History Can't Be Bought

Hanif, Indonesia

Hanif is a 21-year-old photographer and filmmaker from Bandung in Indonesia. Hanif tells us about the photos he took of the fans of his club Persib Bandung – known as the Bobotoh – and the passion of Indonesian football fans.

What did you try to show with the photos? Was there any wider meaning with the photos? 

I wanted to show the “Bobotoh” supporters of Persib Bandung, the most fanatic fans in Indonesia. They follow the team over land and sea, and across different countries in Asia.

Some photos are from the Persib Bandung home stadium, Gelora Bandung Lautan Api Stadium, in Bandung, West Java, Indonesia. I wanted to show the atmosphere of an Indonesian derby, and also show the biggest team in Indonesia and maybe in ASEAN (10 Southeast Asian countries). In one of the photos a Bobotoh throws some money at the enemy side. We want to tell everyone that history can't be bought.

Other photos came from Persib Bandung vs PSM Makassar at the Jalak Harupat Stadium in Bandung. We had to move from the Gelora Bandung Lautan Api in 2019 because the foundations were cracking, and it needs to be updated.

It was the last match at Persib Bandung for our defensive midfielder Hariono "Gondrong" 24 after 11 years. His full name is just Hariono but he is called "Gondrong" because his hair is so long. While at Persib Bandung he only scored 1 goal, but it was something very special! He is an ordinary player, but his high morale and tirelessness makes him special. He is a legend in this club. Even though the league in Indonesia has not rolled over from last year to the present, this is one of the games that Bobotoh will always remember.

Why was Hariono "Gondrong" so loved?

Maybe we all have different reasons why we love this player so much. What we know, we all feel the sorrow of the separation. For generations to come I believe Hariono will always be a story, someone who worked hard with all his heart for the club we love.

Every goodbye deserves to be celebrated, regretted or mourned. When that happens, sorrow may come sooner than the memories we remember. This happens because the memories that have passed together are so many or very difficult to forget. I tried to show that a player can be loved by the supporters even they didn't have special skills, but they have loyalty.

What is your favourite photo?

When one match kicked off you can see paper tolls thrown on to the pitch. When the winning goal from Bojan Malisic (for Persib Bandung) was scored in the 94th minute, all of the Bobotoh in stadium celebrated like you will never see in any place in the world.

Are there any good stories connected to people in the photos?

TS1 (Taman Sari 1) is one of the many groups or firms of supporters who are considered minor but have no minor love and loyalty to Persib. Their presence not only relies on fanaticism, but also strong idealism.

The female football fan shows that Football is for everyone. It doesn't matter what gender, race, or religion you are. Everyone is united in one stadium to watch football equally.

Why is football so important for Indonesia and Indonesia people?

It's similar to other places I think, entertainment for the people who are tired of work. But it is also different for Bandung fans or Jakarta fans, where I see football is like a religion.

Big football matches in Indonesia help the economy on match days – street vendors, parking and much more. But many people do not like the Association of Football Indonesia (PSSI) because of too much bureaucracy, and the head of PSSI has a double position as a Governor.

What role does football play in Indonesia and Indonesia society?

Even if the Premier League is live at 3am in the morning people will watch it. And in Indonesian society football unites us even if we have different religions and different culture. 

What does football mean to you?

I learn football from my grandfather; he died on Sunday 14 October 2018.  Because of my grandfather and my father I also like football. My father said to me, if you want to support or play football don’t forget about your local team.

Football to me is art, unity, passion and joy, being full of heart and if your favourite team loses it is like stabbing a knife to your heart. But life is not always about football!

What in the future for football in Indonesia?

I hope the PSSI can do better things, and the facilities for football in Indonesia can be upgraded and supporters in Indonesia can understand football is not the most important thing in life.