Soccer: Avid supporters still produce a great song and dance

Just to one side of halfway in the back rows of North Harbour Stadium stand a bunch of animated individuals. They sing, dance, abuse (in a nice way) and chant.

They've been doing that since the Kingz kicked off in 1999, despite a series of dreadful seasons that haven't normally given them much reason to make a song and dance.

Numbers that once peaked at about 300 have since dwindled to about 20 but maybe, just maybe, their fortunes could improve along with those of a football club now known as the New Zealand Knights.

The A-League season kicked off this weekend and the 2006-07 incarnation of the country's only professional football side could be the one that marks the turning of the corner. It might also mark something of a turning point for Bloc 5.

Ringleader Richard McIlroy is rightfully cautious. He has been burnt too many times to get carried away by the Knights' pre-season form that saw them notch three straight draws because, as he says, "it's still early days".

Bloc 5 were once described as the best supporters in the land. The legend even grew to such an extent, there were rumours the Warriors (true) and the Blues (false) even tried to get them on board to liven up their home crowds.

McIlroy, a litigation lawyer outside football hours, says he has been to all but one home game in the club's seven-year history.

"I think I missed one when I was in Melbourne and there is a rumour I may have missed another one for a weekend on Waiheke Island with a certain lady at the time," he explains.

"But I don't think that's true. I think it was actually an All Whites game against Dunfermline. I've certainly never missed an Auckland City game [in the NZFC]."

McIlroy's passion for football is a lot of what defines the sometimes intense individual.

"For me, football is a big part of who I am," he explains. "Whether your team is winning or not, that doesn't really matter to me. It's about supporting a team.

"A lot of people made up excuses for leaving [Bloc 5] but the real reason was because we weren't winning. All of a sudden wives, girlfriends and children took priority, even though they never had before.

"People want to see winning teams and that's fair enough. I would love to see some of those people come back. We're not asking for great things, we just want a team that's competitive and that gets the occasional result against some of the better clubs."

David Cross is also a survivor, although he contemplated leaving his Knights jersey to gather dust.

Cross was one of the Hamiltonians who made the trek each fortnight during the season but shifted to Wellington four years ago. He's since travelled to about half the home games and would have gone to more but for work and family.

He said a combination of tribalism, a love of football and mateship kept drawing him back. "It's somewhere you can forget your worries and make some noise," he reasoned.

"I don't think my wife understands it but she's very accepting."

McIlroy and Cross will be there for the A-League season. Just who joins them at the back of the stand will have a fair bit to do with how the Knights perform.