The passage in the Bible from Wisdom 3.1 - 8 reads:.
"The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and there shall no torment touch them. In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die: and their departure is taken for misery, And their going from us to be utter destruction: but they are in peace. For though they be punished in the sight of men, yet is their hope full of immortality. And having been a little chastised, they shall be greatly rewarded: for God proved them, and found them worthy for himself. As gold in the furnace hath he tried them, and received them as a burnt offering. And in the time of their visitation they shall shine, and run to and fro like sparks among the stubble. They shall judge the nations, and have dominion over the people, and their Lord shall reign for ever.".
Dawe says "these are Solomon's children", alluding directly to this passage from the Bible, and immediately establishing the religious implications of this poem stating that they are "righteous souls, tried in the furnace of the world's derision", a parallel to the line "as gold in the furnace he hath tried them", but referring to those people in society who ridicule and mock the fans for their dedication and belief in their team. In our society these people are often looked down upon as uncultured and perhaps even simple, but Dawe makes this seem a test from God, in which the faith of these people endures, making them "worthy" for God, and they are depicted as glorious, as they gain some of the "glory" as the team's victory is reflected onto them.
The belief of the football fans of better things to come is subtly compared to that of one who lives a good life in the hope of reaching heaven. This is evident in the lines "the years of rank disaster seem worthwhile", and "as though their misery had never been", as their faith has been the evidence of "things not seen". This is a parallel to ones faith in God, and the fans are those who have "received the promise" that there are better things to come, as in heaven, or in this context, the "ultimate victory" or the victory in a match or at the end of the season.