Globetrotting Fanatics sing their way in Aust Davis Cup team’s hearts

Daily Telegraph & The Australian. Tuesday 7th December, 1999

GLOBETROTTING FANATICS SING THEIR WAY INTO AUSTRALIAN DAVIS CUP TEAMS HEART
by Trevor Marshallsea

Nice, France– It started with a chance meeting in a New York bar after Pat Rafter’s 1997 US Open victory, and has grown to the point where Australia’s Davis Cup team wouldn’t take the court without them.

They’re known as the Fanatics, and the band of semi-organised supporters, who have followed Australia’s Davis Cup team this year, have according to captain John Newcombe, played a significant part in his side’s success.

As a player, Newcombe was well aware of the value of travelling fans, and when he and coach Tony Roche bumped into Sydney economics student and sports nut Warren Livingstone in New York, they liked what they heard.

“After Pat Rafter’s win, I put the idea to Newk and Rochey that we should form a travelling cheer squad” Livingstone said. “It’s basically gone from there. Newk and Rochey have been the driving force behind it all”.

In what sounds like a dream job for any sports fan, Livingstone has been embraced by Tennis Australia who pay his airfare and hotel costs as he follows the team and recruits fans through advertisements in back-packers’ hostels.

At the Davis Cup final in Nice, some 450 Fanatics – recognisable by their yellow T-shirts – cheered, bowed in worship and sang songs to the Australian Team.

Their renditions of Advance Australia Fair were memorable, as was John Newcombe – Superstar, adapted from the one about the original Messiah, Jesus Christ. Others were modelled on English soccer songs, such as Walking in a ‘Poussis Wonderland.

At Newcombe’s request, the Fanatics refrained from mimmicking the tactics during the final of the 10,000 French fans, who collectively cheered after each Australian service fault. A few also yelled out while Australian players were in their service back-swing.

There can also be no doubting the credentials of an Australian cheer squad, which bans Aussie Aussie Aussie – Oi,Oi,Oi from its repertoire. “We wanted to be a bit more imaginative with the things we sang” said 26 year old Livingstone, who hands out a song sheet to followers at each Davis Cup tie. “Hopefully we’re setting a bit of a precedent for Australian sport”.

The contributions of the Fanatics received high praise from the Australian team, who all donned the yellow T-shirts after their final win over France.

*****

The Age, December 5, 1999

A DAY AT THE DAVIS CUP- WOZZA’S ARMY
by Linda Pierce

Despite the location, there was a strong Australian presence, headed by the squad of face-painted, yellow-clad fluoro-wig-wearing supporters known as the Fanatics. Led by the enthuriastic Wozza(who else?) Livingstone, they have for two years attended each Australian Davis Cup tie, home and away, recruiting vacationers on site and bring a decent-sized squad of their own.

In Nice, the Fanatics number about 450 and combined with the rest of the Australian supporters, almost managed to hold their own with about 9000 chanting, stomping Frenchies. “I felt there were 10,000 Fanatics out there and maybe 1000 French,” said a chuffed Philippoussis. “It was perfect”.