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Let's give something back

by
2008-07-18 13:07

Brandon Faber, News24 User

In the name of the father.

Last Saturday I met the biggest Springbok supporter in South Africa.

He had tattoos supporting the fact all over his body - most notably a "World Champions '95" creation on his chest - near his heart.

I couldn't help but be taken in by this man's passion for The Springboks and his unwavering conviction that they are what the sport is about - volumes of ink baring testament to his deep love of the team.

You will suggest, and rightly so, that there are thousands of South Africans sporting similar tattoos and, no doubt, similar collections of memorabilia as *John professed to have - true.

Thing is... John is British.

A 100% pure, cockney-twanged, we-shall-never-surrender Englishman.

"God made me a human with free will," he said when asked why a man from the Queen's country was such a massive Bok supporter. "I have always supported the team, its traditions and legend."

As my new friend made his way to the bar a gentlemen whispered in my ear that John had lost his son in the Iraq war only two days before. A soldier in the British army he was there for his third term - voluntarily. "Road-side bomb, he was 23."

"They did it for my boy," a voice trembled: softer, sadder than the boisterous version only minutes before. Behind us stood the grieving father, drink in hand - tears in eyes. "My son was not a Springbok supporter, but he supported his dad and I am willing to bet that he asked God for this favour today," said John in reference to our historic victory over the All Blacks only hours before.

"I think this victory was his final gift to me. I must - he wasn't going to let his dad down . . . he never did."

Standing there he cut a desolate figure as he cursed the war, the pointlessness of it all, the ineptitude of the British government in getting hold of his son's mother - still resident in the United Kingdom, and whispered a prayer in memory of his hero, his boy.

I removed my Springbok scarf and handed it to the most deserving supporter in the country. On a cold, grey, day in Johannesburg - it was the least I could do?

But maybe it's not the least we can do.

In a country where down hearts and tired minds reign supreme, where misery greets so many and fortune is shared by so few, we can all, today, feel proud and ashamed that a citizen from another country has such passion for ours.

And if one man can defy tradition by giving his heart and soul in support of our nation, I think the nation can turn around and give something back to honour this man - and the memory of his son.

Whether you watch rugby or not. This Saturday, when anthems are sung and chests swell with pride, it is our duty to remember John, his son, and the privilege of being South African.

I hope this story doesn't end here.

*Not his real name.

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Mayflower 7/18/2008 1:20:52 PM
I for one will think of them, both during the singing of our Anthem and while celebrating our victory over the Aussies!! Cheers for an inspiring story!
anonymous 7/18/2008 1:23:45 PM
respect man. respect. and i for one, will remember john and his son on saturday...
No sports fan 7/18/2008 1:25:42 PM
As touching as this tale is I do find it disturbing that people presume that their god has nothing better to do than officiate on the outcome of sports matches! oh damn the dying Rwandan orphans, the blue bulls are on! Is this what your god is saying everytime the mad rugby freaks on and off the field get down and thank the lord that they managed to plant a ball in the right place?
Wiri 7/18/2008 1:25:54 PM
but nice try though!!
Ndumiso 7/18/2008 1:26:26 PM
Wow. Nice heat-warming story, especially for a Friday afternoon. After a hectic week iwth regards to Rugy, this indeed is a good one. May we witness another historic winner tomorrow if not only for our own sake, then for Madiba and Oom "John"!
chops 7/18/2008 1:27:16 PM
World No 1, just beat the All Blacks in the house of pain and still all some supporters can do is criticise and complain. *John is a good example to all of them. It's also not just about sport but his attitude to life is inspiring.
richard 7/18/2008 1:30:23 PM
Respect man Respect!!I will sing the Anthem with 3 Englishman in London with tears in my eyes!
colin 7/18/2008 1:31:42 PM
Great article MR Faber - I am a young father of a 3 year old boy and there is nothing like the relationship between father and son. I can only imagine the hurt and pain John is going through and I would like to convey my deepest condolences for his loss. My 3 year old boy is already a BOK supporter and recognizes the BOK emblem whenever he see it and his response is always daddy BOKKE and points in the direct were it is. John in the memory of your son and the relationship the two of you shared I will promise you to be the best father to my boy in honor of your brave son - Much respect.
LH 7/18/2008 1:37:56 PM
This has to be one of the most beautiful things you have ever written - Thank you BB and I will most def. be thinking of them tomorrow. x
JHB 7/18/2008 1:41:21 PM
Thanks for making me feel humble Brandon.
johnson 7/18/2008 1:44:26 PM
My neighbours' 2 sons, dyed in the blood SAs, both sport NZ ferns on their cars and regularly wear NZ jerseys and assorted clothing as badges of pride. Today my SA builder arrived and his bakkie's windows were darkend with the NZ fern. That's 3 SAs I know of across racial lines and I bet there are thousands more SAs supporting other countries rather than their own. Worse, they live in SA. Your Pom may be Pommy born but is a SA by residence as he lives here,so it is normal to defect allegiance.
JohannC 7/18/2008 1:46:19 PM
I am swallowing down frogs leaping out of my throat. Respect.
Sportsfan 7/18/2008 1:48:45 PM
Man I must say very moving piece
flyfish 7/18/2008 1:48:59 PM
Hey, here's a cheer to the both of you...
Matrix 7/18/2008 1:51:52 PM
Just one note..... Springboks signifies the best athletes / players the country has to offer, i.e. the best of the best at the time. AND I AM PROUD OF THEM & SUPPORT THEM. However, when the best of the worst or worst of the best are called up (dont deserve to be there), sorry will NOT support the individuals, but will still support the team. Hey, its a free country and I can say, feel & support who I want to. NOT a PdV fan.
Kolobe 7/18/2008 1:52:12 PM
I used to support the all blacks(for all right reasons),since the appointment of Pieter De villiers,I support the boks(for all the right reasons).It is my right to support any team of my choice and so it is the right of others as well.
Fraud 7/18/2008 1:55:02 PM
Great article - much needed!
jenny 7/18/2008 1:55:27 PM
do you think if your son dies in Iraq he would be discussing the rugby at the pearly gates!!!
HP 7/18/2008 2:02:21 PM
Its easy to have passion for a nation that you don't live in, we are exposed to all the happenings here good or bad and it has an effect on all of us. Let them come and live here and we'll see what they say after a couple of months... Some things just don't work out...
Badger 7/18/2008 2:02:30 PM
..."BEERS AT MY HOUSE,,,,GO BOKKE"....
jack 7/18/2008 2:03:13 PM
This story shows just how unimportant sport can be in the overall scheme of things. I love my rugby just as much as the next man, but there are far more important things to worry about. John's son died while liberating defenceless people from tyranny. It is not pointless to defend the weak against the narrow-minded, the murderous and the fanatical - those who would rather create a world of hell than have people live a meaningful life in freedom and happiness.
Kolobe 7/18/2008 2:04:19 PM
If peter continues to play other players like I would leave the boks again,he should never forget his mandate.and his policies and mandates makes me support the boks otherwise I will move to the ALL BLACKS.
Taurus 7/18/2008 2:08:23 PM
You seem to get a kick out of it by being controversial. I for one will in future ignore your remarks and rather read the comments from everybody else that has something to contibute!!!
PBR 7/18/2008 2:09:21 PM
This is best friday peice I have seen in resent times... It must be Mandela's birth day.. Here is to the Boks.. make us proud!!
Ryan 7/18/2008 2:11:47 PM
Great article Brandon! Just a pity how some people bring racism into the picture! Kolobe the only reason you support the boks now is because we have a non white coach?? how sad!! you dont deserve to be South African and im sure most of us would love you to continue supporting the AB's so that we can kick you ass!! Go Bokke!
Bok Supporter 7/18/2008 2:16:34 PM
One of the best stories I've read here. But I was wondering Kolobe, what are "the right reasons" for supporting the Boks now? Surely those reasons can't be based on race, because in the spirit of a "colour-blind" new South Africa I think that would be all the wrong reasons.
odirilwe 7/18/2008 2:16:38 PM
sport is such a beautiful phenomenon, it sees no other things that we normally see
Francois 7/18/2008 2:16:47 PM
Phew what a GLORIUS saturday awaits us! have a good weekend...
mp3's mentor 7/18/2008 2:17:36 PM
you are not a real supporter. the only reason you didnt support the boks before was because of the white coach and all the team selections he made based on merit and not race & anc brown nosers like luke watson, you are a racist and clearly an AA apointee as you're never working and always on news24, which i can only assume means that you have some white person doing your job for you nice article by the way.
mp3's mentor 7/18/2008 2:19:09 PM
you are not a real supporter. the only reason you didnt support the boks before was because of the white coach and all the team selections he made based on merit and not race & anc brown nosers like luke watson, you are a racist and clearly an AA apointee as you're never working and always on news24, which i can only assume means that you have some white person doing your job for you nice article by the way.
Bok support 7/18/2008 2:19:48 PM
I think all you SA bourn NZ supporters misunderstand the term...All Black...that is not what they meant :)
MJL 7/18/2008 2:21:03 PM
Idiot. For the right reasons - cause hes "black". Obviously you don't support him, cause you don't support ugby the game - you just say that now to prove how you support "black people". Do you even know more than 2 members of the team. .. Also do you have a real job or do you just sit there the whole day looking for ways to be racist ! Probably while your "coconut" co-workers do all the work ! Please move to zim !
SA capitalist 7/18/2008 2:21:50 PM
Surely you shouldn't support sport. wasn't it invented by the capitalist pigs over in the UK. bad communist you!
The Truth 7/18/2008 2:27:10 PM
Kolobe,funny that you should only support them just because Div is now the coach,because the racial make-up of the team hasn't changed much since he took over from Jake.You cannot help but continue to display your total ignorance,arrogance and lack of knowledge regarding not only the sporting codes of cricket and rugby football,but everything else you comment on on NEWS24.
cvz 7/18/2008 2:27:24 PM
Good luck to the Bokke this weekend. Kolobe - you also have the right to remain silent - not only for the benefit of the rest of us readers, but for yourself too.
MJL 7/18/2008 2:30:45 PM
Kolobe you little puppet - Is there anything in this world you can't make into a race issue "right reasons". This article wasn't even about race. See if you can turn the following into a race issue where the white devil is at fault, i'm sure you can : The sun is burning out and will for a fact die (actually explode according to scientists) in a couple billion years or so ! - Now GO ........ dance litlle puppet !Eagerly awaiting your reply - that is if news 24 posts this.
outtahere 7/18/2008 2:31:45 PM
Just a question - why did black people in apartheid SA support the All Blacks, and not say the Wallabies, France, England, Wales or even Ireland? Is it just because of the name "All Black"?
The Truth 7/18/2008 2:36:14 PM
Please name Comrade Kolobe of NEWS24 as "Mampara of the Week" sooner rather than later.I cannot think of many who are more deserving at the moment,especially after some of this past week's pure gems from him.
Paul 7/18/2008 2:40:20 PM
You are so great at stating the obvious! Why bother commenting when you have NOTHING constructive to ad? Sigh...
AJ 7/18/2008 2:43:43 PM
If that is your reason then uou're still supporting the team for the wrong reason then actually - do you not realise the irony of your statement?
Chris 7/18/2008 2:50:18 PM
Heart warming.I wish that the many south african "anti south africans" out there could find some pride in their home country and perhaps even in themselves.
SA2NZ 7/18/2008 3:22:52 PM
Nice story, and a great supporter! I will always support the boks in heart and whenever they aren't playing the AB's, hehe as I'm from SA and will always remember that, I now live in NZ though and support the country that supports me so I'm an All Blacks fan. Basically same situation as this guy you speak of, living in SA and supporting the Springboks... Tomorrows game is gonna be brilliant against the aussies, go bokke!
HP 7/18/2008 3:24:18 PM
I support the Wallabies because I wasn't born here and I don't intend on changing, but dude you have some serious issues mate!!! Its people like you that make this country a "better" place.
White_African 7/18/2008 3:24:21 PM
Loved it Brandon !!! At least this "POM" knows winners when he sees them. I think every South African wanted to kiss Ricky when he went over for that try. pssst, don't tell Kolobe I said "every South African", he might find some reason to start seeing colour again ...
LH 7/18/2008 3:26:46 PM
To all the nonbelievers, just to set the record straight - John does exist, in fact I met him the same day as Brandon, and yip all that was written here is exactly the way it went down. so no NOT FICTION!
Michael 7/18/2008 3:29:03 PM
Great Story! The last week i have been following all the comments left of the sport's pages. And its been a fight about colour and Coaches, Jake vs Pieter.. Who cares! We won. Lets celebrate it together! If a man form England can see the greatness we have with our rugby why cant us South Africans See it aswell. Good luck to the Boks and All the Staff involved with Sat Match. ViVa BOKKE!
Godfrey 7/18/2008 3:31:10 PM
That this guy Brandon write such a nice article on a Vrydag middag and you guys resort to insulting each other!
Nanker Phelge 7/18/2008 3:35:50 PM
"God made me a human with free will," Best part of the whole article.
KS 7/18/2008 3:36:31 PM
FANTASTIC article, well written and delivered! Unfortunately some village is missing its idiot...Kolobe i think you should go home - they're looking for you!!!! BOKKE FOREVER!!!
Ami 7/18/2008 3:38:20 PM
that some would still insist not all players in the team are picked on merit and that there EE/AA appointments in the team. Are you trying to say that non-EE(white) teams were crap seeing they couldnt beat the All-Blacks in New Zealand and all it took was a couple of political puppets to actually beat the All Blacks.
John Camp 7/18/2008 3:39:43 PM
Great article bru, my heart goes out to John, fam and friends. It sickens me that certain commenters get to ruin the moment, it sickens me that News24 allow his comments to get published, it sickens me that he can steal the forum. Go BOKKE, and Brandon thanks for another great article.

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