Soccer pastime unites communitites

By Ms. Chrystal N Smith (IMCOM)September 11, 2014

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(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

WIESBADEN, Germany -- Myk Thomas really enjoys soccer. But what makes the experiences even more fun is watching his favorite local club in the stadium with a bunch of "friends."

Thomas uses the platform of his favorite pastime, watching live SV Wehen football/soccer club matches in the Brita Stadium, to bring people together and experience another aspect of German culture while assigned in Wiesbaden.

"It's really nice to get people out there … and build friendships and get people interested in something I really love," he said. "It gives you a chance to meet other people from the community that you might not otherwise meet."

Thomas said he just wanted to know about the shirt a community member was sporting one day in the food court. He said his curiosity led him to inquire. That day he said he learned that the SV Wehen football club, a professional team in the third German league, holds home games in the stadium just down the street from the Hainerberg Shopping Center complex. He saw that the seat bearing his favorite number was available, purchased season tickets and the rest was history.

"I've been hooked since," said Thomas, who said he encouraged coworkers to come along and enjoy the games with him. "Larger crowds lead to more fun."

Thomas added that cracking the code on purchasing tickets was the biggest hurdle to overcome. He said he thought that's likely the reason why many other members from the military community don't attend the professional club's games. He said he navigated the team's website, which is in German, got some assistance from his wife and eventually figured out how to score tickets and other pertinent information about the club and games.

He said knowing where to find information about postponements or cancelled games due to weather is helpful as the season goes from July to May, spanning the winter months.

While Thomas would likely attend the games with or without friends, he said that there's a rewarding advantage to going in a group.

"Tickets are usually €15, but if you go with a group of 20 or more, they are only 10," he said.

Thomas is now the administrator of the "United Wehen Fans" public Facebook group. With 80 members and growing, he uses the social media site to gather fans, coordinate ticket purchases, give help to those who don't have the savvy or time to hassle with the website.

"This is a part of bringing the community together," he said. "I just want to get a lot more info out there and be a help to people who just want to enjoy some professional soccer."

He said he hopes to grow his own tradition of screaming and cheering hard for the players on the pitch, as he and various other United Wehen fans wave their custom scarves in solidarity with the thousands of other SV Wehen fans during the home games.

Thomas invites anyone interested in getting in on the fun to join the Facebook group "United Wehen Fans." Also, find more information about the club at www.svwehen-wiesbaden.de.