Like anyone repulsed by violence and the ugliness of the herd mentality, I was disgusted to see the video footage of Western Sydney Wanderers fans attempting to intimidate Sydney FC fans prior to the team’s match-up on the weekend.
To see an admittedly small pack of mindless thugs indulge in this behaviour was both bizarre and extremely worrying. One can only assume men of this type are the result of poor parenting and extreme emotional neglect.
One can also only hope that this is the last we see of this caveman-like display.
What is most perplexing is trying to understand the origins of it all. As far as I can tell, it can only be attributed to two things.
1. WSW fans are copycats searching for an identity
Are Australian football fans merely exhibiting behaviour they believe is occurring overseas and beginning to copy the actions of fans from more high-profile, richer and (dare I say) more reputable football clubs? Are they are, in effect, just being copy cats?
Australia has a history and habit of latching onto trends outside our shores, sometimes years after they have come and gone in the countries from which they originated, despite the presence of our own culture right here.
The glacial pace at which our cultural identity was established (and is still being established) meant we have always been very eager to merely copy whatever was happening overseas in the ill-founded belief it was inherently better, rather than create our own traditions and practices.
We didn’t embrace Australian literature or theatre until about the 1960s. Australia had almost no film industry for about 40 years until the 1970s and we still don’t watch our own films in significant numbers.
We still only acknowledge many of our sportsmen and women, artists and actors once they have achieved overseas recognition. In other words, we don’t rate our own thoughts so we just copy what happens overseas.
From the weekend’s episode, it appears football hooliganism has now been exported to Australia. Long the preserve of clubs both high-class (Chelsea) and low-class (Milwall), hooliganism never quite got the foothold in Australia that it did throughout most of the rest of the football world.
Certainly there were numerous incidents in the “bad old days” of the NSL, but these were not the result of organised hooliganism.
Based on the footage available, the WSW fans appear to be merely copying the actions of what they may have seen other overseas football fans do on television in the belief this makes WSW a “legitimate” football club.
Their actions appear to be an attempt to manufacture a rivalry with Sydney FC fans, similar to the well-entrenched and often sectarian or politically- based rivalries such as Celtic-Rangers or Barcelona-Real Madrid.
For WSW fans to think their hatred for Sydney FC is comparable to the passions stirred between those mentioned is just plain stupid, misguided and childish.
WSW are still yet to complete a full season and have played SFS only a handful of times.
Neither club is rooted in religious history (like Celtic and Rangers), nor is there any political sub-text or history to their rivalry (such as with Barcelona and Real Madrid). Outside of the geographical distinctions, there is no comprehensible factor explaining why passions would be stirred to this level.
2. WSW fans have engaged the politics of class warfare
Do WSW fans believe they are part of a maligned sector of Sydney? Are they tapping into the bubbling resentment towards other parts of Sydney which exists in the western suburbs?
This can be the only possible explanation for a group of men to be so aroused in their passions for their team that they will direct it at a small group of opposing fans who, up until a year ago, would have felt their club represented ALL of Sydney. If this is the case, it is extremely short-sighted and ignorant.
Football in Australia has never been the game of the elites, in the same way rugby union has for example. It has always been the game of the marginalised and immigrants.
Sydney FC also has almost zero impact on the so-called “Big End of Town”. Despite attracting the inaccurate moniker of “Bling FC” in their early days, Sydney FC could never be given the “over-priviliged” tag.
Their fan-base is a very diverse mix of ethnicities from all areas of Sydney, most of whom were just over-joyed to have a team to call their own. While there would no doubt be Sydney FC fans who do reside in areas perceived to be privileged, these would be in the minority.
My point is this, if WSW fans believe they have a right to be angry due to a perceived social injustice, then the last people they would be directing that at should be Sydney FC fans. If anything, they should be brothers in arms.
Football is still struggling for its place in the Australian sporting landscape and is often derided by fans of other sports.
The best thing Sydney FC and WSW fans could do would be to generate its own passionate and spirited rivalry, devoid of violence and with unique characteristics developed over decades, much like those rivalries mentioned above.
WSW fans appear to be trying to generate 50 years of rivalry into a single season. A pale imitation of something of an overseas culture.This only ends up looking sad and a little pathetic.
The events of the weekend are, more than anything, a real shame and a disservice to the thousands of true WSW fans who appear to have embraced a team from their region in the right spirit.
Unlike most sporting teams in Sydney across all codes, WSW fans are vocal and have added much-needed colour to a sometimes bland sporting landscape.
But like the dark days of the Canterbury Bulldogs, it is always just the few bad apples which spoil it for all. Let’s hope this is the case here and that the true WSW fans sing in voices loud enough to drown out these hooligans with nothing to say.
MikeD
Guest
maybe so. but i think its an example ,within context of copying and trying to be like European ultras. Some supporter groups are thinking that the only way they can show active support is by being nutty,, more intimidating than opposing groups!
Football United
Guest
Celtic do the huddle, not the poznan. And they do it because the players do a huddle before each match with their backs to the fans, so the fans reverse it and have their own huddle with their backs to the players.
Football United
Guest
This, they aren't wearing any colours and they aren't going to attack scarfers. You will never stop them but clubs at least can deny they have any association to them so they don't taint their brand.
Football United
Guest
These new AFL rivalrys exceed at feeling so fake, GWS vs Sydney was so utterly bland and boring compared to the Sydney Derby. You could feel the passion and feeling oozing out of your screen from the latest Derby, something the AFL would have killed for in sydney.
Football United
Guest
You think marching is exclusive to firm behaviour, hence you don't actually know what a firm is. Marching, or a Corteo for the more learned football scholars amongst us, is a normal part of pre match fan behaviour. Firms in Britain don't march because if they were that stupid to, they'd be recognised and picked off by the old bill. They instead blend in with the rest of the crowd and any of their illicit behaviour is generally only found by those who are looking for trouble, well away from the grounds and the eyes of the police.
Jukes
Guest
BBB = Bad Blue Boys RBB = Red Black Bloc Yes its just you
hutch
Guest
West, how do the wsw get more fans than the nrl? Can you explain that one please?
oikee
Guest
The difference again is trouble will start when you have bunches of youth, males, walking the streets and singing and full of testy. All those videos are full of young blokes. No women, no children, just young guys with no adults to keep them in check. Look, it is a powerkeg waiting to happen, is why i said not long now for Gallop. Get yourselves down to the Burrow or the Kennel, where they have a homegrown culture and families can enjoy the game as families, not hoarded along like cattle in a sales yard being prodded and rounded up by 500 police officers. Right there in your face I can see the signs You're livin' your life just a little too fast I know that you think You have so much time Take it from me it never will last Trouble ahead, trouble's gonna find you You don't know what you're heading for Dead ahead trouble's waiting for you Trouble ahead and waiting at your door Something that you said Gave you away You're looking so hard but you never will see Ooh, don't you know It's not me you're running from What will it take to make you believe Trouble ahead, trouble's gonna find you
MikeD
Guest
actually this is more accurate!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1_ivp2oUaA and if people don't realise dinamo Zagreb's ultras/supporters are the BBB...coincidence? nah its just me!!
Nick from Sydney
Guest
100% correct
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
"Going around saying you don’t care what other people think, in regards to the behavioural problems in soccer is the first thing that is going to cause them to jack up and dismiss the game based on it’s fans." IF anyone is not smart enough to realise that ... isolated instances of conflict & anti-social behaviour at an A-League match, ... is NOT a problem confined to SOCKAH, ... but anti-social & violent behaviour is also seen across all of Australian society, including: at AFL/NRL/Cricket matches, when AFL/NRL/Rugby players have a drink, when people are walking down the streets, people are drinking in pubs, people are driving on the road, people are upset in their marriage, etc. etc. then, as far as I'm concerned, I'm grateful - nay, I'm blissfully overjoyed - such ignorant people won't turn up to watch A-League matches.
nordster
Guest
haha i actually agree with a labor mp for once... he's talking about families...so remember thats not 250 net he is talking about...take out tax which is regressive at that level in that it penalises success and/or overtime...add a stoopid sydney mortgage, kids x how ever many, increasing cost of living if not official cpi, etc....and its not as large a wage as people assume. Even if it looks it on the surface from my lower wage level too...lucky im not a breeder lol...
micka
Guest
The mods cut my first response to your post Fuss (I believed it was quite fair and addressed your points directly) but in short you can grow and develop a lot based on what you learn from what your "enemies" say. If the examples you listed above took a little more notice of what other people thought, they might be in a better place. You say that AFL is racist and full of alcoholism - now if the AFL address those issues and eliminate that horrible side of that culture is it not of benefit to everyone? Don't we all win? If they ignore it and just say that you are wrong because you are biased and everyone hates them, where is the gain? They're no better and you are no closer to wanting to take part... Going around saying you don't care what other people think, in regards to the behavioural problems in soccer is the first thing that is going to cause them to jack up and dismiss the game based on it's fans.
Australian Rules
Guest
Good link...but it's not exactly true. As your link shows, Wrexham started as a rugby stadium in 1807. It wasn't until 1864 that football was played there, and not until 1872 that Wrexham FC started playing it games there. So it's a football stadium by surrogate...just as the Melbourne *Cricket* Ground is. Still, Aussie Rules began at the MCG in 1854...predating soccer at any current stadium in the UK...to my knowledge.
Hawker
Guest
+1 well put
West
Roar Pro
This is getting a bit ridiculous really. A few WSW fans start chanting and throw an empty plastic beer glass - really, this a "Soccer Hooligan Riot!". How many drunken arrests and empty beer glasses thrown at a cricket match? - Hundreds! Yet this is prime time front page news - be serious. And wait a miniute, don't Ch 9l nine and News Limited own the NRL and Cricket rights and WSW get more fans than the NRL and cricket. And lets see, Ch 7 own the AFL rights and WSW get more fans than the Giants. Is there a connection there? Stop throwing more rubbish on the fire and move on you guys.
micka
Guest
Disguising what exactly? I know what Heath Scotland had for breakfast when he punched that bloke up on the Murray on holiday. They aren't hiding much of anything, believe you me.
Fussball ist unser leben
Roar Guru
"In fact, often you learn the more about your true self from what others say about you, rather than what you keep telling yourself." What a silly thing to say. If people hate you, hate your culture & hate your very existence then their opinions will be biased, prejudiced & shrouded in a blanket of hatred. If I were an Arab, I'd pay ZERO attention to what Israelis think of me, or my culture. If I were an Israeli, I'd pay ZERO attention to what Arabs think of me, or my culture. As a Catholic, I pay ZERO attention to what atheists think of me, or my culture. And, as a Football fan, I pay ZERO attention to what football-illiterates think of me or my culture. PS: I'd be willing to wager my knowledge of AFL - culture, players, results - from early 1970s-early 2000s would be equal, or superior, to the majority of AFL fans.
micka
Guest
As you don't understand AFL, NRL or Rugby culture, I assume you will never read or comment on these sports ever again? I don't need to be Alex Ferguson to be familiar with how a group rolls Fuss. In fact, often you learn the more about your true self from what others say about you, rather than what you keep telling yourself.
striker
Guest
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fznm5O7dJ_0 Dinamo fans have a few more flares hehe.