Once again a Western Sydney Wanderers match has been marred by reports of bottles being thrown and flares being let off. The events occurred during the Wanderer’s match against Central Coast nine days ago.
Naturally, the media has jumped at the opportunity to label this small minority of supporters as trouble-makers. But has the media been too over-eager to blow the minor problem out of proportion?
Have they been too quick to condemn ‘hooliganism’ as undesired and unwelcome?
As a nine-year-old sitting in the stands among 25,207 other football fanatics on the 28th of August 2005, the opening day of Sydney FC’s A-League history, I still remember marvelling at the spectacle.
I was captivated by the boisterous atmosphere. I wasn’t in concerned the slightest when three fighting Melbourne Victory fans in the away end had to be hauled away by police.
As a fourteen year old, I remember flares being set off by Melbourne Victory fans during the semi-final second leg on the seventh of March 2010. I remember marvelling at the orange mist that billowed in opaque sheets.
I had never seen flares before at a sporting match. I wanted to see more.
In light of the recent antics by Wanderers fans, I have started to question whether the hard-line stance of the FFA, in regard to the unruly behaviour by spectators and security officials at A-League games has really been beneficial for the atmosphere at A-League games.
Journalists have been quick to jump on the bandwagon and condemn the small minority. They have been branded as low-lifes – barbaric, disgusting, anti-social and belligerent.
That they probably are. But I certainly hope they’re at every A-League game I go to see.
The attempt by the FFA to create a family friendly atmosphere is a smart move and it is likely to bring fans into the stadium. However, won’t the widespread media coverage of perceived ‘fan violence’ and ‘unruly behaviour’ turn fans away? Especially when the media blows matters completely out of proportion?
I don’t condone the throwing of bottles onto the pitch in any way but I don’t see any problem with fans getting into the spirit of things.
The truth of the matter is that fan violence is not even a problem in the A-League. It has only been made out to be by the negative media.
You only have to look to Europe, where ten-metre high barriers have to be installed around the pitch to protect players and away fans have to be marched away from the stadium by police escorts, to see where the real problem lies.
Luckily Australia has never had a history of extreme violence in sports.
You can see the impact that the ultra-strict policy of subduing ‘anti-social behaviour’ is having in Adelaide where fans protested by having 12 minutes and 12 seconds of silence during Adelaide United’s match with Perth Glory – a symbol of their role as the 12th man.
The Adelaide fans partaking in this touching show of defiance were the core supporter group, the ‘Red Army’ (the media would call them ‘hooligans’). They were upset with the heavy-handed treatment they were receiving from security officials at Hindmarsh Stadium.
The Adelaide United fans proved something important. Australian football fans are not blockheaded brutes. It’s about time the media accept this and move along. There are easier pickings elsewhere.
Harry Potter
Guest
Yo let me start by saying australia has the best footballers of ALL TIME!, Messi? lol we have Berisha. Ok now onto the main problem, hooligans, they ruin the game have you ever been do a Wellington Phoenix match? all those fans just go to engage in physical combat, it's appauling.
Joe Bloggs
Guest
When there is violence at a cricket match they show it on the news and you don't hear the cricket fans crying out "leave our beautiful sport alone you animals!!!"
Joe Bloggs
Guest
Very amateur article. A re you for or against the violence. Yes the media do make a big deal about it as they do with any sport. Your sport is no more precious than any other. Go to an AFL match to see how a packed stadium (3 times a soccer venue) is still enjoyable without the idiot hooligans. Nip it in the bud I say!
Robbie
Roar Pro
Well things have clearly changed since then................
Luke
Guest
Titus HAHAHAHA You are either a young kid or don't remember the old days of SOCCER in this country! Do you know what it was like to try to go to a game as an Anglo kid who liked football?? Don't give me the islander thing! There is no place for flares at a game and anyone who says different is an ignorant fool!! -- Comment left via The Roar's iPhone app. Download it now [http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/the-roar/id327174726?mt=8].
Robbie
Roar Pro
You've clearly missed my point. I'm saying that it is THE AUTHORITIES who are running games and managing the crowds and rightly so. But perhaps they've been overstrict in their enforcement. I mean Adelaide fans were complaining that their santa claus beards were being confiscated by security officials at Hindmarsh Stadium. All you have to do these days is spill a beer or take of your shirt to get kicked out of the stadium by security. Furthermore, Australian football fans have never been particularly violent and this is unlikely to change. Fighting is not a part of the Australian culture. Anyway I think the problem is more to do with the lighting of flares.
Lucan
Brando never said that. Was Robert Duvall's character. He had all the best lines in that film.
Titus
Guest
Won't happen Oikee, Pacific Islanders and violent Indigenous guys are generally Rugby League fans. Football is fortunate in Australia in that the people who glorify violence and think they are super tough tend to follow the violent codes leaving Football with people just enjoying themselves and enjoying the better, more intelligent game.
oikee
Guest
I like how your conditioning youself to a Millwal type senario. First it was fights at nine, then flares and now bottles thrown , wont be long before it 2 groups going each other before the game. I just finished reading a story this morning about Islanders and Indigenous guys up here in Brisbane, Logan going the biff with pailings ripped off fences and walking the streets looking for some action, a family feud they called it. Well times that by 1000 and you will get your wish, a fullblown wakeup call to federation OZ footy is they dont come down hard on flares, fights bottles next it will be bricks and 10 foot razor wire walls. As Marlon Brando would have said, nothing like the smell of Napalm in the morning. Letting the crowds run soccer games is like saying we no longer beleive in law inforcement, we might as well let the patients run the mental asylum's.
Nelson
Guest
"Football hooliganism is non-existent in Australia". I agree completely. The word is completely mis-used in this country. "Fan violence, and actually fighting isn’t necessarily a problem, but bottle throwing and flares are. Neither should be allowed." Neither are allowed. But the fact of the matter is that you can't control 100% of the people 100% of the time. Hundreds can be ejected from the cricket and it's just 'good ol' Aussie larrikins having a good time at the cricket' and the administrators of that game say little but the usual platitudes. Football Australia, however, run to the 'dog whistle' of the anti-football media and simply feed the fire by making more of these 'incidents' than is actually worth reporting. For most of those on the wings there's no shock or 'tsk tsk'ing going on when a flare is let off behind the goals. Whilst not to be condoned, the discussion of flares is mostly hyperbolic.
scott
Guest
Why would the Roar allow such a shocking article like this. These teeny bopper, euro wannabees are the problem!
Cappuccino
Roar Guru
Robbie, Flares may look great from the other side of the stadium but it's different if you're in the same bay, or you're a player nearby on the pitch. Fan violence, and actually fighting isn't necessarily a problem, but bottle throwing and flares are. Neither should be allowed. I totally agree that some sections of the media are very keen to rubbish football fans (though even this has decreased in recent months), but the RBB's tantrum late in the CCM match was not on. Dozens of bottles being thrown, nearly hitting stewards, ball boys and both Wanderers and Mariners players- that can't be allowed to happen; that isn't getting into the spirit of things, it's simply stupidity. That's not to mention the flares dangerously close to Matt Ryan and ground staff. No doubt, there are media groups eager to blow things up. But the solution is not for football fans to stand around whingeing. We need to stop any anti-social behavior- flares and bottle-throwing included.
Matt F
Roar Guru
This has been covered quite extensively on here already but the simple solution is not to bring in flares. No flares, no trouble. The fact that they're illegal in this country except for in proper situations (a football match not being one of them) would suggest that it's not just the media, or the FFA who see them as an issue. Everything else is fine, in fact it's fantastic. I also wouldn't consider the media's coverage of fan violence this season to be widespread either. In previous seasons it probably was but even the flare situation made one news bulletin and a couple of small news stories in the papers. Did Channel 9 blow the story out of proportion? Of course, but you vould say the same about almost any news story these days. It says more about the decline of media standards in general. The vast, vast majority of media coverae for the league this season (at least in Sydney) has been very positive
nordster
Guest
Good article...the problem i have with much of the condemnation of 'unruly fans' is that its based on fear of media reaction more than the actual harm they've caused. Sure there are idiots who will turn anything into a projectile...which is bad...but then anything borderline gets lumped in. Why not show a more nuanced reaction in policing? ...geez i even learned about discretionary powers in my one week of work experience at the police academy in year 10 lol. The issue i guess is we live in a nanny state society rather than one based on personal responsbility...where the state and authorities want to protect us preemptively rather than base their reaction on the reality and outcome of a situation. It is a poor trend overall with some unintended consequences...in some respects people act less responsibly in general as they are used to being regulated and not thinking for themselves. I know i am drawing somewhat a long bow but this does show through in management of public events and how security outfits conduct themselves. And also the parameters of what they can 'get away with' in managing the large groups of people, especially active support which the media has built a reputation around.
midfielder
Guest
Nice article .... However in the foreseeable future the media will run the negative line.. I see the issue as GTA getting on the front foot with the media about the home ends...