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Hostile or volatile? The Sydney derby needs to pull its head in

Roar Guru
5th March, 2015
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Football is hurting its image by having violence and aggression in the stands. (AAP Image/Steve Christo)
Roar Guru
5th March, 2015
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1238 Reads

There is no denying that the Sydney derby has made its mark on the sporting calendar in Sydney. The mix of passion and emotion from both sides has made it an incredible fixture that most football fans in Sydney would never have thought possible a few years ago.

Both the Red and Black Bloc and the Cove deserve great credit for the atmosphere they create for all fans to enjoy.

However in recent years the fanfare has turned from hostile to volatile. What I mean by this is that the ‘banter’ between fans has changed from, putting it colloquially, friendly ‘digs’ at each side of the spectrum, to downright hatred of each other.

Is this good for the derby? Is this good for the league? Is this good for the sport in the country?

No, it most certainly is not.

The friendly remarks at each other’s fortunes and misfortunes is part of the experience us supporters love. You dish it out when you’re winning and you cop it when you’re losing.

In recent years this ‘friendly’ banter has changed to downright hatred of each side. You can see it on all types of social media and on all message boards.

It’s ugly, and in my opinion, not needed. It does not add to passion or emotion. It’s just like seeing a bunch of school children in the play ground arguing.

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I am a Western Sydney member. I have friends who are both Western Sydney fans and Sydney FC fans. I have been to all but one derby since the start and the change in the attitude between the fans has been as quick as it has been drastic – and not for the better.

There is nothing wrong with celebrating when your team wins just as there is nothing wrong with being disappointed when your team loses. At the end of the match we should all be able to congratulate the other and move on. However, there seem to be some supporters who find this hard to do.

I would remind my Sydney FC friends of Western Sydney’s dominance of ‘The Smurfs’ when we would win, and have been copping it this season after our turn in fortune.

I expect as much and in some ways deserve it – this is all part and parcel of the supporters experience. There are highs and there are lows.

However, I also understand that it is just a sport – I have no control over the outcome of the game. I will be disappointed if we lose, but I will move on and continue to support my team.

The recent increase in violent conduct is not good for the game. I have read on message boards about how the newspapers with their financial interest in other sports only report about the bad incidences in football.

What do you expect when you give them ammunition? Of course they will highlight the bad incidents.

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The slap on Adam Calver is disgraceful and should never have occurred. The offender deserves to be banned for a very, very long time.

The reports of three Sydney fans being attacked after the derby was sad to hear and is just another indication of the change of attitude with the supporters.

The shocking news of the Melbourne Victory fan being stabbed a few years ago was terrible to hear and dragged the sports name through the mud.

Seeing the Melbourne Heart fan punch a Western Sydney fan in the stands was as much shocking as it was disgraceful. There is no need for violence.

I know that there are a couple of bad apples that spoil the bunch for both teams and this should be taken into consideration. However the good apples need to stop making excuses and start kicking the bad apples out of the orchard.

I also understand that violence happens in all sports, but football is the game I love. It is the game that I am sure a lot of you reading this love as well.

I would much rather be happy knowing that there are not violent incidences in football so that we can continue to move forward without having anyone or anything trying to break our stride because they have no reason to.

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The game is growing – there is more focus on football in both Sydney and Australia. I for one am proud of the achievements that football has made in recent history, these are achievements that some of us never dreamed would occur.

Let’s not take a step back with a neanderthal mentality and celebrate the growing importance of football in Sydney’s sporting landscape together.

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