It's time to reignite the "Thanh Vinh cauldron"

(Baonghean.vn) - SLNA has always been considered one of the clubs with the largest and most passionate fan base in the country. People in Nghe An are proud of this, so the home crowd deserves even more the nickname "The Fiery Cauldron of Thanh Vinh".

Vinh Stadium is the pride of the people of Nghe An province simply because it has witnessed all the ups and downs throughout the glorious history of Nghe An football. Furthermore, it represents the passionate love of football among the local fans.

About 20 years ago, whenever SLNA played, the Vinh Stadium, with a capacity of nearly 20,000 spectators, would become overcrowded, especially during big matches.

At that time, before the match took place, crowds of people from the districts flocked to Vinh City. They then gathered and paraded through the streets, creating a lively, festive atmosphere with overwhelming enthusiasm.

Vinh Stadium is known as one of the most passionate football stadiums in the country. Photo: Tung Le

Because all the tickets had sold out, many people who couldn't buy tickets resorted to climbing ladders and scaling walls, despite the inherent dangers, hoping to catch a glimpse of their hometown heroes playing football.

However, the images of Vinh Stadium packed with spectators are now just a memory.

When the club couldn't attract enough investment or retain its best players, SLNA had no choice but to let them leave instead of contributing to their beloved homeland. After winning the V.League championship in 2011, the number of spectators attending matches steadily decreased, as SLNA gradually lost its identity and ambition.

For example, in the 2017 season, the sight of empty stands at Vinh Stadium became very familiar. And in stand B, there were mostly only a few young players cheering on their seniors.

These images haven't been seen around Vinh Stadium for a long time. Photo: Tung Le

In the second half of the season, SLNA has somewhat demonstrated the fiery, characteristic style of Nghe An in the past. From 12th place at the end of the first half, they have now climbed to 8th place in the standings. Furthermore, while SLNA only scored 11 goals and won 2 matches in the first half, in this second half, with only 11 rounds played, the team has already won 5 matches and scored 18 goals.

In the National Cup alone, SLNA reached the final and won the first leg against Binh Duong 2-1 at Go Dau Stadium. However, SLNA only received support from the fans when playing away from home; when they returned to their home ground, things went back to how they were before.

According to information from the club, in order to show appreciation to the home fans, at the same time avoid potential ticket scalping and to provide the best possible opportunity for students to watch football for free, SLNA Club has decided to open stands B, C, and D of Vinh Stadium to the public for free during the second leg of the National Cup final against Binh Duong.

More than ever, SLNA desperately needs its fans by its side right now to boost morale and inspire the players to play with determination. Between SLNA and its fans in Nghe An, there is love, and there have been moments of anger and resentment, but after all, hopefully on November 30th, the "Thanh Vinh cauldron" will once again ignite a flame of pride amidst the cold winter weather.

Van Vu