Eagles fans line up hours before parade for SEPTA
It was pure Eagles joy for parade-bound SEPTA commuters before dawn Thursday as they made their way into Philadelphia to celebrate their team’s first Super Bowl championship.
Fans at train stations in Marcus Hook and Ridley Park began lining up before sunrise — and hours before the first trains were scheduled to take off.
Friends Tom Morgan, 29, and Cody Matthews, 23, both of Delaware, arrived in Marcus Hook about 5:30 a.m., snagging the first two spots in a winding line that quickly grew to an estimated 820 people. At capacity, the inaugural six-car train held 930 riders, a SEPTA representative said.
“I think this is the only way to go,” said Morgan.
Behind them in line were Melissa Mamenko, 27, of Marcus Hook, her 9-year-old son, Ben, and friend Sandy Rotellini of Lower Chichester. Ben, a fourth-grade student at Claymont Elementary School, planned to especially enjoy his “excused absence” from class as he basked in the glory with Birds fans from across generations.
Despite the frigid temperature, people of all ages stood in line, proud and patient. Marcus Hook police were on the scene at the bustling train station starting about 4:30 a.m., along with multiple SEPTA representatives.
“Thanks, mom,” a middleaged man was overheard saying as he was being dropped off at the train station. With permit parking in the borough, available spots were limited. Waiting for the Philly-bound train in Marcus Hook early Thursday are Theresa Emmens, David Harrell, Allison Smith, Tina Smith and Romelle Thompson. They were excited to be heading to the parade and sharing the big day with fellow Eagles fans.
Cell phones in hand, some in line posed for group photographs with their friends and family. One woman who was streaming live on Facebook was in near tears as she quietly narrated her own history as a Birds fan.
Joe Mateu of Upper Chichester and his entourage of nine high school and college friends — Kyle Snyder, Erik Potter, Jeremie Falcone, Lyndsay Gordner, Mousaab Abdalla, Zac Geimer, Jenn Bonaduce, Leigha Ruston and Dayna Carlson — were as resplendent as they were warm in their Eagles gear, everything from jerseys and hoodies to hats and scarfs. The crew was more than happy to lead a rendition of the E-A-GL-E-S chant, quickly joined by a chorus of voices from among a crowd.
“We’re so excited,” Mateu said of both the Super Bowl win and the celebratory parade. “I’ve been waiting 26 years for this, 26 long years.”
Make that wait more than 300 years combined for Valerie Kulis and her group
of revelers, including Lisa Brown, Courtney and Matthew Sendek, Michele and Morgan McCormick and Sebastian Dawson.
“We are pretty darned excited,” said Kulis as she awaited the arrival of yet another friend, a nurse at CrozerChester Medical Center who had worked the overnight shift, before boarding the second outbound train.
“I still don’t believe this is happening,” said Dawson, recalling many Sunday afternoons growing up with the Eagles game on television and a pot of homemade spaghetti sauce on the stove.
After driving to Harrisburg to watch the Super Bowl with his own father, Pastor Eric Spanier of New City Church in Delaware knew he wanted to share the excitement of the parade with his son, 5-year-old Parker. Spanier was just a year older than Parker when he attended his first Eagles game with his dad, Joe Spanier.
“We didn’t believe it until they called the clock,” Spanier, 32, said of the Birds 41-33 Carol Ferkler of Ridley Park is a “dye-hard” Eagles fan and on her way to Philly to celebrate her team with friend Michele Cordova of Prospect Park.They got on the train in Ridley Park. Also in photo is SEPTA tickettaker Teresa Christy-Hayes.
win over the New England Patriots. When it all sunk in, the pastor and his pop ran outside and screamed.
“My wife has video evidence,” the pastor said.
Joining Spanier and his son for the parade were Jamar Johnson and Matthew Bressi.
With her Wawa coffee in hand, Theresa Emmens of Lower Chichester didn’t seem to mind the cold as she waited to board the train along with fiancé David Harrell of Eddystone, niece Allison Smith, also of Lower Chichester, and friend Romelle Thompson of Ridley Township.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime event. For me, it was 33 years in the making,” said Harrell, who donned a Reggie White jersey.
“I have been waiting 48 years,” Thompson chimed in, laughing.
About 8 miles away, a similar scenario was playing out in Ridley Park. Borough Police Chief Robert Frazier said the train station began filling up about 5 a.m., with the first wave of commuters taking off at 7:43 a.m.
“This was a family crowd,” said Frazier. “Everyone was so happy to get on the train.”
SEPTA ticket-taker Teresa Christy-Hayes was on site in Ridley Park at 4 a.m. She estimated the early crowd in Ridley Park at more than 900 people.
Having warned them that the 7:06 a.m. express out of Marcus Hook was filled to capacity, Christy-Hayes said those in the crowd were unfazed when the train whizzed by.
Besides, they didn’t have too long a wait for their turn to board. The 7:43 a.m. train, with another six cars, was a dedicated express from Ridley Park.
Sixty-one-year-old Don Shaffer of Prospect Park had no intentions of going to the parade until his grandson, 14-year-old Anthony Geller, expressed an interest.
“I was there for the first Flyers parade,” Shaffer reminisced as he awaited the second express out of Ridley Park, along with Geller and longtime friend Louis Sannuti of Ridley Township.
Both Shaffer and Sannuti said they watched the heartstopping game at home, alone.
“I have it recorded,” Shaffer said. “I’ll be watching it again.”
Little Jaelynn Simmins, 8, of Ridley Township, described herself as a “big” fan as she, too, patiently waited for the second train to arrive in Ridley Park, along with her dad Ron Simmins. Their party group also included Ken Rummel, his grandson Frank, 14, and Frank’s girlfriend, Mackenzie Everett.
On an ascending “fan” scale of 1 to 10, the elder Simmins put himself way off the chart, at least a 30.
“It means the world to me. I have waited my whole life for this,” Simmins, 37, said. “I am a diehard Eagles fan. I live and die with the Eagles. This is history.”
With her head of striking green hair, Carol Ferkler of Ridley Park, easily took the “dye-hard” title from amongst fellow commuters in line, or elsewhere for that matter.
Ferkler and her friend, Michele Cordova of Prospect Park, grew up watching Eagles football and couldn’t wait for their feet to touch down in Philly to celebrate with the expected millions of likeminded fans.
“I could feel their excitement,” Ridley Park Mayor Hank Eberle said of the separate crowds that had gathered at and around the train station throughout Thursday morning.
Eberle understands Eagles devotion – and loyalty.
“I’m 84 now. The last time they won I was 27. I was around for (the back-to-back NFL Championships) in ’48 and ’49,” he said. “I have seen it all.”
SEPTA representatives at both Ridley Park and Marcus Hook praised the joint efforts with local law enforcement.