Robert Carry speaks with Richard Oyewole, head of the African Supporters Club, a group dedicated to encouraging Africans to take sports in Ireland – especially soccer – to their hearts
“We started out with just 20 people but it has grown hugely since then,” says Richard Oyewole, head of the African Supporters Club, an organisation that has been bringing Africans into the stands of sports grounds across Dublin and beyond since its establishment in February.
Although the group has a large number of Nigerian supporters, its membership has become more diverse.
“Our members are from all over Africa,” says Richard. “We have a lot of people from Nigeria but we also have members from the Congo, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Mali, South Africa – all over the continent, really. We have more than 150 people, women and men. People just keep coming.”
The group has started to diversify in other ways. Richard points out: “Most of our members are guys, but a lot of them bring along their kids and their partners, who are from a range of different countries.”
The Dublin-based paramedic believes that when the group goes along to a game, they make sure everyone knows they are there. “When we go along to a match and start playing drums and singing songs, we are the talk of the stadium. We really bring something special and add to the atmosphere,” he says. “I think this has a positive impact on the players.”
The Irish sport-loving public may have been curious about the presence of the musical arrivals on their terraces, but they were quickly welcomed: “When we started going along to games, people were very surprised to see us. Now it has got to the stage where other fans are hoping we are going to come along.”
Richard thinks that although eyebrows might have been raised in some quarters as to why a group of Africans would decide to follow teams like the Irish national team, it was very much a natural progression for him, one which reflected his own situation.
“I’ve been here for over a decade,” he says. “I love this country and I think it’s important to get out and support its sports teams.
“We have never come across any racism. People know we are doing what we are doing for Ireland,” he adds. “Sport makes you happy. It lets you get any sorrow you are feeling out of your life, so people tend to be good-humoured at these games anyway.”
Richard is also of the opinion that the rest of the group shares his passion for his adopted country.
“We are willing to follow Ireland anywhere,” he says. “I want to see more people supporting its teams and cheering them on to better performances. That is my mission, and because we are growing I expect it to come true.”
Richard believes the African Supporters Club has proved to be a great outlet for immigrants who might otherwise not have had the chance to mix with either other Africans or Irish people.
“It’s a great way to meet people from different cultures, it gives you a different perspective on things,” he says. “We’ve met people who had never spoken to someone from Africa before. We also get the chance to chat to like-minded Irish people, which we might not otherwise meet. The whole process helps with integration and building a sense of unity. Sport is a great vehicle for this.”
Richard says the location in which the group started up meant that it came to be associated with a particular sport and club. He points out: “Our office was in Inchicore so we linked up with St Pat’s (soccer club) early on. We have a good relationship with them and they are going to give us an office since we closed our old one.” He was pleasantly surprised by how opposing supporters, particularly at League of Ireland games, behaved towards them. “When we go along to St Pat’s games, a lot of the visiting fans are surprised, but rather than being antagonistic towards us, they tend to want us to join them!” he says. “The way we perform, etc, changes the atmosphere. There is always a difference when we’re there.”
But despite the growing affinity with soccer and St Pat’s in particular, Richard is quick to point out that the supporters club doesn’t stop at cheering along teams playing the beautiful game.
“We support all sports that are played in Ireland, not just football. We’ve also been to a number of GAA games, although we haven’t received any support from the organisation. Most of the money for the organisation comes from our own pockets.”
But even with diversifying into other games, Richard admits to having a particular fondness for soccer matches.
“We went along to the Republic of Ireland’s home game against Slovakia. We played drums and sang songs for the whole game and chanted ‘give us more goals’ at the players. We had a really great time,” he says.
However, his fondest memory of his time with the supporters club so far was at a more low-key event. “My best experience was a St Pats versus Cork City game,” he says. “A large group of us went along and we won the game. It was a great night.”
Richard is of the opinion that the African Supporters Club could also form the basis of a new club geared specifically towards Ireland’s African community, but rather than this being something that might inhibit integration, he feels it could ultimately end up being of benefit to Ireland.
“A lot of people from Africa are here now, and we would like to have our own club. There are a lot of good players and it would be great to see their talent nurtured so they could be of benefit to Ireland later on in their careers.”
Although Ireland teams enjoy a high level of support, Richard feels the manner in which this support is demonstrated can leave much to be desired: “I don’t like the way some of the fans are behaving towards the football team; they’re not all helping them. Ireland needs better support, not just in soccer but in every sport.”
He believes that a winning formula is in operation, from Africa to Scotland, and that it should be adopted here. He explains: “Look at Nigeria; they might be playing well or they might not be, but they always need support. The people around them help them play better.”
And a team closer to home has also demonstrated the importance of a positive atmosphere: “Look at Scotland – thousands of their supporters went to France and cheered them on to victory. The fans had a big part in that win.”
