Wannabe hooligans ruin A-League for the rest of us
Columnist By Mike Tuckerman, 11 Jan 2013 Mike Tuckerman is a Roar Expert
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Western Sydney Wanderers vs Central Coast Mariners. AAP Image/Quentin Jones
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There is a small contingent of A-League fans who receive a disproportionate amount of media headlines. They are the buffoons who light flares, throw bottles and generally disrupt A-League matches.
Last weekend’s clash between Western Sydney Wanderers and the Central Coast Mariners was one of the matches of the season, but it was marred by the idiots who threw bottles and other projectiles onto the field when referee Chris Beath chose not to award the Wanderers a late penalty after Mark Bridge tumbled inside the box.
It was a contentious decision but the reaction from behind the goal at Parramatta Stadium was completely unacceptable, as a certain section of Wanderers ‘supporters’ rained projectiles down on the pitch.
Most of the objects thrown were bottles but one was actually a flare and referee Beath was temporarily forced to halt the game as Mariners goalkeeper Mat Ryan came under fire.
The individuals who threw the projectiles are cretins of the highest order and they are ruining the matchday experience for the absolute majority of A-League fans.
It was no surprise to hear vast tracts of the western stand spontaneously boo the moron who lobbed a flare on the pitch, no doubt because those fans possess more than the single-digit number of brain cells required to understand that lobbing projectiles is a sure-fire way to attract unwanted attention to the A-League.
The problem is that the dateless wonders who continue to rip flares have convinced themselves it’s a legitimate way to add atmosphere, despite the fact that 99.9 per cent of A-League fans are steadfastly against incendiary devices.
Fuelled by grainy Youtube videos of Wisla Krakow versus Pogon Szczecin and their juvenile imaginations, these tools seem to think football matches are the ideal venue to live out their pathetically misguided fantasies.
Instead of fining clubs for crowd disturbances involving flares, Football Federation Australia would be better served putting that money towards a plane ticket to send the idiots involved to a Lazio game to see if they could survive the mayhem over there.
Maybe that way the morons involved would come to understand that certain European leagues have been ruined as spectator sports by so-called ‘Ultras’ fans and start to understand that Australia is no place to mimic such stupidity.
One of the worst aspects of this behaviour is that active supporter groups are constantly tarnished by blow-in casual fans who buy tickets behind the goals with the mindset of causing trouble.
It’s happened before to Sydney FC fans, it’s happened to Melbourne Victory supporters and I have no doubt it happened to the Red and Black Bloc last weekend.
The Wanderers’ supporter group has repeatedly claimed that they are desperate to keep anti-social behaviour out of the terrace, yet there’s little they can do if casual fans with no affiliation to the group just happen to stand next to them and lob projectiles.
Sadly we live in a society where individual desires seem to take precedence over everything else, so if a frustrated lunatic with an obsession for pyrotechnics decides to mar an A-League game, there’s very little the rest of us can do.
But what we should be doing is shaming those fans who bring A-League clubs into disrepute.
Self-policing is one thing, but quite frankly no one should ever think it’s acceptable to light flares or throw bottles inside an A-League venue in the first place.
Wannabe hooligans are ruining the A-League matchday experience for the overwhelming majority of rule-abiding fans and it’s time their selfish and immature behaviour was stamped out.
Whether it’s at Western Sydney, Melbourne Victory or any other club, there should be no place for those who throw projectiles and the sooner A-League clubs get rid of them, the better the competition will be.
Mike Tuckerman is a Sydney-born journalist and lifelong football fan. After lengthy stints watching the beautiful game in Germany and Japan, he has settled in Brisbane and has been a Roar columnist since December 2008. Follow Mike on twitter @Mike_Tuckerman
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January 11th 2013 @ 7:58am
Kasey said | January 11th 2013 @ 7:58am | Report comment
Been done to death Mike. No matter how small the proportion of fans and it is just a small group of morons..all football fans will forever be tarred with the hooligan stigma. Forever? Well I’m prepared to say that were we to go 50 years in Australia without a single flare being ripped or a bottle thown (even if it were during a Mexican wave which somehow makes it just the boys having some fun at the cricket?) lazy journalists up and down the country would continue to drag out old stereotypes if a fan at a HAL game was ejected for swearing. On that topic, Adelaide United fans are organising some sort of protest tonight at what they describe as heavy-handed and over the top treatment by the security firm at Hindmarsh stadium ‘Weslo’ and the club’s lack of assistance in providing support to begin some sort of dialogue between AU fans, Weslo and SAPOL.
Just off the top of my head, 6 fans were ejected and banned last week for spilling a drink under the guise of policing anti-social behavior. Now in Australia, spilling beer is ‘almost’ a crime but IMO still hardly one worthy of a 3 months banning order.
January 11th 2013 @ 9:01am
Brick Tamlin of the Pants Party said | January 11th 2013 @ 9:01am | Report comment
Yes and i hear people were told to take off santa beards over christmas at Hindmarsh!
January 11th 2013 @ 11:09am
Ben of Phnom Penh said | January 11th 2013 @ 11:09am | Report comment
Things seem to be somewhat heavy handed at Hindmarsh and from accounts it is hurting active support. Certainly promoting active support whilst minimizing idiocy is a balancing act that needs all parties to be singing to the same sheet.
January 11th 2013 @ 11:40am
nickoldschool said | January 11th 2013 @ 11:40am | Report comment
Agree. As a very safe and calm nation, Australia tends to indulge in some over-policing sometimes. To describe WSW fans as hard core hooligans is just pure sensationalism IMO. I actually think that labelling fans ‘hooligans’ in an article like this is detrimental as the very few who want to, safely, emulate their European mentors would feel encouraged by being mentioned in a one page article.
Come on, let’s enjoy what’s happening on and off the field and not be too alarmist, even if a part of the populist media would like things to turn ugly.
January 11th 2013 @ 6:21pm
Garcia said | January 11th 2013 @ 6:21pm | Report comment
“Just miles from your doorstep, hundreds of men are given weapons and trained to kill. The government calls it the Army, but a more alarmist name would be… The Killbot Factory. “
January 11th 2013 @ 8:12am
Bondy said | January 11th 2013 @ 8:12am | Report comment
Its struck me as odd that prior going to a game that somebody would feel the need for flares where in which if you are caught lighting flares etc your banned period, I remember a guy threw a flare at an International against the Serbs in Mlb and was banned from aami park and etihad ‘both presincts” for two to three years. Why do it if you really enjoy the sport?.
The only thing ture supporters can do is condone this form of behaviour, and understand that we are having and will continue to have professional mens football in this country no matter the circumstance,we shall overcome.
Fairly scathing peice Mike,understandable.
January 11th 2013 @ 8:39am
Fussball ist unser leben said | January 11th 2013 @ 8:39am | Report comment
Can’t agree with anything written in this article.
I’ve been attending A-league games for 8 years, supporting MVFC, who are one of the clubs that has always been painted by the media as having a “hooligan element”.
Yet, I have NEVER – even once – felt the A-League experience has been ruined for me.
I have NEVER – even once – seen any trouble at any A-League match that comes close to the violence & anti-social behaviour I’ve witnessed every Friday & Saturday night around the pubs & clubs in Melbourne after dark.
In every profession & trade – every walk of life – it can equally be observed that: “a small minority of individuals does the wrong thing – breaks the law, acts unethically, etc.”
In my opinion, it’s as ridiculous to say “doctors/lawyers, who break the law ruin it for the rest of the medical & legal fraternity” as it is to say “wannabe hooligans ruin the A-League for the rest of us”.
January 11th 2013 @ 9:16am
Philip said | January 11th 2013 @ 9:16am | Report comment
That’s the problem Fuss, you only think of yourself and what you experience. “I have never …” try putting yourself in the shoes of a father with a six year old kid watching bottles rain down on the pitch, or in the shoes of an older generation who come for the game, or the shoes of the vast majority of supporters, because the fact is that there are plenty of people who do find the anti-social behavior of a few has the effect of dampening the experience. And to say, well, it’s no worse than a Friday night in a pub or club, is just childish and a ridiculous analogy. We don’t want football matches compared to your Friday pub crawl where drunks, louts, and fights abound. If you were the true believer you profess to be you’d want football to stand as a beacon for the positives of the crowd behavior, the way masses can chant and sing and encourage the team without resorting to idiocy when things don’t go their way.
January 11th 2013 @ 10:23am
Fussball ist unser leben said | January 11th 2013 @ 10:23am | Report comment
@Philip
See, Philip, you’re assuming you know something about me – you don’t.
I attend MVFC matches with my 78 year old father and, very often, a mate brings along his 4 year old kid. He even brought the kid along when he was under 2 years old.
None of us have ever felt the slightest hint of violence in the air. Maybe, it’s because, unlike AFL games in Melbourne, A-League games in Melbourne – apart from the Derby – do not attract many opposition fans, I found the threat of violence in pubs & on trains after AFL matches & after attending Spring Racing at Flemington to be far, far worse.
January 11th 2013 @ 11:26am
Philip said | January 11th 2013 @ 11:26am | Report comment
Fuss, your missing the point … just because you (and your family) feels safe and Ok doesn’t mean that that is the experience for everyone else. Just because you have seen worse doesn’t mean we should accept anti-social behaviour. For me, the Wanderer’s game against CCM was a great spectacle for crowd support and behaviour and a showpiece for what the A-League can be … footage would look great in an A-league advert … UNTIL the last few minutes and the bottles etc which was just a turn off for me (an AVID A-league fan) and no doubt a turn off for many fringe A-League fans. It is not what we want to see and it is not defendable.
January 11th 2013 @ 1:06pm
Matsu said | January 11th 2013 @ 1:06pm | Report comment
This has got to be the one feature of the A-League that baffles me beyond words. Australia is a country with extremely (shall we say) “relaxed” social atmosphere, and where criminal behaviour is relatively minor. You would expect that people would have a no-tolerance attitude towards people who create scenes of chaos and violence, and yet here are people who claim to be hard-core football supporters, publicly defending flares and bottle-throwing. WTF indeed?
Those sort of things simply arent needed to “enhance the atmosphere”. Im sorry if you happen to disagree, but in this case it isnt a question of opinion. There is a clear “right” and “wrong”, and you are not on the “right” side. I agree with those who say that the solution is self-policing, not outside security. But then, self-policing has to be more aggressive, if these things are still happening.
Though some may not want to hear lectures on proper behaviour from Japan (especially not in a Mike Tuckerman article), I have to say that the A-League could learn a thing or two about proper crowd management from J.League fans. I have never met an Aussie who doesnt agree (after a visit to a J.League contest) that the crowd atmosphere in Japan is incredible. But in 20 years, I can only recall two instances of flares being let off, and in both cases the igniter was instantly surrounded by 20 or more other fans who roughly shepherded them to the nearest security officer for arrest and lifetime expulsion from any public sporting event in the country.
Bottle-throwers get similar treatment, and in perhaps the only racism-related incident in league history, some Tochigi SC fans who shouted at Mike Havenaar “you arent Japanese” (not exactly fighting words) were rounded up by the members of the fan club, and then – at Tochigi SC expense – bussed to Kofu and forced to kneel on the floor in front of the entire Kofu team, confess their stupidity, and beg for forgiveness. (Ive heard that they also received three-year stadium bans but cant find any official statement on that point).
That is the sort of self-policing that will absolve the “reasonable” supporters of any responsibility for the idiots and imbeciles (and on that point, I think Mike doesnt go far ENOUGH in calling these pathetic, socially inept, mentally defective, sewer-crawling cretins the names they deserve). Just two or three such examples of robust self-policing will surely win the media round to the understanding that these are the actions of a few troublemakers who dont represent the mainstream support.
January 11th 2013 @ 3:40pm
Michael said | January 11th 2013 @ 3:40pm | Report comment
Good luck comparing Japanese and Australian cultures, attitudes etc. I attended the Aus V Japan WCQ back on 09. And yes everything you said is correct in their behaviour etc. This is a country, however, that has unbelievably different social standards etc and thinking Australian crowds are going to act like the Japanese ones is fantasy.
January 11th 2013 @ 5:26pm
Matsu said | January 11th 2013 @ 5:26pm | Report comment
Yes, well . . . I agree it isnt likely that people will go to the same extremes in order to preserve the club’s (and fan club’s) sense of honor. But surely it isnt too difficult for a well-organized fan club to immediately respond to a flare or thrown bottle by dragging the troublemaker off to the nearest security detail. After all, this is a question of preserving the reputation of the club, and ensuring that the media isnt given ammunition to bash the roundball sport with.
I just think the idea of robust self-policing in the “HARDCORE” sections of the field would work just as well in Australia as it does in Japan, and ensure that the sport remains a fan-friendly affair, and never devolves into something like this:
January 11th 2013 @ 4:00pm
Nathan of Perth said | January 11th 2013 @ 4:00pm | Report comment
“some Tochigi SC fans who shouted at Mike Havenaar “you arent Japanese” (not exactly fighting words) were rounded up by the members of the fan club, and then – at Tochigi SC expense – bussed to Kofu and forced to kneel on the floor in front of the entire Kofu team, confess their stupidity, and beg for forgiveness.”
Jaysus.
January 11th 2013 @ 4:03pm
Nathan of Perth said | January 11th 2013 @ 4:03pm | Report comment
I still remember your anecdote about a banner gently mocking a Tokyo-based team about their imminent relegation sparking a controversy that caused the club’s president to apologise.
Then I compare that with the opening round Perth-Brisbane match that saw us supporters purchase a plane fly-over banner suggesting the Roar was selling diving lessons and wonder how poorly received that would have been!
January 11th 2013 @ 10:27am
Bumps said | January 11th 2013 @ 10:27am | Report comment
Cannot agree more Phillip. I would not like my 7yo son subjected to the “experience” that the very small minority of fans seem to think is the norm. I can tell you from first hand experience that he found the Sydney derby “experience” scary and was asking many questions on the way home about why there were “fires” (in his words) in amongst the crowd. No way to attract new supporters to the A-League, especially families. TBH probably was partly my fault in bringing him to a Saturday night game….
Self-policing is defnitely the way to go. I wish the RBB and other active supporters group who are doing a fantastic job the best of luck to weed these unwanted trouble makers out!
January 11th 2013 @ 11:21am
mahonjt said | January 11th 2013 @ 11:21am | Report comment
I take your point, I do – but as the father of a 3yo I sit with the prawn sandwich brigade for a reason. TJ loves and is fascinated by the terraces, and one day he will blow me off for them I am sure. But until then I make a choice to enjoy my football AND the atmosphere that come with those crazy guys and girls at the other end. The definition of hooligan in this country needs some reflection in my opinion. We have become a paranoid, precious and bland culture if what I see every MVFC game I go to is described as hooliganism. Is there a safety issie – yes. Are fans self-policing – yes. Is ther hooliganism and violence – ABSOLUTELY NOT.
January 11th 2013 @ 9:19am
Damiano said | January 11th 2013 @ 9:19am | Report comment
I agree with all of this. Change the record Mike Tuckerman. These are isolated incidents. We are not about to turn into Poland. All the name calling in your article isn’t journalism. I agree with your sentiment, and admire the passion, but I don’t see an article like this as being in the interests of the game.
January 11th 2013 @ 9:29am
Philip said | January 11th 2013 @ 9:29am | Report comment
Good point Damiano, the name calling in the article doesn’t help. A more reflective and positive piece that the Wanderer’s are doing a fantastic job (but just need to find a way to control the nuisances) would have been more representative of the situation, but it might not achieve as many responses. Mike likes to stir the pot.
January 11th 2013 @ 9:44am
Lucan said | January 11th 2013 @ 9:44am | Report comment
I agree the headline for this article is inflammatory, and an exaggeration.
One thing we, as football fans (and in all aspects of life and society), should be doing is striving to be better.
Yes, lawyers should strive for better, doctors should strive for better. Cricket fans should strive for better from themselves and their peers.
Football fans should continue to strive for better from themselves and our peers. To paraphrase Edmund Burke, evil prevails when good men do nothing. Let’s not just accept these d!ckhaeds as part of our game.
January 11th 2013 @ 9:17am
Qantas supports Australian Football said | January 11th 2013 @ 9:17am | Report comment
Brave article Mike, and I’m backing you to the hilt on this one… Of course there will be a lot of Australian Football fans who will write to the contrary, however, they will be wrong.. In the end, the RBB’s bad behavior will turn away any prospect of this club wooing over any prospect of private ownership—by lifting the financial burden off the FFA’s shoulders. Under the current trend if this continues, and very much looks unlikely to me, the FFA will have great cause to be worried.
January 11th 2013 @ 9:18am
Chris @ the Old Barbershop said | January 11th 2013 @ 9:18am | Report comment
Hey try hard hooligans – you’re meant to meet the opposing teams firm somewhere near the ground. Haven’t you seen any movies?
January 11th 2013 @ 9:32am
Brick Tamlin of the Pants Party said | January 11th 2013 @ 9:32am | Report comment
And for christ sake save up and invest in some Stone Island gear and look the part as well.
January 11th 2013 @ 9:44am
Australian Rules said | January 11th 2013 @ 9:44am | Report comment
haha not bad
January 11th 2013 @ 11:13am
nachos supreme said | January 11th 2013 @ 11:13am | Report comment
I’m sure I saw some La Coste on sale somewhere the other day as well.
January 11th 2013 @ 2:58pm
langou said | January 11th 2013 @ 2:58pm | Report comment
At a Heart v Victory games, some idiot Victory fan lit a red flare?
Isn’t the point of the exercise to light the flare that represents your own colour?
January 11th 2013 @ 9:29am
midfielder said | January 11th 2013 @ 9:29am | Report comment
Mike agree…what’s your solution ….
January 11th 2013 @ 9:42am
Philip said | January 11th 2013 @ 9:42am | Report comment
Mid, surely the solution is in the hands of the RBB (or other club supporter groups). They have cappos with megaphones and they have some minimum level of organisation within the end zones. If they don’t want the bottle and flare throwers in their groups they should announce pre-game through their big magaphones that anyone throwing objects will be pointed out to the authorities. It will only take a little self-policing to weed out the so-called ‘few’ trouble makers.
January 11th 2013 @ 10:03am
Pete #205 said | January 11th 2013 @ 10:03am | Report comment
Yes, but then you get RBB members on 442 claiming “we don’t rat out our own”, like some stranger happens to have a bond with them just because they are wearing the same shirt.
January 11th 2013 @ 9:42am
Australian Rules said | January 11th 2013 @ 9:42am | Report comment
Just 4 days ago, Mike wrote an article titled: “Western Sydney Wanderers have got A-League’s best support” .
(the bottles & flares weren’t mentioned once)
Here’s one quote from the piece dated 7 Jan 13:
“But for the time being it’s the Wanderers’ European-style atmosphere which deserves praise and fans in Western Sydney are leading the way in terms of active support.”.
I’m confused…are they “leading the way”…or “ruining it for the rest of us”..?
January 11th 2013 @ 10:08am
CrossIT said | January 11th 2013 @ 10:08am | Report comment
Nail – Head, Mike stirring the steaming pot!
January 11th 2013 @ 10:15am
Damiano said | January 11th 2013 @ 10:15am | Report comment
I get the impression he writes whatever he thinks will get more hits and comments. I appreciate a website like this needs content to be popular, hence the sensationalist tones of some of the material. I suspect the writers get bonuses or better remuneration based upon the number of hits.
Whenever there are large groups of people together for entertainment, whether this a sporting event, a concert or whatever, some people will behave in an antisocial manner, whilst hopeful the majority behave well and enjoy themselves.
Flares are dangerous, no argument there. Many years ago (abroad) I witnessed an incident with a flare where the flare thrower lost sight in one eye, but it is an uncommon occurrance in the A-League.
January 11th 2013 @ 3:43pm
apaway said | January 11th 2013 @ 3:43pm | Report comment
Damiano
If Mike (or any of us who write for the Roar) were after hits and comments, the best way is to write an anti-AFL article…:)
January 11th 2013 @ 4:54pm
Damiano said | January 11th 2013 @ 4:54pm | Report comment
Agreed, but is lowest common denominator what we want?
These 3 code baiting articles from Mike are just the ones I remember reading:
http://www.theroar.com.au/2012/07/13/the-ray-price-statue-fiasco-is-another-pr-disaster/
http://www.theroar.com.au/2011/12/30/why-a-league-fans-must-stand-up-to-anti-football-brigade/
http://www.theroar.com.au/2011/07/11/football-treading-a-fine-line-in-game-of-opinions/
Mike Tuckerman is entitled to his opinion, but his articles are designed to generate controversy, its not good journalism. Perhaps this article is not as bad as an out & out AFL attack piece, but it doesn’t deserve to be published on the same page as Joe Gorman’s exceleent piece about the A-League being a selling league published today, or some of Tony Tanous’ recent articles. Mike Tuckerman, aspire to be better than this, we don’t need another Jessie Fink. You are not helping the game you clearly love.
January 11th 2013 @ 10:17am
Chris @ the Old Barbershop said | January 11th 2013 @ 10:17am | Report comment
Once again Australian knucklehead media caught with its’ pants down.
January 11th 2013 @ 11:24am
mahonjt said | January 11th 2013 @ 11:24am | Report comment
BINGO – but that article wasnt about WSW. It was an opportunity to have a shot at MVFC.
January 11th 2013 @ 11:46am
Mike Tuckerman said | January 11th 2013 @ 11:46am | Report comment
Australian Rules: the support offered by the majority of the Wanderers fans in terms of the colour in the stands, the chants – including from the western and eastern sides of the ground – and the general backing of their team, was second to none. But then a small section of individuals behind the goal ruined it by throwing projectiles, including a flare, onto the field. That is the distinction. In throwing bottles onto the field, those individuals ruined the 85 minutes of outstanding collective support the rest of the ground engaged in.
January 11th 2013 @ 12:14pm
Australian Rules said | January 11th 2013 @ 12:14pm | Report comment
That’s stating the obvious Mike – clearly not all supporters act like idiots.
It just seemed like you wrote one article about the first 85 minutes of the game…and then 4 days later wrote another article about the last 10 minutes of the game.
As it happens, I agree with the thrust of both articles (…though I think WSW aren’t ahead of MV yet).
In another article of yours: “‘Passion is not a crime’ is A-League’s rallying call” you defend and even champion Euro-style barracking in the A-League, when flares were lit..
Now you refer to those supporters as “tools”, “so-called ‘Ultras’” and “wannabe hooligans”.
Despite the denials of some, I agree with your opinion above…and realise you target only the minority of idiots. However, your articles highlight the fine line in soccer between great vocal support and anti-social wannabe hooliganism.
January 11th 2013 @ 12:01pm
Garcia said | January 11th 2013 @ 12:01pm | Report comment
Mike must be a Sydney FC troll.
January 11th 2013 @ 9:49am
striker said | January 11th 2013 @ 9:49am | Report comment
There needs to be more security officers and camers fixed on them to weed out the minority troublemakers.
January 11th 2013 @ 9:58am
Brick Tamlin of the Pants Party said | January 11th 2013 @ 9:58am | Report comment
No,more security more problems.Self policing all the way,has a proven track record.
January 11th 2013 @ 10:07am
CrossIT said | January 11th 2013 @ 10:07am | Report comment
If the last few years of the A-league has proved anything, it’s that heavy handed approaches to crowd management gets you NO WHERE! More security = more backlash.
January 11th 2013 @ 11:07am
Ballymore said | January 11th 2013 @ 11:07am | Report comment
A little 1984 for my taste.
January 11th 2013 @ 10:51am
midfielder said | January 11th 2013 @ 10:51am | Report comment
There are two separate issues at play..
First is the issue of the article I.e. how to control a small group of fans … No idea myself…
Second how do you put the degree of behavior in the overall context of the match day experience ..
January 11th 2013 @ 10:53am
oly09 said | January 11th 2013 @ 10:53am | Report comment
I was frustrated last Sunday when the bottles and flare were thrown, because I knew it could lead to a week of negative headlines for the A-League. Also the majority of people where I was in the eastern terrace booed when it happened.
The RBB just needs to let people know that if they throw anything on the pitch they will be pointed out to security. The RBB do a good job of handing out information at the Woolpack before games on the march and songs, so why not one on this too?
Personally I don’t have a problem with flares or the smoke bombs, they look pretty cool. But seeing they’re illegal whoever lights the flares has to throw it, which only means it’s a matter of time until a player, spectator, official, ball boy or security is hit. Then imagine the headlines!