Socceroos fans: please don’t embarrass us!

Columnist

By Mike Tuckerman, 7 May 2010 Mike Tuckerman is a Roar Expert

Tagged:: football, Football World Cup, Socceroos

Related coverage

Football in Australia has come a long way in the past five years, so much so that we now have two supporter groups claiming to act in the interests of Socceroos fans. But the rise of ‘The Green and Gold Army’ and ‘The Fanatics’ raises questions about the types of supporters who will travel to South Africa.

Both the GGA and the Fanatics are selling expensive package tours to the World Cup, with the former offering the chance to spend some quality time with those high princes of hi-jinx Kevin Muscat and John Kosmina as part of their tour.

Meanwhile, the Fanatics were founded by tennis fan Warren Livingstone – who claims that football was really his true first love – and they have been a ubiquitous sight at sporting events featuring Australian teams since 1997, both at home and abroad.

The GGA are a more recent invention, but their modus operandi is much the same, with the obvious difference the fact that they operate as a self-styled “home end” for Socceroos games only.

The problem for Socceroos fans who don’t wish to subscribe to the group mentality of the GGA – or worse still the wig-wearing shenanigans of the Fanatics – is that both groups have snapped up a substantial amount of tickets for the South African sojourn.

And like a booze-fuelled Contiki stumble through Europe, they could make their presence felt in a spirit less in keeping with the fraternal nature of the World Cup, and one that has more to do with getting plastered on foreign soil.

I know what it’s like to travel around the World Cup as a fan; I did exactly that with my girlfriend (now wife) and best mate at the 2006 finals in Germany.

But unlike the kind of package tours that base themselves in just one city, our independent trip took in at least fifteen different European cities – including memorable visits to Bruges and Prague – and we met countless other football fans along the way.

Whether it was drinking with Brazil fans at the Paulaner Bräuhaus in Munich, participating in a live on air debate with Croatian supporters for the BBC World Service, or just being among the million-strong crowd on the Berlin fan mile for the final, the whole essence of the trip was to meet fellow football fans from across the globe.

I’m not sure how often you can do that when you’re housed in a high-security camping site in Durban with the Fanatics, where roaming guards and controlled access offer an uneasy throwback to a country still recovering from the depravity of Apartheid.

For every dyed-in-the-wool Socceroos fan in Germany, I counted at least a couple of Wallabies jersey-wearing drunks desperate to burst into strains of “Waltzing Matilda” at the drop of a hat, and generally prompting quizzical looks from some of the more seasoned Australian supporters.

It’s only natural that the World Cup stirs up feelings of patriotism, and of course it’s not for me to say how fans should or shouldn’t demonstrate their support for the national team.

But many long-term Socceroos supporters can’t help but wonder just where these new-found fans were prior to 2005, and whether most of those booked on package tours in South Africa aren’t just in it for the booze and bad music.

So be it if they are, I suppose – and given the obvious security concerns and lengthy travel times in South Africa, it makes more sense for fans to book package tours than it did in Germany.

I just hope that we don’t see too many headlines of Australian fans ruining it for everyone else – be they locals or fellow football fans.

Have a great time, by all means, and support the national team with gusto, but please don’t embarrass us on the world stage.

After all, that’s the last thing that our flagging bid to host the World Cup needs.

Follow Mike on twitter @Mike_Tuckerman

Enjoy sports? Enjoy a bargain? All Sports Online has your favourite sporting brands at up to 70% off. Online only, premium quality sporting goods and merchandise at discounted prices. Get a deal now.

The Crowd Says (31) | Page 1 of Comments

zizou said | May 7th 2010 @ 8:41am | Report comment

Quite frankly The Fanatics are an embarrassment at any sporting event they attend be it at the World Cup or Wimbledon.

Reply
Stinger said | May 7th 2010 @ 8:52am | Report comment

The Fanatics are dopes and anyone who chooses to join them is one too.

Reply
- Midfielder said | May 7th 2010 @ 8:57am | Report comment
  
  + 1 million * ten million squared then doubled
  
  Reply
  - Simmo said | May 7th 2010 @ 11:51am | Report comment
    
    Oh come on guys. This is the worst kind of football kulcha snobbery.
    
    The Fanatics do a wonderful job of supporting Straya at the Gallipoli dawn service each year.
    
    http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_-nI71KOFh4A/Ri9AWKBZYuI/AAAAAAAAAEc/ZOiOA_v4Ezk/s400/0,10114,5460621,00.jpg
    
    Reply
Macs.football said | May 7th 2010 @ 9:07am | Report comment

I’d have to agree with the first 3 comments.

Reply
JK said | May 7th 2010 @ 9:07am | Report comment

What a crock, wether you like it or not, any team representing Australia is doing just that, representing Australia, they are to be shared, not the sole domain of the “seasoned supporters”, and do you want to know where they were prior to 2005? waiting just like you for the socceroos to qualify and have something to cheer.

Get off your high horse, as long as they don’t harm anyone, what’s the problem, should they behave more like certain English/German/Polish etc fans ?

If you have issue with the businesses taking advantage, fair enough, but don’t preach to those who are travelling with them as if they are not worthy because they took an easier option.

Reply
- Joe FC said | May 7th 2010 @ 12:15pm | Report comment
  
  Have to agree with you JF. You’ve missed the mark on this one Mike.
  
  Reply
- Adam said | May 11th 2010 @ 5:03pm | Report comment
  
  Actually he is clearly suggesting they act less like our English, Polish and German bretheren especially on the drinking and group mentality side of things.
  
  Reply
JF said | May 7th 2010 @ 9:14am | Report comment

This problem is not unique to the WC, at any given time of the year there are hundreds of drunken young ‘strayians attending events and festivals all over the world – yes they are an embarrassment and evoke absolute cringe among other Australian travellers with a more genuine attitude to the travel experience.
There is nothing you can do Mike, the WC is the biggest banwagon of all – they will be there in large numbers and you will be embarrassed. Good to see you didn’t miss the opportunity to insight at least a liitle code war debate with your reference to the Wallaby jersey – as if they were the only ones who were drunk and obnoxious, while everyone with with a socceroos shirt was sipping their machiatos, quietly and respectfully analysing the nuances of WC football – lol.

Reply
Noel said | May 7th 2010 @ 9:50am | Report comment

I will be there with the Fanatics, as said in the article it is honestly just must easier than making my way around a large country. I usually despise your average contiki tours and such but at the end of the day we’re there to see football games on the other side of the world, i’ll be there having a great time supporting my national team while it’s a good chance most of you will be sitting up at 1am cold as hell in your humble abodes.

Reply
bazza said | May 7th 2010 @ 10:32am | Report comment

The distance and cost of getting to South Africa should limit the people just going to get pissed.
In Germany there would have been plenty of Aussies living in London heading over for a change in drinking venues

Reply
AGO74 said | May 7th 2010 @ 10:34am | Report comment

Get over yourself with your “I’m so much better than a person doing a tour”. South Africa is not exactly the safest place in the world and for that reason a lot of people prefer the option of an organised tour as well as that Sth Africa does not exactly have the public transport infrastructure of Germany or even here in Australia!

As for this Fanatics vs GGA, it gives me the s*!ts. There are elements of GGA who seem to see themselves as some holier than thou group but having stood in the home end a few times at Sydney games, I’ve come across some of the most drunken, obnoxious and yobbish people you can imagine. Granted, the majority of GGA aren’t like this and most are there for the team but for those GGA yobs that are – you should also get over yourselves as you really aren’t any more special than any other Soccerroo fan.

Reply
- Mike Tuckerman said | May 7th 2010 @ 10:45am | Report comment
  
  “given the obvious security concerns and lengthy travel times in South Africa, it makes more sense for fans to book package tours than it did in Germany.”
  
  I never suggested that anyone is “so much better than a person doing a tour.” I just hope that those who are only there to party don’t ruin things for those who are there to watch football.
  
  Reply
sledgeross said | May 7th 2010 @ 12:03pm | Report comment

Mike, I wholeheartedly agree 100%.
Ive been lucky enough to attend some big sporting events the world oversupporting Australia, and everytime I see any person wearing a Fanatics jersey or branded clothing, I feel like smacking them in the mouth. These loud mouthed, obnoxious and ignorant “fans” are a bloody disgrace generally. Sure, there are poeple who only use them as a means to be allocated tickets, but generally, all these people want to do is sink piss and act like drongo’s, and merely fob their behaviour off as being “aussie larrakins”.
Ok, yes, I am generalising, but my mind wanders back to the First Test at Lords in 2005, where me and my mates where on an “Ashes Tour” of our own. We had to contend with little rich kids from Melbourne trying to out-chant Poms. Drinking those giant tinnies of Fosters, and when, upon realising that the English fans where out pointing them in the witty game of chants, resorted to the old pommy “have a bath” and swearing. Ok, its not like they were killing anyone, and its more annoying than anything else.
The worse thing I saw was when I saw The Fanatics at ANZAC. made my blood boil!

Reply
- Noel said | May 7th 2010 @ 2:50pm | Report comment
  
  Well i’ll be there with them so do i deserve a smack in the mouth? I’m a pretty damn hardened Aussie soccer fan for quite a damn while , maybe even longer than yourself. I also love to ‘sink piss’ & have a good time. Have fun criticizing everything & everyone.
  
  Reply
soapit said | May 7th 2010 @ 12:34pm | Report comment

best you realise the fanatics are a representation of aussie society.

so if we didnt support the game when it was poorly run and socceroos couldnt win a game we’re not allowed to jump on the bandwagon? P O, they’re our national team and we can support them however we want. I’m sure there’ll be plenty of noise at every game so you’ll only notice the fanatics if you really try to. just ignore them just like they ignore you.

Reply