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SANTOS FAN'S VIEW...
Why I Support Santos
By Akis Trikas, a Santos supporter from Athens, Greece.
I'm from Athens, Greece and I watch Brazilian soccer every week on TV. I support SANTOS for many reasons. As a child Santos was the first Brazilian team I heard about because Pele was a Santos player. Also in the 60's Santos on a tour in Europe came to Greece and they played against my team Olympiakos. Pele was participating in and the game was a tie. I wasn't born then but the game between the two teams is still remembered in Greece by the fans of Olympiakos. Actually one of the hymns of Olympiakos talks about the game against the most legendary Brazilian team. Brazilian soccer especially the national team is very popular in Greece. It's not a coincidence that Rivaldo and Giovani (a former Santos player) are Olympiakos' footballers among other Brazilian soccer players who play on various Greek teams.
Why I Support Santos
By Valmir Storti, sportswriter.
It was 1978, I was seven and I was learning how to read. Santos had - thank
God - assembled the Meninos da Vila, the Vila Boys (after the Vila Belmiro
stadium), another unforgettable team. It was made up of a new generation of
young (and not so young) players - worthy successors of Pelé's reign and
honourable wearers of the white shirt that since April 14 1912 has
represented pure football.
The forward line had Nilton Batata, Aílton Lira, Juari, Pita, João Paulo and
Rubens Feijão. One of my aunts decided that she would give each of her
nephews a football shirt for Christmas. "Which one do you want, Valmir?"
"Santos," I said, despite stern looks from my Corinthians-supporting mum, my
São Paulo-supporting dad and perplexed uncles, aunts and cousins. It was a
glint of light in a sky of darkness. I have kept that shirt until today,
although i did "lend" it to my nephew when he was seven...
On discovering the joys of football and reading, I found out that Santos had
won their first game against Corinthians - the team with the most supporters
in my street, neighborhood and city - 6-3 in 1913, in the state's earliest
derby; and that it was at Corinthians' ground; that a Santos player,
Feitico, who was playing in 1927 for an all-star São Paulo team against an
all-star Rio team, had ordered the end of the game because he disagreed with
the ref's decision to give a penalty. Brazil's then-president, Washington
Luís, was in the stadium and ordered that the players restart the game.
Feitico said: "The president might be in charge of the country. But down
here, who's in charge is us!" Santos fans passion for defending justice is
as fundamental for us as the union of our colours, black and white.
After that came the Pelé Era, the magic of all the fascinating players who
helped the team do what it did, win two Libertadores and two World cups. A
rich story that gives the same kind of pride that civilisations like China,
England, France, Germany, Japan and Scotland must feel. Stories of
resistance and of fighting for one's sovereignty.
When i started off in journalism, at the Folha de S. Paulo, i had access to
lots of market research into the opinions of fans from different clubs in
different parts of the country. No other team's supporters were -in
percentage terms - as well informed about their own club as Santos's were.
In fact, every Santista is the archetype of a fan not just a sympathizer.
Football is the only social relationship where the possibility of betrayal
does not exist, We dont just like Santos, we love Santos. Its a pure love,
of giving ourselves totally. We have no fear. There arent many of us, but we
have pride. We know exactly what we fight for, why we take to the field and
what each victory means. The only thing we dont know is how to adequately
express our passion.
DO YOU SUPPORT SANTOS?
Tell us why in an email () and we'll stick it up here.
Information compiled by: Mark Lowdon
Last page update: Feb 21 2005
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