“You can’t stand there!” bellowed an irate Suncorp Stadium staff member, oblivious to my status as Australia’s 93rd most influential football writer. “And you can’t stand there, either” he snarled menacingly, before flashing me the kind of look Clint Eastwood gives about a million bad guys in ‘Unforgiven.’
The scene was a Brisbane Roar home game, and my crime was to lean against a metal railing on the concourse behind the goal.
Waiting on a text message from a friend, I’d been inside the ground less than 90 seconds before being told to move along – twice – by a staff member who spoke to me the same way I might speak to a feral dog that had just infected me with rabies.
Unflustered, I wandered off to purchase a warm beer and some cold chips, consoled by the knowledge that my experience was “fan made.”
I’ve seen it all before, having attended enough A-League games as a casual fan to know that being treated like a petty criminal is all par for the course.
But if it’s fans who make the experience, is it any wonder so few are turning up?
This week the A-League plunged to a new nadir when only 1,003 fans showed up to watch North Queensland Fury die a sorry death at the hands of Brisbane Roar.
Yes, there were severely mitigating circumstances, but the uncomfortable truth is that barely 1,000 more supporters turned out at the same venue the following evening to watch home team Gold Coast United go around.
And the numbers are hardly better elsewhere, as records for lowest crowds tumble at venues across the country.
Just a week out from the finals, the A-League is at a crossroad – and now is as good a time as any for fans to start speaking out and having their voices heard.
The recent fan forum in Sydney was a start, while Melbourne Victory’s decision to meet with disgruntled North Terrace supporters suggests clubs are finally paying attention to disenfranchised supporters.
And while I’m not advocating that clubs pander to every niche group populating the stands, there’s no doubt in my mind that ticket-buying supporters have been treated poorly for far too long.
It’s a sentiment echoed by Professional Footballers’ Association chief Brendan Schwab, who told the press this week the matchday experience needs improvement.
“We need to be very careful to make sure that fans are welcome in our stadiums and that stadiums are conducive for creating a great atmosphere,” Schwab said.
“Players love playing in front of packed stadiums, that’s one of the thrills of being a professional footballer.”
Too right, Brendan. But unfortunately far too many folks who identify themselves as football fans are not attending A-League games.
And we’re rapidly reaching a point where the ideological reasons for that are moot – it’s not going to matter if fans are unhappy with stadium staff or Newcastle Jets’ new strip or the cost of drinks if there’s no competition to support.
Indifference is beginning to squeeze the life out of the A-League, and that won’t change if fans keep staying away from games.
The way to make change is to be seen and to be heard, and what the A-League needs now is fans standing up to be counted – opinions at the ready – and most importantly inside the ground.
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