Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines a hooligan as a ruffian or hoodlum, but that’s not quite what the Bearcat Hooligans represent.
At the beginning of last fall’s men’s soccer season there was much anticipation about the new Bearcats Sports Complex and the opening men’s soccer game against Cornell. But after the 3-0 win against the “Big Red,” the students around campus were not talking about the complex or Cameron Keith’s hat trick, but about a group of roughly 10 people who were singing, chanting and frustrating Cornell goalie Luca Cerretani to the point where he was ready to burst.
The hooligans were started by Binghamton senior Erwin Seguia as a way to bring some spirit to the soccer field here at BU.
“People enjoy the atmosphere,” Seguia said. “Everyone loves having a go at the away teams. They love to sing, it’s a ton of fun and we all enjoy it now that the stands are packed for home matches.”
But how much of an influence could a group of fans have over a game? The fans aren’t on the field controlling the ball, so what can they possibly do?
Well, the Bearcat Hooligans have brought new meaning to the term “home-field advantage.” Last season the Bearcats were 7-1 at home, their only loss coming to Vermont in the America East Finals.
“Nothing really gets too out of control. We all usually know the limits as to which we can heckle the other team — we pushed that limit last year, so we don’t want to upset the officials or the coaches too much … unless it’s the opposite team,” Seguia said. “We get clever and throw some innuendo or pun [in regards to some players’ names] in there to get them all riled up. Does anyone remember Dana Flanders?”
Flanders, a forward for Cornell, was one of the unlucky opposing players who felt the wrath of the Binghamton faithful. He was heckled relentlessly for the entire game, causing him to miss open shots and was pulled from the game by the Cornell coach.
The goal of the Hooligans is not to emotionally cripple or scar any of the opposing players, although they have come close, but to promote the sport and take the love of the game to a whole new level.
“You bleed green and white, you sing your heart out at matches so that you can barely speak after,” Seguia said. “And you always sing, winning or losing.”
The group of BU Hooligans has expanded from 10 people, to 20 and then to 30, until it reached today’s number of close to 200 people — so the first home game of the season, on Friday at 7 p.m., spells trouble for Bucknell.
“We plan on tailgating for the match against Bucknell in the parking lot in front of the stadium, so it should be good,” Seguia said. “We should be starting around 5:30-6.”
If you want to join the Bearcat Hooligans Facebook group, look under the Binghamton network in “sports and recreation, college sports.” Once you’re in, learn the songs and be ready to yell until your voice is gone.
“It doesn’t feel like leading a group of hooligans,” Seguia said. “I usually sit tight with my group and everyone just fills in around us and the sound is amazing. We are so loud when we turn up in numbers. I mean, it’s just when one of us sings, all of us sing … and it’s actually one of the best things I’ve ever experienced.”