An interesting story ran on FourFourTwo last week about a reported breakdown between Melbourne Victory and the club’s active fans.
According to writer Aidan Ormand, a number of Victory’s supporters are upset at, “having to seek permission from the club for all pre-game displays, denial by the club of large-scale tifos and Victory officials not bringing out the fans’ flags, banners, drums and megaphones”.
“They also claim supporter items have been confiscated before games while fans have been evicted for handing out flyers that they say officials claim will incite violence.”
Regardless of what’s happened in this instance, the disappointing thing is this is a story we’ve heard countless times before both with the Victory and the league at large. We ran a similar piece on The Roar last week from a fan’s perspective.
It’s a situation that grates, particularly in light of Football Federation Australia’s “Fan Made” advertising campaign from earlier this season.
To use images of fan groups that are consistently stifled by restrictions on how they can support their club is cruelly ironic.
In the meantime don’t let those ads fool you, fans and improving the A-League’s matchday experience are not priorities for FFA, though they should be.
As my colleague Mike Tuckerman wrote on this site yesterday, “football fans revel in being part of a big-match atmosphere” because this is what turns a football game into a must attend event. Unfortunately we haven’t seen enough of these types of crowds throughout A-League version six.
I attended Melbourne Heart’s home game with Central Coast Mariners last Friday and sitting amongst a crowd of 3,000 plus people is not an all consuming experience (though considering the weather on the night no one is to blame for this poor turn out).
Despite small crowds this season we have still seen a number of high profile games garner large attendance figures which proves the Australian public has a thirst for going to A-League games as long as it’s a spectacle.
Quite simply fans, and in particular those who engage in active support, are key to turning around the fortunes of Australia’s fledgling football competition.
Until we start acknowledging this, the A-League will stutter it’s way through consistently poor crowds.
MyLeftFoot
Roar Guru
Yes, strange, I too had a recent post deleted, not too sure why.
JB
Guest
Where's my comment?? Have i been censored?? Don't think i wrote anything offensive or different to any other comment!!!
BigAl
Guest
Not sure about 'apethetic' ? - but I'm happy with safe !
Jon
Guest
LOL. 'Let's Go'. Typical NRL chant given over the loud speaker. Management continue to try it at DFS Townsville to which most football tragics reply 'F#$% off'. If we wanted fireworks, cheergirls, and a faceless host we would go to an NRL match,. We go to a football match for a different type of entertainment.
Jon
Guest
Have to disagree MLF. Security at DFS Townsville have no idea how to handle the F-Troop and mumble under their breaths about 'having to work at football matches'. If leaders of the F-Troop were involved in the planning process, security would understand some of football's 'cultural' differences. The security at DFS use intimidation to the point where members now dread going to home games - this has obviously resulted in lower attendances. Surely management can see the logic in engaging with fans. More fans = more revenue.
RedOrDead
Roar Guru
Fuss - when I meant intimidating I meant 'scary'...thug like and hooligan scary. Intimidating that if you're wearing the opposition's colours and look at them the wrong way or even look at them at all they'd all turn on you then it's Chelsea smiles all round! The Youtube video you posted is actually something quite awesome! Melbourne Victory is so far the only team I think that comes even close to anything like that! I for one and I'm guessing yourself and whoever else doesn't sit/stand in the "Active area" wants to feel safe, especially when you take your kids to the game. I don't want to look down and away when a mob of hooligans passes me in case they think I looked at them the wrong way. That's what I meant by intimidating - more outside the stadium...inside the stadium I can say the Northern Terrace is actually something quite awesome! It's amazing how there's so many of them and they're are all in unison, it'd make even Yarraside envious! hehe Call me a wuss, call me a softy, I like attending a game live at a stadium for the football, for the atmosphere and for the entertainment (which the active area contributes to), but I also want to feel safe and not intimidated!
AA
Guest
LOL at Art Sapphire for 'changing to Heart' becuase of the seating arrangement at a stadium, how plastic a supporter are you?
Phil Osopher
Guest
I understand the fear of violence and danger, but it's largely the Australian culture - control the crowd, muffle the noise. It's a phenomena across all sports - authorities ban everything, mexican waves, beach balls. They should put seatbelts on seats, strap them in and tell them to sit down, shut up, watch the game and groan when the ball just misses. Our crowds are the most boring in the world, in most sports - afl may be the exception - and thats the way the authorities like it. Any form of loud culture scares them. The pay off is we have a very sedate, apethetic, yet safe country.
Huffy
Guest
I was at the Heart/Central Coast game with my brother the other night and he said that the AFL crowds need supporters like the Yarraside to liven up the atmosphere where everyone can only boo and hush at the same time.
Axelv
Guest
It's tradition!
Axelv
Guest
The problem with Gen Y is that it's parents were the baby boomers! ;) And the problem with Gen X is that they didn't look after their Gen Y siblings!
Stevo
Guest
I think this is arguably one of the most important issues facing the A-league in its short history. I want to see banners, crowd chanting, noise and vocal support. I want the FFA to not believe that a heavy handed "clamping down" of some fans that it will be OK in the long run. No, no, no. What is amazing to me eyes is the number of teens and 20/30-something people actively engaging with the A-league. These people likely know nothing or very little about the NSL and come to the game seeing EPL and other leagues where fans chant and create great atmosphere. Do we want to lose that atmosphere for the sake of a handful of mugs? The fans have to accept responsibility for their actions and the FFA/clubs need to work with them to create the right environment. The sight of police on horses at the last Melb derby was disturbing to me. This was a complete over-reaction. Wake up FFA.
Lunchtime O'Booze
Guest
http://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/john-aloisi-joins-new-a-league-franchise-melbourne-heart/story-e6frg1wu-1225846897077 http://www.theroar.com.au/2008/10/06/buying-an-a-league-franchise-takes-some-heart/ http://www.foxsports.com.au/football/a-league/ffa-announce-western-sydney-will-be-given-licence-for-12th-a-league-team/story-e6frf4gl-1225780691903 http://soccerlens.com/football-franchises-right-or-wrong/30749/ Are all these articles wrong then? These franchises everyone's talking about? Or am I suffering from a spectacular inability to understand what I'm reading?
Axelv
Guest
My apologies, I'm just tired of hearing justification for the tactics used by security. I have heard other people label the NT as hooligans and say that they deserve it. "Agreed about the NT, they have been acting like spoilt brats for a while now." Rellum
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
RoD I don't think any HAL supporter group comes close to generating an intimidating atmosphere. This set of fans is meant to generate the most intimidating atmosphere in Europe - their old stadium was nicknamed "Hell". They've just moved to a new stadium, but I'm sure the intimidation will remain ... this is the crowd during the pre-game warm up http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TNN7VFOn1aw&feature=related
Axelv
Guest
Now this is interesting, look at how ticket inspectors act on fare evaders http://video.au.msn.com/watch/video/9raw-ticket-inspectors-use-excessive-force/xf9phkp?from=imbot_en-au_general Pretty much sums up on how football fans are treated for supporting their club.
MyLeftFoot
Roar Guru
Good questions by both RorD and the Cro. From point of view, it's an easy one - the minute groups take on the modus operandi of La Curva, club and stadium management MUST step in.
MelbCro
Guest
Whats wrong with creating an intimidating atmosphere?
MelbCro
Guest
I never heard of anyone being abducted in the NSL ffs, the football community is being terrorised by A-League fans. Won't someone please think of the children!
Jon
Guest
Security need to be briefed that different sports have different cultures. Standing and chanting is part of the football culture and it is why I go to the games rather than watch it on tv. Fan Made is a joke. The Fury lost fan support by moving the Ftroop from behind the goals where they could be seen and direct chants to some obscure section where they could no longer been seen. Security prowl the stands telling fans to remain in their seats - they still think they are at a Cowboy's match. The FFA have to change something or risk another slide in attendences.