Niigata Albirex

Aug 20 (Sat.) -
ALBIREX NIIGATA VS GAMBA OSAKA
"Ohh...Niigata" is a song you soon learn to LOVE while going to the Albirex games. They're pretty FUN games bringing in crowds of 40,000 or more. But the BIG SWAN (where the home games are held) is an amazing thing to see in itself. The roots of Albirex Niigata are very deep; the club can trace its history to 1955.
"The Niigata-Chuetsu Earthquake, in early October, devastated the region that Albirex call home, and in addition to the emotional stress that this earthquake caused, it also forced the team to postpone one match, and play a second at a "home" location hundreds of miles from Niigata's "Big Swan" stadium. It all took a toll on the team's performances, and they dropped the next four matches in a row to finish the season in seventh place.
But in many ways, the earthquake may be seen, years from now, as a key event in the team's development. Albirex were already a fanatically supported team, drawing crowds of close to 40,000 on a regular basis. But the enthusiasm and support for the team was still restricted to a fairly small, though fanatically loyal fan base. The Niigata-Chuetsu earthquake changed all that. In the immediate aftermath, team members traveled throughout the area, speaking to adoring crowds of schoolchildren as well as their previously disinterested parents and grandparents, carrying a message of hope and endurance through hardship.
By the end of the season, Albirex Niigata had been transformed from "just" a sports team, into a symbol of regional pride. The players, meanwhile, had grown in the eyes of locals into truly heroic characters, who are more widely recognized among people of all ages, occupations and interests than any movie star. The bond between the team and its local region is stronger than blood, and it runs both ways. Albirex players were at the forefront of volunteer efforts to help displaced people, following the quake, and they dedicated their efforts time and again to the people affected by the quake. No doubt the local citizens will repay the favor in years to come, with their support and encouragement. "

You soon learn to love them, makes me proud I'm from Niigata.
13 more games of the season...Come on Guys! :)
Ja ne!!!