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.
druk-efekt
Guest
It has been used to cause money, improve interactions and even reach big goals. Newspapers also decompose fairly quickly, and / or mix with your backyard soil.
William McInnes
Roar Pro
I went to the Sydney Derby between Sydney FC and Western Sydney Wanderers and I was right in the middle of The Cove. Whilst Sydney FC fans (not casual blow ins) did light flares, they kept them in The Cove and did not throw them onto the pitch. Western Sydney Fans through their flares onto the pitch very near their own goalkeeper. Whilst all of the Sydney FC fans booed this action, there were very few Western Sydney Fans not cheering the flares being thrown onto the pitch. Its not a bunch of casual blow ins, its the culture of the clubs. Football is typically a European sport and many of the fans are of European descent. Its very much a part of the fan experience at derby matches to light flares. I don't think there is anything wrong with flares in the crowd as long as they're not thrown onto the pitch. Western Sydney typically has poor culture surrounding their sporting teams.
Robbie
Guest
Is anyone else sick of the media constantly over-blowing "unruly fan behaviour"
Peter
Guest
I was at this game, it was held up for the period of time you could hold your breath. It took longer for Mat Ryan to take his goal kicks than it did to get the bottles off the pitch. What drives these people to continue lighting flares is blogs like this that carry on about it. We've heard about this for years on end but over 16,000 people who know what goes on still fearlessly showed up to the match. One-day cricket is a constant arena for bottle throwing but do they carry on about it, not to mention a naked person runs across the ground every year. The observing children please. Cricket just gets on with it and we should do the same. It's time to start ignoring the flares. The more the media carries on about the more flares there will be. Frankly I'm starting to get bored of them. One pre-match or when a goal is scored is fine, but that's it. I do think safety is an issue and there should always be an extinguisher on hand if any confetti catches.
Garcia
Guest
Trolllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll!
Martyn50
Roar Rookie
It seems that poor crowd behavior is far more prevalent with soccer than any other football code
Garcia
Guest
“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. “
Matsu
Guest
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: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WnXfe3ud4E
Damiano
Guest
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.
Cpaaa
Guest
Dont know if anyone else posted this link today from twg in regards to red fans tonight at hindmarsh silent for 12.12minutes http://theworldgame.sbs.com.au/news/1136240/Reds-fans-in-silent-protest This is fantastic and AU fans I salut you. I just wish that this would be carried out by every active club group across Australia in support of Active fans. Channel 7 showed the clip with fans and off course flares. This is how the media views active groups so why should we feel ashamed, its part of the fabric!
Tlux
Guest
Everyone hates flares? but yet, every T20/Rugby League match has fireworks. I dont have a problem with flares. Sure standing next to one in the grandstand wouldnt be too flash, but still, they aren't bombs.
Cpaaa
Guest
Normally i agree with you Mike but not on this occasion. Football is not perfect and never will be, and the last thing we need is one of our own shooting us down. For you Mike here is an old persian proverb "He who wants a rose must respect the thorn". Active support is the key ingredient to Footballs success and yet we have those that frown upon their activities. The thorns so to speak. I love active fans and i hope they continue to support their clubs and grow in numbers regardless of repercussions. As Football fans we need to just accept the way active groups are growing organically. If we try to GM these groups then we may as well just forget it all together. Its Football, not ballet. Which game was stopped recently(i cant remember) for a streaker ran on the field? How do parents explain this behaviour over a puff of smoke. Not one mention or image of a naked body but a flare omg call the fire brigade im having an asthma attack??? How about an article on that naked hooligan spoiling it for everyone, Mike?, or is streaking just supposed to be funny? Is a naked man running across a sporting field (infront of children) simply good ol fashioned Aussie humor and is considered less offensive than a flare at a football game ??? By the comments on this page it appears to be, but the anti-Football brigade will never point that out because their sports have experienced streakers for decades. Flares, singing, chanting, drums and brothers in arms is simply too foreign to comprehend. Mike your articles of late is a classic case of the rose and thorn. For those of you that consider Active support anti social or simply think they are a bunch of idiots then here is a suggestion.....stay home, stop watching and stop commenting and find something else to do other than follow Football games. take your kids to 20/20 and wear a water mellon on your head for fun, they may like it better,just let them decide. Love it unconditionally with all its flaws. We are not Perfect and may it never be.
Nathan of Perth
Guest
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!
Nathan of Perth
Guest
"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.
apaway
Roar Guru
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...:)
Michael
Guest
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.
langou
Roar Guru
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?
Bumps
Guest
In my experience, I sat in the family zone and had a relatively scared 7 year old wondering what was going on at the Sydney derby. A responsible parent would not be stupid enough to sit in the Cove or the RBB (for example) especially for a Saturday night game. I am sure I not a minority partent - as much as I love the game my kids come first as would be the case for all parents. Stop the flares, the bottle throwing, get rid of the try hards and keep the chants and passion and then we will have the right balance. At the same time it wont give the mainstream media any opportunity to have a regular dig at our game.
Mazzalenko
Guest
Good point Davo.....on the same equation is the example of the arsonist who lites a fire when the media warns of "catastophic" weather conditions as seen recently in TAS, VIC and NSW. The point however is that the media want us football supporters to have an 'aussie' culture when attending our sport as its in Australia and not in Europe so flares are seen as an 'overseas thing' that has no place in mainstream Australia. It will get reported due to this fact and do you think if a flare struck a player the 'shit' wont hit the fan?? I'm against them and I want those morons to just think about the consequences of our sport...we should ALWAYS put our sport first!
Cameron
Roar Guru
Disregard flares as fireworks are used as a replacement to deter fans from bringing outside distractions how's this for your so called Hooligansim - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1NMLFDsi9s&feature=youtube_gdata_player Qld state of origin fans throwing beer cans and bottles in their disgust or passionate outcry.