The A-League doesn’t care about active fans
Columnist
By Mike Tuckerman, 23 Jul 2010 Mike Tuckerman is a Roar Expert
- Tagged:
- A-League, Ben Buckley, Edwin Lugt, FFA, football
Football Federation Australia’s latest advertising campaign focuses heavily on fan participation. But while FFA officials publicly spruik the wares of active fans, it seems that they’re busy trying to restrict that very same participation behind closed doors.
One of the A-League’s new “fan-made” ads shows an elderly shop assistant unrolling metres of sky blue fabric, before the cutaway reveals the spectacular sight of Sydney FC fans flying their impressive Skyline banner before an A-League match.
That’s a sight you won’t see ahead of the much-anticipated Grand Final rematch between Sydney FC and Melbourne Victory on August 7, if word trickling through from Sydney FC fans is anything to go by.
Following consultation with private security firm Hatamoto, FFA officials have allegedly decided to slap a ban on banner pullovers at “high risk” games, presumably due to the potential risk posed by fans lighting flares underneath flammable material.
But what rankles Sydney supporters is the complete lack of consultation between themselves and the FFA, with members of Sydney’s popular supporters group The Cove accusing “non-football” people of making decisions which clearly affect their matchday affairs.
It’s a trend that we’ve seen across the board in the A-League, and the shadowy involvement of security firm Hatamoto deserves further scrutiny.
In a fabulous piece posted on his blog The Accidental Australian last September, Melbourne Victory supporter Guido wondered if the FFA understands football fans, or whether they’re so caught up in protecting the “brand” that they are at risk of alienating genuine supporters.
It’s those supporters who invest their time and money into creating banners in the first place, but because of the actions of an unruly few, the majority of law-abiding fans – many of whom despise the use of flares – are now being punished.
And it’s not just active fans who lose, but those who turn out at A-League games in part because of the atmosphere, as well as those who tune in to watch the games live on Fox Sports.
I know how much effort goes into producing an atmosphere at games because I stood with The Cove throughout Sydney FC’s inaugural campaign, and like most reasonable supporters, I believe that the decision to ban pullover banners at so-called “high risk” games smacks of hypocrisy.
Surely it’s the use of flares which poses the real problem; so why does the FFA employ Hatamoto simply to record fans with video cameras, while little is done to stop fringe elements from bringing flares in to begin with?
My friend and colleague Jesse Fink was scathing in his criticism of the decision in his column for ESPN Star during the week, and I’m inclined to agree with his claim that “FFA will soon be selling a product no one wants to buy.”
At the end of the day, the FFA advocates fan culture through their slick advertisements, yet punishes fans for trying to engage in the real thing come matchday.
And this from a league which has been bleeding fans for the past three seasons, with many active supporters fed up with being treated with disdain by officials happy to take their money so long as their style of support conforms to the template laid down by the likes of Hatamoto.
The whole thing must be desperately frustating for Sydney FC officials, who have worked hard to re-engage with supporters under the auspices of CEO Edwin Lugt.
The experienced Dutchman is a genuine football man, and his backroom staff have worked closely with Sydney supporters to foster the kind of mutually beneficial relations needed for A-League clubs to survive well into the future.
That’s a lesson the FFA would do well to learn, because in their current guise they’re turning away the very same supporters whom they expect to show loyalty to their “product.”
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.
Do you have what it takes to become a sports writer? Write for the roar
Football articles
- Phoenix need more than flash in the pan crowds (133)
- ‘New football’ fans may help save the game in Australia (123)
- Does Tasmania have a case for A-League inclusion? (119)
- What happened in Port Said was not a football riot (118)
- Is the ACL the FFA’s Achilles heel? (69)
- A-League needs to entertain more consistently (61)
- Magilton struggling to make a mark (59)
- Ferguson wants multi-year Glory deal (2)
- Postecoglou says no money for McKay (9)
- A-League’s tough expansion lessons can boost game (21)
- The problem with Melbourne Victory’s ‘hole’ season (23)
- England coach Capello may be in trouble
- Olyroos facing long road to London (2)
- Victory still believe in finals hopes
- The problem with Melbourne Victory’s ‘hole’ season (23)
- Time for a Sydney FC clean out (23)
- Perth Glory vs Gold Coast United: A-League live scores, blog (94)
- Is Lampard or Gerrard the more valuable midfielder? (16)
- Remembering Bob Marley, the football fan (6)
- Sydney FC vs Newcastle Jets: A-League live scores, blog (80)
- Central Coast Mariners v Brisbane Roar: A-league live scores, blog (78)
- Explore:
- A-League, Ben Buckley, Edwin Lugt, FFA, football
Cpaaa said | July 23rd 2010 @ 6:56am | Report comment
The title says it all Mike.
I miss the atmosphere of the NSL. Genuine supporters at their home grounds had a real rock and roll atmosphere. Its like the FFA have removed the electric guitars and drums and have said ” here you go son, wave this really cool…. Go Qantas Socceroos” , piece of paper instead.
This issue makes me too angry and im struggling to write anything that is polite.
Is the problem that A-League clubs dont have a home of their own and are paying rent to a landlord that calls the shots?
So the FFA dont want alternate film makers creating videos like this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSMGRLB3hBY&feature=related
and what about these hooligans
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fB0yaEWpO0U&feature=related
….cant write anything else now, im too angry, i need to go for a walk.
rovers2011 said | July 23rd 2010 @ 8:00am | Report comment
well put Mike. I hope Lugt gets in Gorman’s ear early on and can bring him around on the active support issue. They need to grow a pair, and get past this “fear” of crowd trouble and talk of “high-risk games”.
Not everyone gets their news from the tabloid media these days, so i think the worry about their inevitable overreactions isn’t that big a deal. They’ll make mountains from molehillls whatever happens. If the crowds are low, its a disaster… if the crowds are too enthusiastic, its a threat to world peace.
ML said | July 23rd 2010 @ 8:48am | Report comment
I think the FFA needs to be careful not to over-sanitise the A-League. I think its approach in the first few years, to exert a lot of central control and ensure both consistency and tidiness of product and experience, was very sensible and critical in distancing the A-League from the problems of the NSL.
However, I now think it is important that clubs and fans are allowed some freedom to develop their own styles and cultures – or there is a risk of the A-League becoming rather too stale and plastic. Dont suffocate the fans if you dont have to, let them express themselves within reason. I think they have moved to allow the clubs more latitude in respect to marketing and club strip etc, but there is still some way to go yet. Each club needs its own personality if the A-League is to retain vitality. The fans are part of that.
PS – in Wellington I have never seen a single flare, so it would be entirely unnecessary and counter-productive to ban large banners here or for the sake of some marginal risk in Sydney.
AndyRoo said | July 23rd 2010 @ 10:02am | Report comment
I don’t think any Wellington games would be considered “high risk”
GeneralAshnak said | July 23rd 2010 @ 10:07am | Report comment
It was only going to be SFC, MVFC & MHFC games IIRC.
Mike Tuckerman said | July 23rd 2010 @ 4:07pm | Report comment
What are the criteria for “high risk” games? And why are Melbourne Heart on the list? Food for thought!
AndyRoo said | July 23rd 2010 @ 4:21pm | Report comment
I actually think it shows they know their stuff.
If I had to pick the games where theirs most likely to be an incident
Mv vs Sfc
Mv vs Heart
Adelaide vs Mv
Art Sapphire said | July 23rd 2010 @ 4:34pm | Report comment
That is not an indication that they know their stuff, Andyroo. Its not rocket science
peter care said | July 26th 2010 @ 9:06pm | Report comment
MV v MH is not a risky game. They are the same supporters. I know several people who will be getting memberships to both clubs this season. It’s not like Sydney where you have the westies v the “latte sippers.” Adelaide v MV , SFC v Newcastle and SFC v Mariners could be risky games. Unfortunately the FFA has to live with the sports history where minor incidents between Croatian and Serbian fans and and Greek and Macedonian fans were reported in the Melbourne Sun and Herald and Sydney daily telegraph, as if World War III was declared. That’s why the FFA are over sensitive. Unfortunately the tabloid editors believe that violence at football is news yet violence at cricket matches is not news.
Art Sapphire said | July 26th 2010 @ 9:23pm | Report comment
You know several people who will be getting memberships for both clubs.
How many of those are active supporters?
There will be 2 significant sets of active support at this game. Which is why, I would think, the game would be classified as high risk according to the powers that be.
Its got nothing to do with the everyone else who will be at the game.
JF said | July 23rd 2010 @ 9:00am | Report comment
The predicament of the A-League. They can’t have it both ways, they are in a situation where passionate support for the clubs is not consisitent with the new A-League image. To flare or not to flare, that is the question.
Suparockin said | July 23rd 2010 @ 9:08am | Report comment
Sydney FC and the Cove have already brokered a deal with the FFA to allow pullovers, hats off to our club and the Cove who work together for the best support in the land.
Jubal1 said | July 23rd 2010 @ 9:19am | Report comment
Hey Mike,
As you know I’m the official/unofficial mouthpiece of The Cove and I thought it was only fair to let you know that we’ve had a positive outcome in negotiating with the FFA about pullovers.
Through Sydney FC management, we were able to put our case to senior FFA decision makers, who saw fit to reverse their decision to ban pullover banners. We pointed out that it made no practical difference to security, that it was the height of hypocrisy given the ads for this season and that once again arbitrary decisions were being made without consultation. For once they listened, hopefully they’ll learn something from this debacle.
We’ve had years to build up a positive relationship with Sydney FC, and it paid off in spades, with the club going into bat for us over this crucial issue. Sure, that relationship means some compromises in the way that we support the team, but this outcome is proof that a positive relationship at club level is invaluable in gaining and protecting our freedoms as active supporters.
It IS worth noting though that as a supporter group we received no direct communications at any point and not even a courtesy email response to the concerns we raised. The FFA has a hell of a lot to learn about engaging active fans, this turnaround wasn’t a new dawn in FFA/Fan relations, but there’s a hell of a way to go.
We spent over $5000 of our own money on our pullovers last year, raised through the sale of cove merchandise and other fundraising activities, to have that arbitrarily banned as if it was nothing was disgraceful, insulting behaviour, but thats what we expect from the FFA suits, they want a bland, sanitised ‘product’ and they need to be reminded on a regular basis that they are merely the custodians of the game in this country, not the owners and sole arbiters.
Smokygrayson said | July 23rd 2010 @ 10:15am | Report comment
This is a great post following an pertinent article that I think there should be more of. What on earth are FFA doing? This issue has been boiling awayfor some time now and needs to be brought out in the open. The rank hypocrisy shown FFA by pretending through ads that they encourage fans to support their club and then in the real world remove or restrict fan’s ability to do so is putrid. Glad they have seen sense and thanks Jubal1 for the update.
As a non-Sydney supporter, I can tell you that the atmosphere at home games (Newcastle) really improves when the Cove come to town. Don’t need to say anything here about the Jets management approach to its active fans…
Cpaaa said | July 23rd 2010 @ 3:19pm | Report comment
Brilliant post Jubal1
Where are the rest of the unofficila/official mouth pieces of the A-League fan clubs. Good work being able to have communication with people of so called power. But if communication breaks down, then there is fan rebellion.
IMO. Even if the odd flare is let off (which imust admit, i love a good flare up) only to be seen at football matches, what is the problem? Who are these people that frown upon flares? Not the football folk certainly, and if 1 goes off its always behind the goals, of which i like to refer to as, the football mosh pit. Where the action happens and where the atmosphere is generated.
let football fans be football fans!
Does Drums make u go deaf? If thats the case we should Ban all concerts, clubs and nite clubs.
Big banners are banned cause why exactly?
and flares are banned because…..?
Mr said | July 23rd 2010 @ 3:58pm | Report comment
Pullover banners were banned because of the danger of people light flares beneath. One directly caused the other.
There was no issue with drums, or standards or card tifos. Just the danger of flares.
And by the way – I am a football person and have travelled the world to matches big and small. You don’t need flares to be a fan.
st penguin said | July 23rd 2010 @ 4:05pm | Report comment
Who are these people that frown upon flares?
To be fair, they can be dangerous and if anything did happen Sydney FC could be held neglible.
But I agree they can add great atmosphere, look at these awesome photos…
http://www.boston.com/sports/blogs/bigshots/2009/05/a_flare_for_soccer_open_flames.html
Also, it’s an american site. Just look at the comments – just like a roar article!
My favourite comment:
“Name three things the rest of the world loves and american can do without?
Communism
The Metric System
Soccer”
Cpaaa said | July 23rd 2010 @ 4:30pm | Report comment
st penguin, they are some wonderful photographs
it does sound like roar comments, but my pick is number 12 who said
“Americans don’t get it (and yes I’m American). It’s a cultural thing. Plus the rest of the world isn’t used to being treated like babies by their Government with countless laws to protect them so they don’t get hurt. In the US, one poor kid dies jumping off a diving board and we pass a law remove ALL diving boards. I guess we forgot about 20 million kids who didn’t get hurt (this actually happened where I live in New York State). So let’s see, the article said one person has died because of fire in a stadium. Millions of people attend soccer matches every year. Do the math. I’ll take those odds over getting into my car any day!”
whiskeymac said | July 23rd 2010 @ 9:26am | Report comment
so who are these suits? Lyall Gorman had a great track record at the CCM – is it him we are blaming or is it a generic corporate? who is to be lobbied, Sir Frank of Football himself?
mahony said | July 23rd 2010 @ 9:31am | Report comment
I agree with the general tenor of this article and the critique of the FFA in particular (although that have got much right IMO also) – but I take exception to comments that A-League fans (particularly the ‘new dawners’ as pejoratively described by some) are not “real fans”. I welcome all comers. This might be because I started my love affair with the top level of Australian football at an inclusive, but poor footballing team in the Canberra Cosmos. I ‘cut my teeth’ in junior football in the nations largest association in Kuringai – but the irony that we never had a national league team that we could feel welcomed at was as much a tragedy then as the exclusion of anyone by the A-League or FFA policy today.
Midfielder said | July 23rd 2010 @ 5:46pm | Report comment
Well said
Jubal1 said | July 23rd 2010 @ 9:49am | Report comment
Whiskeymac,
part of the problem is that we don’t know who is making these decisions, there’s no discussion or communication outside of these edicts. Lyall Gorman may or not have made the decision, but he’s certainly culpable for allowing it on his watch.
The idea came from Hatamoto, who know less about the culture and atmosphere of football support than any group of individuals I’ve ever had the misfortune to encounter. rather than address the issue of how flares get into the stadium and those responsible get away, they try to ban things that could be dangerous if a flare is let off.
GeneralAshnak said | July 23rd 2010 @ 9:52am | Report comment
SFC & the FFA have retracted the ban on Pullovers (at least at SFC home games) as the main issue (as we are all aware) was the use of flares and smokies under/near pullovers. Pullovers are again alowed at SFC home games, with the provise that if a single flare is lit then pullovers are immediately re banned.