The Athletic Club and the Iñigo Cabacas Herri Harmaila (ICHH) group, one of the main driving forces behind the Animation Stand, have agreed to a truce. This move towards peace will enable San Mamés to become a cauldron of enthusiasm for the upcoming match against Roma in the Europa League’s round of 16. Just five days after the conflict between the Animation Stand and the rest of the stadium came to a head, with tensions running high between the Stand’s members and the rest of the fans, the atmosphere is set to take a dramatic turn.
For some time now, the club has been seeking to reorganize the behavior of the Animation Stand, establishing a set of basic principles that those with season tickets in the Stand must adhere to. Following meetings with the main animation groups (ICHH, Piratak, and Euskal Lions), ICHH revealed that they would not sign up to these principles but committed to continuing to animate the crowd as long as the club respected a series of conditions.
According to a statement released by the Athletic Club, the institution acknowledges errors in ICHH’s proposal but agrees to an arrangement, given that several points align with the Club’s directives.
In preparation for the Athletic-Roma match on Thursday at 6:45 PM, various initiatives to animate the crowd have been organized, starting from Wednesday. These have been proposed by individual fans and supporters’ groups not affiliated with the official animation groups, who have taken up the mantle to make the match a special occasion. On Wednesday, the team will hold a closed training session at Lezama, followed by a gathering to bid farewell to the team as they leave the facilities. On the day of the match, fans have organized a meetup in front of the Hotel Carlton, where the team will be staying, and plan to escort the team bus to San Mamés.
The Athletic Club’s Statement on ICHH’s Proposal
The Athletic Club met with representatives of ICHH to discuss their proposal, explaining the inaccuracies and impracticalities of the request and outlining the way forward for the group to animate the crowd for the match against Roma. The Club highlighted several key points, including the fact that only one of the seven proposed animators is actually prohibited from using the Club’s animation elements due to violating article 10.10 of the San Mamés access regulations.
Moreover, the Club emphasized that the “Regulations for access and stay in the stadium,” approved by the Club’s Assembly, govern the use of all animation elements, not just those belonging to the Club. This means that even if someone were to propose using their own drum, it would be akin to someone who has had their driving license revoked attempting to drive a different car – the consequences of non-compliance affect individuals, not the elements themselves.
As it stands, six of the seven proposed animators are free to participate without any regulatory hurdles, provided they comply with the aforementioned regulations. The Club has not imposed any obstacles to their participation, as long as they adhere to the rules.
Regarding the use of external megaphones, the Club restricts their use to ensure the defense of the Club’s and speakers’ interests, as a recorded use of the megaphones is necessary for potential disciplinary proceedings. Additionally, the use of megaphones is subject to the requirements of the Security Coordinator and must be connected to the stadium’s security systems, which is not possible with external megaphones.
In light of these clarifications, the Athletic Club has proposed a transitional arrangement, which includes the following points:
- Regarding the two megaphones: The solution is for the animators to use the available microphone, with the six eligible individuals signing the standard request document.
- Regarding the three large flags, one handheld flag, and the ICHH banner: The Club authorizes their introduction, subject to the animators signing the standard request document.
- Regarding the two drums and drumsticks: The Club informs that there is no issue with their use and offers ICHH the use of the Club’s drums currently at San Mamés.
The Athletic Club remains committed to upholding respect as a fundamental principle and has expressed its willingness to engage in further dialogue. The Club has received ICHH’s response to the document outlining the basic principles and commitments published on February 18 and has proposed a new meeting to discuss the document. The Club will continue to defend its objective with the same firmness as before: that the Herri Harmaila animates at all matches and does so with respect, in line with the values of the Athletic Club and the spirit of the Extraordinary Assembly that led to the creation of the popular animation stand. The Club will announce the outcome of the upcoming meetings in due course.