Is it hard finding Panthers fans?
Oli: It is, yeah. First, it isn’t our national sport so there’s that. You also won’t see many people wearing NFL gear around town, but it does happen from time to time. Finally, you might see someone but there’s 31 other teams being represented over here as not many people have any geographical ties to a team. Social media is the best way and we’re growing nicely on there and finding new people. Being an official Chapter has certainly helped; when the Wembley games are on though, we go into recruitment mode!
Have you ever spotted a Panthers fan on the streets and invited them to watch with you?
Joe: For being across the pond it has been surprisingly easier than expected to meet Panthers fans and slowly grow our fan base for the watch parties every week – anytime I see Panthers gear on the streets I try to give a “Go Panthers” and see if they live around or are interested in coming to watch.
Oli: I have a few times, yes. We also see lots of people in the casino who might compliment our jersey or something so we’ll tell them about who we are and what we do. We’re going to get some business cards printed soon to make the conversation a little easier with our social media details on there.
Have you had someone from out of town join your watch party?
Oli: It happens pretty much every week. Mostly people from Charlotte who work in finance – but we’ve had people from all over, including people from the US Military come and join us. It’s really great meeting people from Charlotte in London. I love the look on their faces when they see our set up at The Hippodrome and the fact that we seem to know what we’re talking about (for the most part anyway!) I think a lot of people hear the accent and are shocked by that.
Joe: We have people from out of town almost every week! With London being such a tourist city we are fortunate to have people visiting from Charlotte and other areas around the U.S. who hear about The Hippodrome and come out to watch.
Are there particular challenges that your city faces (i.e. too spread out, lots of neighborhoods, apathy, lack of transit options, etc)?
Joe:Lack of transportation is definitely not an issue in London! We are fortunate to have excellent train system that allows fans to come from outside of London in the UK to watch as well.
Oli: It’s big! Getting around London is pretty good on The Tube but most people don’t live in the city center because it’s too expensive. It takes me just over an hour to get to The Hippodrome. Plus we have too many Jags and Patriots fans over here.
What’s the most popular Panthers gear at your watch party?
Oli: I think Zack mentioned that when he and Kevin were over there were eleven people wearing “Change The Culture” t-shirts so I’d say that’s a popular option. We’ve also all got signed Efe Obada t-shirts now from when he came over so they’re very popular – one of our members was brave enough to test out the signature by washing it and the good news is that it didn’t wash out, so at least we smell as good as we look!
Joe: Cam Newton and Luke Kuechly jerseys for sure. The British fans love Cam so naturally it is the most worn jersey.
Why Did You Want To Lead A Chapter?
Oli: I guess the answer to this is probably covered by my next answer. The Riot means a lot to me so any way I can help make a difference, I’m more than happy to do it.
Joe: I have been a huge Panthers fan from day 1. I would always travel around for away games to support them, then crossed paths with Zack at a Saints away game in 2014. I have always had a lot of respect for what he has done for the fans and the organization, so naturally I wanted to help change the culture internationally when I moved over.
What Does Being In The Roaring Riot Mean To You?
Oli: My finance Sarah and I have been coming to at least one home game and one road game every year for a few years now and right from the start we were made to feel so welcome. You may be 4,000 miles away but you’re an extension of our family now. It’s great coming over because we see people we know – we’ve made life-long friends that we met at our trips and a few of them are coming to our wedding, which just happens to be in New Orleans! Were it not for the Riot, we wouldn’t be getting married in the US and our circle of friends would be completely different. This may sound a bit corny, but it’s actually changed our lives.
Joe: The Roaring Riot to me embodies what true Panthers fans are all about. It is a passionate group of people who believe in their team, for better or for worse, and want to make sure the players and coaches know that. Having such a large group of fans that have banded together around the country, show up to away games in force, and support the team no matter what, is exactly what I want to be a part of.
How Excited Are You To Be A Full Chapter of the Roaring Riot?
Joe: Very excited. I have been pushing this for two years consistently and continued to tell the original Hippodrome watching crew that it would happen one day. We finally got our shot to showcase what we had going on and it was a massive success. Now here we are with an incredible chapter and group of fans in London, its amazing!
Oli: So excited and even more so because I am convinced the Panthers are coming to London next year! I really hope I’m right because we cannot wait to host you all and show you our city. I promise you it will be an away trip you will not want to miss!
What One Place Would You Recommend Panthers Fans Eat in London?
Oli: It’s a little pricey but well worth it but when you come over you need to head to Goodman. It’s a steak restaurant and they serve some amazing UK beef there. They have the USDA too but “When in Rome”, guys. Get on the UK grass-fed rib-eye and I promise you’ll all be thanking me.
Joe: There is so many pubs in London it is impossible to choose! I will let you take Oli’s answer on this. As far as activity, I recommend anyone visiting London to take a boat cruise down the Thames as it is a great way to see so many sites!
One Activity?
Oli: Wow, just one activity seems so unfair in London! As my restaurant was so pricey, here’s something free to do. Take a walk over Waterloo Bridge. You will have one of the best views in London from there and it’s completely free. You’ll see the Houses of Parliament (Big Ben), The London Eye, St Paul’s Cathedral, The Shard, The Gherkin, The Walkie Talkie, The Cheese Greater, Tower 42 and loads more. It’s an amazing view and when you’re at the other end, you’re right at Covent Garden.
One Place To Drink?
Oli: The Hippodrome on game day of course!
When Was the Last Time You Went To A Game in Charlotte?
Joe: I lived in Atlanta for 10 years before London, but took the Megabus up every single Sunday for home games, as well as traveled to most away games. I have not been back for a game since I moved, but I will be back for the Seahawks game in November!
Oli: Six of us were in Charlotte for Week 1 against Dallas which was great fun. We didn’t make it to Price’s Chicken Coop this time, which I’m still upset about.
What Was it Like During the 2015 Run/Super Bowl?
Oli: So that was before my time at The Hippodrome but for me personally it was extremely frustrating in a strange way. The Panthers started doing well and as we don’t have a huge following over here people kept saying I was a bandwagon fan. I would just like to state for the record that I’m not.
How excited are you to have the Roaring Riot and the Panthers in your town?
Joe:We are very hopeful to get the Panthers here in London next year. If it happens, it is going to be a party! We can’t wait to be able to showcase London and host as many Panthers fans as can possibly make it to show them how we do it across the pond!
Oli: Week 3 was just incredible when Zack and Kevin came over. There was about 50 of us and people had come from all across Europe just to be there to watch a game with us. It was great fun and it has me so hyped for the day the Panthers finally make the trip over here because we are going to show the Roaring Riot how the Royal Riot do things!
To Find Out More About The Roaring Riot And Help Change The Culture Wherever Your Local Chapter Is, Click This Pic Of Devin Funchess Mossing Quinton Dunbar:
