12th man (football)
The 12th man or 12th player is a collective term for fans of sports teams in many eleven-a-side games, in particular association football.
[5] In the 1935 Princeton–Dartmouth game before 56,000 fans who braved the snow and cold,[6] spectator Mike Mesco was initially reported to have left his seat from the stands to join the Dartmouth defensive line and was referred to in a local newspaper as the "Twelfth Dartmouth Man",[7] though later was found to be not Mesco, but George Larsen of Cranford, New Jersey.
[12] Many high schools in the United States incorporate 12th man language into their booster, supporter, or rooter clubs.
Examples of such "12th Man Clubs" include the Dana Hills Dolphins,[13] Washington Panthers,[14] Richwood Knights,[15] Diamond Bar Brahmas,[16] Fairfield Falcons,[17] and Brentwood Bruins.
[20] Their fans were inducted because of their loyal support during the team's early '90s Super Bowl runs, which coincided with quarterback Jim Kelly and his wearing of #12.
[21] In 2008, the Bills renamed their "12th Man Walk of Fame" as "Tim Russert Plaza", in honor of the recently deceased Buffalo native and lifelong fan.
In 2007, the Colts inducted their 12th Man as the sixth entrant into the team's Ring of Honor, then located on the interior facade of the RCA Dome.
[37] In recent years, 12th Man flags[38][39][40][41][42] have been seen all over Seattle whenever the Seahawks make the playoffs, including atop the Space Needle.
[56] Ever since the day E. King Gill left the stands in 1922, the entire student body has stood throughout the game to symbolize their "readiness, desire, and enthusiasm" to take the field if needed.
[60][61] The 12th Man Kick-Off Team was extremely successful and eventually held opponents to one of the lowest yards-per-return average in the league during kickoffs.[when?
Large European teams such as Bayern Munich, Malmö FF, Hammarby IF, Helsingborgs IF, Werder Bremen, Aberdeen, Rangers, Lazio, Feyenoord, PSV, Ferencvárosi TC, FC Red Star, Fenerbahçe S.K., and Sporting CP have officially retired the number 12 to the fans.
[citation needed] Number 12 is also reserved for the fans at many other clubs, including CSKA Moscow and Zenit Saint Petersburg in Russia, Bristol Rovers and Grimsby Town in England, as well as Aarhus Gymnastikforening (AGF), Odense Boldklub, also known as OB, in Denmark, Malmö FF and Hammarby IF in Sweden, Persija Jakarta in Indonesia, Botev Plovdiv in Bulgaria and Perth Glory in Australia.
supporters commonly display a large banner in the shape of a football shirt with the text "Red Army 12" in place of a player's name and number.
[citation needed] The fans of the Northern Ireland national football team and Derry City are referred to as the 12th man as well.
[citation needed] The most vociferous fans of Boca Juniors in Argentina are known as the "Jugador Numero 12" (Spanish for "Player Number 12") or simply "La Doce" ("The 12").
On September 18, 2004, U.S. Lecce, an Italian team currently playing in Serie B, retired the number 12 to the fans, which was handed to them by the former captain Cristian Ledesma.
[70] As of the end of the 2011–2012 season, Rangers F.C announced that the number 12 jersey would be retired in honour of the fans support throughout a period of financial difficulty.
In most sports the term can also be construed to mean the referee, implying that the match official favours one team and is not impartial.
This can have the effect of making the player slower to react when the ball is snapped, and his eventual response may be weaker than normal because each play is begun "with some indecision and doubt".
[74] The noise can also prevent players from hearing audibles and can make it difficult for the team's offense to coordinate plays in the huddle.
[74] A researcher from Harvard University discovered in a study that some association football referees appeared to be impacted by crowd noise.
[77] Delia Smith, Norwich City's joint major shareholder, received some attention when she took to the pitch during a half time interval, with a microphone in hand and Sky TV cameras in tow, to tell fans the side "need their twelfth man".
Norwich City lost the game in the final seconds, but Smith's passion worked to increase the affection the fans held for her.
[79] As a prepared attempt, the current world record for crowd noise at an athletic event was set on September 29, 2014, when the Kansas City Chiefs hosted the New England Patriots.
Four additional Trademark claims related to the "12th Man" term were also filed and granted at later dates by Texas A&M University (See U.S. Ser.
[86][87] The agreement, which expired in 2016, limited the Seahawks' usage to seven western states and forbid them from selling any "12th Man" merchandise.
[88] On November 12, 2015, Texas A&M filed suit against the Indianapolis Colts after repeated cease and desist requests were ignored by the NFL team.
