Pataljoona
Ässät Fan Club/Pataljoona ry, otherwise known as Pataljoona (Finnish for Battalion), is the official supporters' organization of Porin Ässät. Pataljoona is present at Ässät's home and away games, especially Lukko–Ässät derby games.[1] Pataljoona has chants supported by a drum, a megaphone, flags, signs and tifos.[2] In Ässät's home games, Pataljoona is located in the standing section of the Isomäki Areena.[3] Ässät's fans are known for being loud in the fan section called Seisomakatsomo (standing section).[3][4] During the 2008–09 season, Pataljoona was the third largest fan organization by members in Finland.[5] Pataljoona also works with the Karhunkämmen.[6] Karhunkämmen is a fan club that works with multiple teams from Pori (e.g. Pesäkarhut, FC Jazz and Ässät).[7] HistoryIn the 2008–09 SM-liiga season, Pataljoona was the third largest fan organization by members in Finland, if only registered organizations are counted.[5] In a game against Ilves on October 16 2021, Pataljoona left the stands and watched the game from the hallway as protest for Ässät's poor playing.[8][9] Ässät finished last in the regular season.[10] In 2022, Pataljoona started to work with Karhunkämmen.[7] In 2024 while Ässät's captain Jesse Joensuu was suspended from playing, he joined the Ässät fans in the fan section.[11][12] Supporting styleIn an article in 2017, Yleisradio, the Finnish national public broadcasting company, described the standing section of the Isomäki Areena as the best fan section in Finland.[4] Several news outlets have had Ässät fans described as "brutal". After a scored goal by Ässät, the fans might call their opponent's goalie a sieve (seula in Finnish).[13][14][15] Ässät fans are also known for being hard on their own players, especially if the team is playing poorly.[16][8] RivalriesPataljoona's main rival is considered to be Raumam Boja, the fan organization of Rauman Lukko. In 2015, Pataljoona had left their flags and a banderole on a bus that later carried the Raumam Boja group in it. Reportedly RB had stolen the equipment.[17] The rivalry between Ässät and Lukko is known as the Satakunnan derby.[18] Ässät also has a rivalry with Vaasan Sport and their fan groups Red Army and Ultras 06. Sport fans are known for destroying and vandalizing Ässät's arena.[19] The rivalry between Ässät and Sport is known as the Kasitien derby.[20] References
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