It has been some time coming, but finally, it seems, those in the grandstands and terraces are getting the recognition they deserve, and helping drive the upturn in fortunes for the A-League.
Long considered football’s problem-child, fans are now being engaged at all levels to help drive the future direction of the round ball game downunder.
How times have changed.
Not only are fans fast becoming a sounding-board for our administrators, but the active supporters groups are finally getting wider recognition for the unique and vibrant atmosphere they generate on match-days.
Even ‘all-sport’ scribes, the likes of Phil Rothfield and Richard Hinds, who tend to lean another way, are jumping on board, proclaiming the match-day experience at an A-League game to be the best fan experience around.
They’re finally waking up to what those of us who love the game have known all along.
Soon enough we might see Andrew Demetriou locking arms with a Victory fan or two, jumping up and down in the Blue and White Brigade.
In truth, it’s more likely to be Demetriou’s daughters or son that become Victory or Heart members in a few years, such are the demographics flowing to football.
What’s become patently clear after a period of regression is that it’s the fans helping shift the perception, through much self-policing and incredible commitment.
Not only are they passionate, but they are intelligent, looking at things through worldly eyes.
Having worked underground for so long because the establishment told them their code wasn’t good enough, most can look beyond their own colours and see the bigger picture.
Primarily they want to help the sport grow, and they want to have a say in how it grows.
This was articulated well by many, including Adelaide United fan Kasey in my column on Tuesday, when I posed the question of whether the Western Sydney Wanderers could become the biggest football club in Australia in a decade or so.
“There are quite a few savvy football fans out there, we’ve seen many things in football come and go in our time.
“One thing remains though and that is the overwhelming desire to see the game succeed and grow,” Kasey wrote.
“As a club, WSW are to be congratulated for showing that listening to the fans will yield good results.
“We might not all have MBA’s or marketing degrees, but most of all we know what we want in a club and in general have an idea about where we want the A-League to be. Yes we can be impatient, but who hasn’t been when they’ve wanted something particularly strongly?
“If FFA listened to the fans more than they currently do, there’d be a hell of a lot fewer dissenting voices.”
It seems the governing body are finally getting it. Recently, at an insiders pre-season brief in Melbourne, a few fans were among the gathered media and club representatives.
Meanwhile, the FFA’s new club, the Wanderers, have hitherto been a case study in how to effectively engage fans from the grassroots up.
After a series of fan forums across western Sydney soon after the club was announced, it appears they have taken on most of the feedback.
The fans wanted red and black colours and that’s what they got. They wanted to play out of Parramatta Stadium, tick.
They said a big “no thanks” to ANZ Stadium at Homebush, so even when the Wanderers had an opportunity to move the first derby there after Alessandro Del Piero’s arrival, they didn’t.
It might not have been the greatest commercial move, short-term, but in the long run it builds goodwill, and that’s a priceless ingredient.
Other clubs, like the Central Coast Mariners, Brisbane Roar and Melbourne Heart, have set a good example on the engagement front over the years.
Rather than Clive Palmer’s failed build-it-and-they-will-come facade on the Gold Coast, now it’s about listening and executing.
Perhaps the line in the sand came last year, when Lee Sutherland, of Football Fans Down Under, held a series of forums in Sydney and Melbourne to give fans a voice.
Suddenly, fans who felt they’d been suppressed and had no platform to confront the likes of Ben Buckley and Hatamoto, the security firm commissioned by the FFA to manage A-League crowds, had their chance.
With significant media attention, on Twitter, SBS and beyond, the fans’ grievances were out there.
Perhaps the most significant message from the floor was the fans wanted to be heard. And engaged.
The attention and scrutiny helped Melbourne Victory’s active supporters sort out a few long-standing issues with the club and Victorian Police.
Suddenly the powers that be had no choice but to sit up and take notice.
Now these same administrators, at both headquarters and the clubs, are using their own fan forums on a regular basis to garner the thoughts of their fans.
There hasn’t always been tension between the two. The Cove, Sydney FC’s active group, have generally fostered a healthy relationship with their office, dating back to the days of the original chair, Walter Bugno, who was very popular among the fans.
But generally, it has been a tense past, much as it has been between the clubs and head office.
Even this week the FFA has forced Adelaide United to shut down a “rogue” website.
There is still plenty of work to do, but at least fan groups are now at the table, getting a say.
Administrators, at club and headquarters, now realise it’s smart business to keep fans on-side.
In truth, it’s the only business. Without them you have nothing.
It’s taken a while, but the fans are finally where they should be, considered an asset rather than a hindrance.
So, to every A-League supporter, whether you’re in The Shed, Den, Cove, Yarraside, Red and Black Bloc, Yellow Fever, Red Army, Squadron, Yellow Army or Blue and White Brigade, or on here sharing your passion, congratulations and keep it up.
kennoth
Guest
Floyd you are spot on. Now I am thinking that this game of of soccer did evolve from some alien mission ! ETs with no arms or hands and earthly humans as goalkeepers. You know that makes sense. Its the universal game LOL
Marc
Guest
Yeah ECP, have been to quite a few NRL games and A-League games and the A-League wins the atmosphere stakes by a long way. Maybe you should try the A-League sometime?
Marc
Guest
Yeah ECP, have been to quite a few NRL games and A-League games and the A-League wins the atmosphere stakes by a long way. Maybe you should try the A-League sometime?
Floyd Calhoun
Guest
Yeah, maybe not my best work, but the whole header thing has always puzzled me. If aliens arrived on earth, and observed this, they'd be puzzled too. Hands, and brain size, are probably the two major evolutionary advantages we hold over other critters. Football then decided that the hands should play practically no part (except the goalie and for throw ins), and that the head (which usually protects a brain), should be used in the same manner as the feet, to pass the ball. What must it have been like back in the days of waterlogged leather footballs?
Brick Tamlin of the Pants Party
Guest
Header useful thick skulls,thats new.
ECP
Guest
The NRL games have a much better atmosphere, Striker. You should go to a few of them.
ECP
Guest
You must be deluded Striker if you think the A league is the talk of the town again. It is only new dawners who believe this stuff.
Redb
Roar Guru
$20M is a pittance to the lost revenue the AFL would suffer over 10 weeks.
Roger
Guest
"However, it was Etihad stadium management that insisted no other stadiums be built to the same size." And AFL had absolutely nothing to do with it at all. You really believe that? Huh. EDIT - and TC, do you even believe yourself? Wy propose a stadium that requires $20M to upgrade, when there is a perfectly fit-for-purpose stadium there to be used a couple of blocks over? Oh wait, yes, that's right, everyone has $20M to throw around willy nilly. No wait, no they don't.
Roger
Guest
TC - do you for one minute imagine that there aren't contingency clauses in contracts for large events? Really? Hmmm.
c
Guest
Lingerie women’s NFL on the other hand does offer some spectacular sporting angles I am sure that a sporting connoisseur such as you would appreciate :)
Bondy.
Guest
Why do you care its over?. Theres no world cup your happy ,why do you bother worrying,your problem was solved and your still here whinging.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
"Through marshall law"?? I think the word you're looking for is "martial" ... unless you're hollering for a battery? It wouldn't need to go to the UN ... at the stroke of a pen, the Government - State or Federal - has the authority to seize any land - public or private. Of course, in the case of the MCG, the State Government of Victoria would have been temporarily seizing its own asset - for 2-3 months ... once in 100 years. They did a similar thing for the 2006 Commonwealth Games & they'd do the same if Melbourne hosted an Olympic Games.
TC
Guest
Roger Once again, you are neglecting to mention the reason proffered as to why AAMI would not be upgraded for the WC. Apparently (if you believe it) it was going to cost $20 million to upgrade the fancy roof - that was the reason given for not including AAMI Park. A piddly $20 million was the reason why a rectangular ground in the heart of Melbourne wasn't included. Rather - it was better to have two ovals. Think about that. The FFA shuns a quality rectangular stadium (which could have been expanded to 42k capacity), because $20 million had to be spent on the roof, instead, they opt for two ovals. Hands up anyone who believes that story? TC
Redb
Roar Guru
Roger, This is the problem with the internet people read things and accept them as fact. Etihad was originially proposed as a rectangular stadium but they couldn't get investor backing, the Vic Govt invited the AFL in and it became multi-purpose. However, it was Etihad stadium management that insisted no other stadiums be built to the same size. Like with casinos there is always a non-compete clause so that investors have a chance to get their money back. Its a separate deal that will allow AFL to buy the stadium. Your view is distorted. In any case if the AFL were told you can keep Etihad we will redevelop AAMI Park they would have no objection, if anything that would back it to the hilt. #logicfail
TC
Guest
Roger 1. Are you putting AAMI Park/FFA/Soccer in the same bracket as MCG/AFL/Australian Football? I'm not sure how you can do that. 2. Is it possible that to this day, people question the AFL's long term lease over the MCG? How did people imagine soccer was going to use the MCG for 10 weeks during the Winter? Through marshall law? UN vote? FIFA military assault? It was the AFL's to give up, and they did offer it up. Which other sport gave up something bigger than the MCG? What did soccer give up? What stadium has soccer paid for that was offered up? Also, going back to AAMI Park - are you forgetting that the FFA (and presumably Commonwealth/State governments) took AAMI Park off the agenda because it was going to cost $20 miillion to rebuild the roof. $20 million? An event that was going to bring in untold billions of dollars into Australia, and they decided to leave AAMI Park off the list for a piddling $20 million upgrade of the roof? Do you buy that? If not - what is the real reason why AAMI Park was left off? Why aren't soccer fans wanting to know the real answer to that question? TC
Roger
Guest
Yep, this is what is usually offered up when asked about it. Soccer would have contributed AAMI park has AFL not stymied the capacity of the satidum in the first place. And to re-iterate, the MCG is not "AFL's" to offer up. "Oh but the contract means we effectively own it!" you say. Spare me. I note that the only stadium AFL didn't "offer" was the stadium they had control of. Kind of obvious when you think about it.
Roger
Guest
AAMI park would have been bigger in the first place, had there not been restrictions due to AFL convincing the government that they are the only football code to worry about in Victoria, and therefore the restrictions on all stadiums (following the construction of Docklands) in Melbourne are reasonable. After all, who else would want to build a stadium right? AFL owns Melbourne. Just ask them.
Kylesy
Guest
They have to qualify for the CL first...
Redb
Roar Guru
Roger, "However, I still believe the turf defending in these circumstances was unreasonable. It was going to be interruption to one – one, single season." That's a matter of opinion. Melbourne has a rectangular stadium (AAMI Park) which combined with the MCG should have been more than sufficient for the WC bid. Expanding AAMI to handle 50K would have only been required if Australia won the bid where the funds would have been made available. The FFA however pushed for Etihad as this would cause maximum disruption to the AFL season. Frank Lowy has no love for the AFL and sees its existence as a limiting factor on the growth of soccer in Australia. The WC bid was psuhed so hard becuase it was to be used as 'turbo charger' for the sport in Australia. It was unreasonable not to use the major rectangular stadium in Melbourne.