Behind the Orange Lenses: Wayne Wise
Welcome to a reboot of our series that highlights you, the fans. Here is a fan that can't be missed at Shell Energy Stadium. Let's get to know him!
Name: Wayne Wise aka Sir Scarf
Fan since: 2016
Current Season Ticket Holder: Yes
Where are you originally from and what is your earliest memory of soccer?
I am from Houston, Hiram Clarke area to be exact. My earliest memories of soccer are from playing at recess in elementary school. I didn't have the opportunity to play the sport in my youth, but growing up I would see the parks in my hood always full of people playing soccer on Sundays. I had friends in college that played soccer which once again sparked my interest. We would play FIFA as well, which kept me intrigued about the sport.
Tell us a little about how you became a Houston Dynamo fan?
It all started when a co-worker told me I should attend the Copa America Centenario games in 2016. At the time, if you had season tickets for the Dynamo, you would have the benefit to buy tickets before anyone else. It was my chance to see Lionel Messi and the US National Team play at NRG Stadium. That is when I started to follow the Dynamo. The crazy part of all of this is that when I moved back from college in 2005 and until 2016, I don't know anything about the Dynamo.
What is your favorite Houston Dynamo memory and why?
The 2018 US Open Cup is my favorite memory. It was the last decent squad that we had in a while. And the away kit that year is still one of the best Dynamo kits of all time for me.
There are lots of interesting characters at Shell Energy Stadium including yourself! Where did the inspiration come from wearing all the scarves around your waist that you do on game day?
I saw that scarves are somewhat of a tradition in soccer stadiums. I bought me a couple when I started to go to Dynamo games. Eventually I joined Texian Army and there was a guy there who had a backpack with his scarfs tied on it. I really liked the idea, but I didn't want to copy him. So, I did some research and found an orange "goth like" belt on Amazon. Initially, I hung the scarves with metal shower hooks, but transitioned to hanging the scarves with zip ties instead. The belt has turned into sort of a skirt or kilt, therefore wearing pants makes it look cooler than shorts. Ha!
Apart from the stadium do people ever recognize you elsewhere as the man with the Dynamo scarves. And what questions do people have for you regarding the belt?
No, I have never been stopped outside of a Dynamo sponsored event. Now, I do get stopped quite a few times a game by people who ask me if I can sell them a scarf. I usually mess with them and tell them that it would be $60 and beer to get some laughs out of them. People always ask me how many scarves are on the belt and, well the last time that I counted them, I had around 50 scarves on it. The belt weighs about 20 pounds now. I do have more scarves at home, but I am not sure if they will be added to the belt or not.
Our hope is that you can put a name to a face in the crowd at Shell Energy Stadium. If you’re interested in being spotlighted in our fan series, reach out to us on social media!
