Our homepage still says FREE DH22. We haven’t forgotten. That remains true. And we want to recognise the people stepping forward now.
The lads in black down at the front of the BFS section are doing a good job. We said so on X. But we also described them as a new supporters’ group, and that needs correcting.
They are a few mates who want to contribute to supporter culture in Oskarshamn. They ordered the shirts with a design and a message they like. The shirts do not represent a new group.
Jack Åkerberg, who answered our questions, is keen to give credit to BFS as a whole. Improving the atmosphere is a collective effort. The lads in black are part of it.
He explains that BFS approached them when DH left a gap on the chant leaders’ platform. His respect for those who stood there before is clear.
“We really just want to build on the foundations laid by DH and earlier generations,” Jack Åkerberg writes.
We like that attitude. There are big shoes to fill, but also a willingness to contribute what you can. Jack points to how much BFS’s tifo displays have developed and their ambition to compete with the best. There is pride in that answer. And an appetite to do more.
We have missed some of the noise in the arena in DH22’s absence. That makes it all the more important to recognise the next generation when they are right there in front of us. Getting up on the platform and trying to bring the crowd with you takes nerve. And the atmosphere gets better when the rest of the stand joins in.
More people singing. More people joining in. It needn’t be more complicated than that.
And yes, it would be good to see DH22 return to lend their voices at some of the bigger games. Jack says he would welcome that too. Old and new voices together would be something to hear.
The lads in black deserve encouragement. So does everyone at BFS. Now we hope even more people sing along.