Stacey Turnbull, Gary Younger, Billy Younger and Jackson Younger from Whangarei in Northland.
Stacey Turnbull, Gary Younger, Billy Younger and Jackson Younger from Whangarei in Northland.
Whangarei's Gary Younger may be known to many as a real estate agent, but to some he is known as one of the Taniwha's most loyal fans.
Gary has followed Northland around the North Island this season, taking his limousine and a bunch of mates with him.
Gary took timeout of his busy schedule to explain the reason behind his madness to the Northern Advocate. Here's what he had to say ...
Is travelling to the Taniwha away games a bit of a tradition? How did it start?
It is not a tradition, although it may be the start. I have been away where I can but this year was the first to get to all the games as they were all in the North Island.
Madness. You get one crack each day so you've got to make it memorable. It's also great to support your team and when I saw that all games were in the North Island I decided to have a shot at them all. I also get to take my two boys Billy and Jackson on some great adventures and they get to see more of the country.
Some people would say you are mad following around a Taniwha side which has such up-and-down results. Are you the mad away supporter? And what's the deal with the limo?
You've got to be a bit mad, but you are either a supporter or like to jump on bandwagons ... I'll go for our team every time. We try to make sure the team know we are in the crowd backing them ... Billy would be the loudest and proudest and throws a few dance moves in.
The limo just appeared on Trade Me, as things do. I thought we could get a few more supporters to the games and it would come in handy for charity fundraising ... good justification! I found it in Wellington in time for the Waikato game. I have had a mix of travellers - groups of mates, my kids, family from Cambridge who are now Northland supporters, and I took a group from Kamo JB5 to Harbour. We even found a couple of supporters broken down in Auckland on the way to the Shield challenge. It can fit nine at a squeeze.
What would be your favourite Taniwha match you have gone to? What about for this season?
I can't say I have a favourite, I just love it when they entertain and passes stick. We've had some great first halves. This year has been more about the crowds than the games for me in some ways, so I would rate the Napier [against Hawke's Bay] game for a great atmosphere, especially for us in the first half but also the home fans. Kamo's JB5s revved up support at Harbour and it made it more like a home game.
