We, the members of the Lake Side Buoys, subscribe to the following:
Our Mission: To SUPPORT LOCAL SOCCER games as true supporters. To facilitate and encourage the expression of support for the team by such methods as singing, chanting and displays of tifo. To advocate for the rights of all supporters in our home stadium and away.
Our Vision: Our Supporters Section is a place for standing, for making noise and showing our support for the players on the pitch as a part of the world-wide football supporters community.
Our Values: We value every supporter regardless of sex, race, religion, creed, nationality, sexual orientation, physical handicap or economic status.
We condemn speech or actions that are discriminatory including those that are racist, sexist, or homophobic.
Sometimes discrimination takes the form of harassment. Harassment means using real or perceived power to abuse, devalue, or humiliate. The uneasiness and resentment that it creates are not feelings that help us grow as a supporters group.
These things divide us as supporters and have no place in our game. The Lake Side Buoys policies and practices must reflect our commitment to the dignity, equality, and respect of all supporters.
Who Are we?
We are the oldest supporters' group in Victoria, a member of the Independent Supporters Council. We make our voices heard from right behind the goal and make visiting keepers miserable. In our Supporters Section anyone with a valid ticket for the game is welcome to join us for part or all of the game.
Buoys?
It is pronounced “Boys” and is a parody of overly-serious supporters groups and yes, some of the loudest “buoys” are girls.
What Lake?
A long and possibly pointless story but here goes:
The Victoria Highlanders (USL League 2) started out in Langford at Bear Mountain Stadium (not Bear Mountain Arena Mr Bus Driver!) at City Center Park. If you look behind the West-end goal, beyond the original "Bravehearts End", past the flags, you will find a retaining pond that we decided one day was the lake for our summer home (the stadium). Something about having a lake-side view and no one quite knowing where the real Langford Lake was. Did I mention we had had a few pints?
Well, that was a kind of funny idea and so when we were looking for what to call ourselves we thought of the overly-serious fans like the Italian Ultras or the Glasgow Bhoys and even our neighbours in Vancouver in the Southside and somebody said "Lake Side Buoys" which is our way of taking the mickey out of ourselves, violent hooligans and Langford all at the same time.
Once we moved onto Centennial Stadium at the University of Victoria, it made even less sense. But then, we are not in this to make a lot of sense. Supporting Pacific FC again at Westhills Stadium is like coming home, even if they are in the process of removing the pond from which our name sprang.
Affiliations
We are a member organization of the Independent Supporters Council of the United States and Canada. The ISC provides a place for organized supporters' groups for American and Canadian soccer teams to share information and work together to solve common problems.
While not a formal affiliation (except through the ISC), LSB maintains good relations with the Timbers Army , The Red Aces, The Footsoldiers, The Swanguardians and the Southsiders supporters groups.
