Denton 1882: HFX Wanderers' unofficial ambassador talks origin story and dance floors

From his meticulously crafted fanzine to his blue privateer outfit, Denton Froese is very much part of the fabric of the Halifax Wanderers experience; his handiwork is everywhere.

If you've followed the Wanderers at all, you will have read Froese's words in the Cookbook, the self-published fanzine which is a must-buy for supporters at the beginning of every season.

And his outfit — consisting of a tricorne hat, blue greatcoat and boots to match — has been part of the club's branding and captured through photos and video across the CPL.

All of this work represents a strong commitment to his football club and is especially impressive when you consider Froese hadn't taken an interest in the sport until he became a season ticket holder five years ago.

"I had never really watched an entire game of soccer until opening day at the Wanderers Grounds," said Froese during an interview with the Wanderers Notebook. "I grew up as a CFL fan. Soccer was something on the periphery, for the rest of the world to be interested in."

Raised in Regina, Sask., Froese was steeped in the traditions of Canadian football and had a healthy respect for the enthusiasm and pageantry of the CFL.

His first acknowledgement of the beautiful game occurred while he lived in Edmonton and the city hosted the U-19 Women's World Cup but Froese didn't see any point in following a league outside of Canada. Still, he recognized the commonality football provided to the communities they resided in.

"Personally, I never really saw the appeal of looking at a list of 20 cities in England and picking one that I would bleed for," he said. "I never felt any sort of attraction to any team that didn't represent my home."

In 2013 Froese moved to Halifax and in due course, the CPL was born and the Wanderers were announced.

"I thought well, I'll just be a good citizen and support a local business," he said, adding he figured he could re-sell his season's tickets if he didn't enjoy the experience.

All doubts went out the window with that first match, a fan experience he will never forget.

"Everybody was just focusing on turning it into this massive celebration, be it win or lose. It was exhilarating," recalled Froese.

From there, he's gone down the rabbit hole of fandom to the point where he has become Halifax's unofficial ambassador and has traveled across the country to support his Wanderers.

Froese's commitment has grown over the years, as has his privateer outfit; he's upgraded his duds, started writing and is a key figure in the now iconic march to the match.

"I like to describe it as at a night club. It always takes one fool to get on the dance floor first and then everybody else knows it's alright to join in. And I thought hey, I can be that fool," he said.

And Froese certainly hasn't stopped dancing, having flown nearly 40,000 kilometres in support of the club.

The club has also grown over the years to the point where Froese said he can see the strong relationship between the owner and players and the fans.

"Now, it's really developed so that the whole fandom has those tight connections with not just one or two Wanderers staff members but everyone from Derek Martin right down to the guys like Cooper and Vicky, who are on the ground floor during game day," he said.

Froese said his support of the club has given him a lot over the last five years but he continues to be surprised by the recognition he receives from fans and club alike.

For example, this year he received a custom tricorne hat made by none other than head coach Patrice Gheisar's wife. It was presented to him at the beginning of the season before the first home match.

"It's a beautiful hat," he said.

Froese noted he's enjoyed Halifax's transformation from bottom dweller to contender under Gheisar and is hopeful for the playoffs and the future of the club.

And when asked about how long he intends to don his privateer's outfit, he said he intends to stay on the dance floor until the lights go off.

Cover Photo Credit: Chant Photography