals rather than to fill up those stadiums. Hence people are indifferent in terms of support.

Even if you have TV spectators watching football, without people watching from the terraces, it's just like a body without a soul. PFF doesn't care if you support actively or not. They're just playing safe, because they don't want stick their necks out. That's what bureaucrats are, they won't do anything unless if its too late.

Nako, madaming ibaban PFF nito.

Fans dream that they want to see atmosphere like those in Bundesliga, or the Premier league. But they don't have the balls or the guts to walk the talk. Some people walk the talk but the shortsightedness of people who run football here causes the local football scene to stagnate.

There's no purpose of putting new stadiums if PFF and their stupid rules discourage fans from supporting. They feel they have the chance of recreating what happened last 2011 after the Miracle of Hanoi. They took everything for granted and what they got is near-empty football stadiums after the hype of the Azkals wore down.

Old people who run the show here are too keen on keeping things as they were, they don't like new ideas or things , because (we guess) it's just a pain on the neck. They have this characteristic shortsightedness paired with cynicism that takes football to nowhere. Even if you have good stadiums and good infrastructure. but if you discriminate fans from actively supporting football just because your playing safe, you will get near-empty stadiums just like what you're getting now.

They're killing the culture before it blossoms, they're killing the terraces right before they feel they have the need of it. We tell you PFF: without fans, football is nothing.