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There is perhaps no other sport in Australia better at shooting itself in the foot than football. Just when we should be celebrating the world game, Football Federation Australia embarks on yet another public relations disaster.
The decision to create a members-only “Active Supporter Area” was met with universal scorn and derision on social media almost as soon as it was announced.
According to the FFA’s press release, the decision was made to “enhance and protect the unique atmosphere created by active supporters”.
The only problem is, the measure will do exactly the opposite – fragmenting active supporters based on who buys memberships and why.
My friends and I joined an A-League club on the first day of its existence. I still hold a membership which allows me to stand in the active supporter area – despite the fact I now live interstate.
Earlier this week my girlfriend generously purchased flights so that we could watch Sydney FC’s opening game of the season against Melbourne City.
Now – despite the fact I’ve already paid to renew my membership and my friends all stand in the active area – FFA seems to be suggesting that my Cairns-born girlfriend is not welcome to stand with us.
Call me crazy, but how on earth is that supposed to “enhance” fan culture?
The devil is in the detail, one assumes, and perhaps my girlfriend is supposed to buy a “guest pass” on the night to figure out if she wants to stand around and yell sarcastic remarks at a club she holds no affinity for.
But the damage is done by the perception that FFA is trying to limit and control exactly who stands in active supporter areas.
Let’s call a spade a spade here; the only reason FFA has even looked at implementing such measures is because Western Sydney Wanderers had problems with non-members letting off flares at Parramatta Stadium last season.
There were no such problems at defending champions Brisbane Roar last season, no such problems in Perth – in fact, there were no such problems at any of the other nine A-League clubs.
So why should supporters of every other club pay the price for the fact that what was then an FFA-controlled club struggled to control a small handful of casual fans?
What irks A-League supporters from across the spectrum is the persistent feeling that FFA hasn’t consulted with them before introducing these kinds of reactive measures.
“From our discussions with the various fan groups and other stakeholders around the competition, there is a common desire to see a reduction of the presence of police and security at football matches, in particular around active supporter areas,” A-League head Damien de Bohun said.
That’s absolutely true – but by forcing would-be fans to buy club-mandated memberships, the A-League also runs the risk of being played out in front of fewer fans.
Is an English backpacker in town for a few months really going to shell out for a membership just because a couple of his mates happen to stand in The Den?
What’s stopping the same bloke from buying tickets on the night and singing his heart out alongside his mates in a non-designated “Active Supporter Area?”
Why is the FFA so obsessed with active supporters anyway? Is it because, as many suspect, it’s largely run by executives in suits whose only experience of hardcore support has been garnered from an air-conditioned corporate box on the halfway line?
Perhaps I’m speaking too soon and the active supporter areas will actually prove a success.
But with few tangible details released and fans seemingly caught by surprise, the decision to restrict active areas to members only bears all the hallmarks of another FFA public relations disaster.