Authorities must change fan-management approach in western Sydney

The last round of the regular A-League season at Parramatta stadium was to bring not much excitement for spectators.

The Anzac Day contenders were the Western Sydney Wanderers and the Perth Glory, both clubs playing for nothing but their sports dignity.

The home team and current Champions of Asia, after having a dreadful national season in which they only just avoided the shameful ‘wooden spoon’, was fielding a side full of younger players. On the other hand, the visitors from Perth, despite their success and victories in the competition, were already disqualified from playing the tournament finals as per breaks of the A-League salary cap rules.

The fans and journalists that attended that Saturday match were surprised not only by a major hailstorm that made the grounds look like an ice ring and delayed the game for an hour. Instead, everyone who was at the match was mainly astonished by the view of the violent scenes of the clash between active fans and police that happened on the north terrace of the stadium.

The Red and Black Block (RBB), the active support group of the Western Sydney Wanderers.

The clashes started during the first half of the game, when policemen entered the middle of the group, trying to catch a fan who had been identified by CCTV cameras as lighting a flare.

After facing resistance of some fans who disliked the aggressive treatment towards them demonstrated by officers, the police used capsicum spray in an aimless manner in the whole sector, where children were also present.

Fans were injured and a 14-year-old boy had to be hospitalised in consequence of the pepper spraying. The leadership of the RBB responded by leading their group out of the stadium, where the police-fans clashes continued, and more fans were pepper sprayed while chanting and jumping around the police.

There were also reports of fans being pushed and beaten by police officers, as well as of police officers suffering minor injuries as a consequence of fans throwing coins at them.

After researching football support in the area for the past two years and after collecting data about incidents between fans, stadium security and police in the recent past, I have observed an improvement in their relationships during the 2014-15 A-League season.

Fans in the supporters area continue to have their bags and bodies searched by security – a process that either does not occur or is much more lighter around other areas of the stadium.

Police and dogs are still in the active support gates, but the level of aggressiveness towards fans and RBB members had consistently decreased.

In the Wanderers’ first two A-League seasons, fans complaining about aggressive treatment towards them from security and police was a norm and some people abandoned the group because of it.

Since then, the complaints and harassment had constantly decreased, and the active support area was as calm as it could be – families and children were welcome and treated well by everyone, with no visible violence occurring during matches.

In what could be described as a new approach by the club’s new owners towards their famous active support group, and a continuously and successful dialogue between RBB leadership and authorities, the ugly clashes between them appeared to be in the past.

A smart policing approach towards active fandomship is needed in order to secure the future success of the A-League.

However, the confrontation between Wanderers fans and police had also caught the media attention, which had a field day exploring a biased side of the conflict.

As in past and similar occasions and even without having listened all sides involved in the episode, mainstream media sparked a reaction against so-called ‘hooligans’ in the game.

Insisting with the contentious claim that a single flare within the RBB was the cause of the violence, and using manipulative tactics, major TV channels and other media vehicles quickly connected this single episode to very different events that occurred in recent European football matches.

With a not-so-hidden agenda, some mainstream media channels clearly wanted to provoke a reaction against football fans or even against the code itself.

Social research has indicated that crowd violence is not dependent upon fan behaviour, but usually escalates when all fans are stereotyped as ‘potential dangerous hooligans’ and treated unfairly by the authorities.

So, why do these labels and prejudice persist in today’s society? When will be the time that mainstream media will stop focusing on one single negative event and change their gaze to the bigger picture behind the work of active fans?

Is it credible that there are people who do not want to have safe sports environments where they can bring their families and friends and enjoy the action?

More social and civic responsibility is in need in order to understand what is happening within Western Sydney football fans.

People have been attending Wanderers matches not only to see the players, but also to enjoy the incredible cheering and chanting promoted by the RBB on the stands.

Past and current research shows that active football support groups such as the RBB promote social cohesion among communities.

As a catalyst of this process of social regeneration, the RBB members and leaders have worked hard to bring the elements of what they call ‘football culture’ together, to transform their football team and their games.

They receive greetings and respect from other clubs’ fans and from everyone who enjoy the atmosphere they create. Restaurants and local commerce are also very happy with the crowds that turn to watch the RBB show – even though the Wanderers are performing badly on the field.

Of course this is a group made up by young people. They are not perfect and nobody is condoning violent or illegal behaviour from football fans.

However, previous research and current data on football fandom in the area shows that stereotyping them, banning or repressing them will make no good.

Violence will only generate more violence, and even those who in the first instance would never support juvenile behaviour from fans, will eventually join or support the group.

Socially, it’s much wiser to have young teenagers joining a group that sing, cheer and spend their energy with a meaningful purpose, than having them walking on the streets with nowhere to go and nobody to talk to.

Listening to their demands, opening room for their ideas, explaining the limits of their actions, giving them responsibilities and involve them in the decision-making processes are all relevant actions that cannot wait anymore if we want a peaceful community where no children are exposed to violence for attending a sport spectacle.

Dialogue, and no repression, is the key-element of a social-cohesive community.