Knights fans queue for tattoos as Hunter team's finals run sparks passion
A Hunter Street tattoo artist inked nine Knights fans in days as the club's finals run sparked demand.
Dave Ross at Electric Pantera posted a handful of hand-painted Knight-themed designs online. Dave Ross's phone blew up in fewer than 30 minutes.
By Friday, Dave Ross had already tattooed nine fans. Newcastle's finals run reignited a loyalty that runs deep in the Hunter.
Among them was 18-year-old electrical apprentice Shelby Meehan. She got a Knights helmet inked into her ankle.
Shelby Meehan grew up in Newcastle and had to follow the local team, despite her Bulldogs-supporting dad's attempts to convert her. Ross has been tattooing for more than a decade.
He follows the Knights like he was born to it. He says the designs are inspired by club memorabilia, a Broadmeadow mural, and a Newcastle scene with the words 'Defend the Kingdom'.
For him, the moment feels different this time. "Even if we lose by 40 points at the weekend, we've already won," he said.
- 9
- Fans tattooed
- fewer than 30 minutes
- Time to fill bookings
- more than a decade
- Artist's experience
- 18
- Shelby Meehan's age
Why it mattersThe surge shows how much a team's success matters. It can reignite community pride and inject life into local business.
AustraliaNewcastle's struggling NRL team is galvanising fans across the Hunter region, a sign of hope for a city that has waited years for this kind of sporting momentum.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 14 h ago
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