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Home / Hawkes Bay Today / Sport

Soccer: Fans sing striker's praises

Anendra Singh
By Anendra Singh
Sports editor·Hawkes Bay Today·
24 Oct, 2013 04:55 PM5 mins to read

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Jeremy Brockie's fan base is growing by the day. Photo / NZPA

Jeremy Brockie's fan base is growing by the day. Photo / NZPA

Yellow Fever catchy: Brockie.

If you ask the Yellow Fever brigade they'll unequivocally tell you Wellington Phoenix player Jeremy Brockie rocks.

So much so that the shirtless, delightfully boisterous fans have composed a song on the attacking midfielder/striker to the tune of the Kiss medley Rock N Roll All Night.

The 26-year-old Christchurch-born player will be a major drawcard in the historic Phoenix v Newcastle Jets match to be hosted for the first time in Hawke's Bay.

"The Yellow Fever are great. If anything, in Wellington, you can always count on them for help from minute one to minute 90 so they'll give the Bay supporters a taste of what we get in Wellington," says Brockie, laughing at the thought of seeing fans wearing T-shirts with references to him emblazoned across the chest.

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Fittingly, the Yellow Fever fans have put together a new chant, Oh Napier, for the Wellington franchise's debut at McLean Park, Napier, for the 5pm kick off.

"Oh great, I didn't know that. I'll be keeping an ear out for that one," he says.

So how much impact do such lyrics have on the players at the height of battle in the A-League soccer competition?

From the Fever's vantage perch at the Cake Tin in Wellington, Brockie says the impact as they run out of the tunnel is incredible when the chanting begins.

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Is it uplifting?

"Oh definitely so we're very lucky to have them.

"During the breaks in play you get to hear them but at the height of battle you are trying to listen to what teammates are saying on the pitch," he reveals, adding there's no pressure on him to hear his name in the potpourri of chants.

Brockie stunned the amazing army of Western Sydney Wanderers red supporters last Sunday when he finished off a sliding shot from an exquisite Paul Ifill cross for a 1-1 stalemate.

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There's no doubt the man has a penchant for scoring goals.

"Ifill's such a joy to play with and to have the calibre of such players is great so I'm happy to be anywhere up the front," Brockie says.

He is feeling more comfortable in the role of striker rather than the midfield and the clash against his former A-League club on Sunday will be no exception for a player who plied his trade with Kinetic Electrical Hawke's Bay United who begin their campaign next month in the ASB Premiership.

"I'm there to score goals and I'm paid to do that but I have very good players around me to help me so at the end of the day it's about getting three points no matter who scores the goals."

The All White and Olympian made his debut in the big league in 2005-06, scoring four goals from a dozen appearances for the now-defunct New Zealand Knights.

The shift to Sydney FC saw a lean, goalless patch the following summer and his impending release from a franchise that used him sparingly off the bench.

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He puts it down to part of growing up and taking advice from other people at an impressionable age.

"It was obviously a disappointing time but I've come on the other end of it as a better player," says the man who teammates call Brocks.

In 2009-10 he forged ties with the North Queensland Fury with one goal from 14 appearances.

The following season it was the Jets with two goals from six outings. Last season Brockie found the net twice in November for the Phoenix in helping dismantle the Jets 3-0.

In fact, Newcastle seems to be a happy hunting ground for the Kiwi, who drilled two goals past them on debut for the NZ Knights at North Harbour Stadium in 2006. "I've played a couple of seasons for them so I suppose that helps."

The 1.83m tall, 80kg Olympian has 11 goals for the New Zealand Under-20 and Under-23 sides to his credit but, staggeringly, none from close to 40 appearances for the All Whites in the international arena.

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It is perhaps because he played mostly in a defensive position in the Herbert era.

Brockie is looking forward to some Bay mates who will be there to support him and the Nix on Sunday. He describes the feeling of playing before the Red and Black Brigade of the Wanderers last Sunday as amazing. "Oppositions actually enjoy that atmosphere so I'm not sure if that's what they want but it's a great feeling to be out there."

Yellow Fever spokesman Guy Smith, 33, of Wellington, says no one is in charge among the 7500-strong fans when it comes to penning chants and lyrics to songs. "They are regular fans who go on the website to make contributions in a very democratic and fun kind of thing," Smith says, contrasting it with the Wanderers' RBB crowd who have someone orchestrating and conducting the proceedings on game day.

He is expecting a big walk-up crowd in Napier, considering Mclean Park doesn't boast a sell-out record in any sport.

"There's a very strong football community in Hawke's Bay and with the Napier City Rovers Under-19 tournament on I think they'll come to it, too."

Smith, who'll arrive here with his girlfriend and her children, says the Yellow Fever is "very family friendly".

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"We're not like the sevens [rugby].

"We're sociable so many people bring children," he says of the contingent who'll converge at the The Station bar for meals and drinks before the kickoff.

"We're not boozy types - don't get me wrong, some of us love our beers - but we don't have to be drunk to chant."

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