Thank you Rebecca Wilson. It’s obvious Rebecca Wilson knows very little about football.
Nonetheless she takes it upon herself to have a go at football every time we make any progress.
It goes back to the days when we qualified for Germany 2006, when a lot of people in other sports media empires were worried that football might actually take off in a big way in this country and cause them some loss of revenues.
The recent criticism of football fans as ‘Paris terrorists’ taking over the country was not only very uninformed and meant to do damage, but in many ways it was insulting criticism to the vast majority of genuine Australian football fans.
Taking criticism can be a difficult thing, especially from someone who is not an expert in the field and you know has a hidden agenda behind their comments.
And let’s be honest, most genuine sports followers in Australia don’t take Rebecca Wilson very seriously anyway.
At some point in this world so dependent on reviews and opinions and ‘likes’, you will encounter a customer or audience member – maybe even a so called sports journalist – who wants to tell you how bad you are. It can be hard to deal with; after all, nobody likes to be told they’re wrong.
But it’s not all bad news because you can use criticism to give you a competitive edge.
Criticism is a form of flattery.
If someone has a criticism of you it means they want to communicate with you and give you feedback on what you’re doing. It means that football is not an insignificant sport in this country at all and actually carries some importance. Otherwise why would the Sunday Telegraph give the A-League so much valuable tabloid space. This is a compliment to the A-League and how far it has come in just over a decade.
It’s also an opportunity to find out more about the person who is working against you and how to convert people like them into satisfied A-League customers or audience members.
Take a moment to think before you respond to what Wilson is saying – in business, working with someone who is patient and able to receive and act on criticism means both parties can work towards a better outcome.
For football, it has lead to fans and administrators getting to know more about exactly what the issues are and what the fans and the A-League audience actually want.
Feedback will help make the A-League stronger.
If you always think you’re right you won’t listen to feedback from anyone else. How do you know for sure that the A-League is any good? Whether you’re selling tickets or performing on the field, whether it’s the A-League product or customer service, listening and acting on those views will tell you precisely what’s good and what can be done better.
Let’s use that information to change our performance, administration, service or product. It may make for uncomfortable listening but it can make football and the A-League stronger as a result.
The more we improve the less people like Wilson will have to criticise and if they just keep criticising for criticism’s sake, then they continue to lose credibility.
Criticism forces you to think about how you think.
Constructive criticism can guide you away from bad practices and towards good ones. Try to be objective and look at what you’re providing as though the A-League competition is your own.
This can be particularly difficult when you’re deeply involved as a fan of one particular team but, if you can take a step back, look at the big picture, understand the way other people and the football haters think.
Be to your own self true and express yourself as a football fan, but at the same time be mindful of what other people may be thinking. We don’t live and act in isolation.
Listen to them, even if it hurts. See how to improve yourself, personally and as a football supporter. Act now to avoid more negative outcomes and criticism down the road.
The right kind of criticism will give you an advantage.
Think about it. If you can get an opponent to tell you and share with you what the issues are then being receptive, adaptable and flexible will lead you to a better A-League product.
Irrespective of what nonsense Wilson has written, it has given football fans the courage and unifying force to confront the FFA and say exactly what’s bothering them and what the FFA has to do to make things better.
That puts you at an advantage over your competition, who enjoy a cosy relationship with their comfortably over-fed media backers and will never be subject to the same scrutiny.
Let’s find ways to all work together with clubs, fans, backers and the FFA to resolve the differences and move on to a stronger A-League. Wilson has given us that opportunity. The FFA itself is now forced to change.
Use positive language to elicit a workable solution.
The language you use in response to criticism is vitally important. Try to avoid getting into an argument focusing on personal or superficial issues. The deeper significant issues will give us the greater rewards when resolved.
Instead, turn the exchange into a discussion about how to work together to resolve the problems of fan behaviours and about being given a fair and just hearing. That’s the least we expect in a modern, open and inclusive society.
Let’s not allow ourselves to get pulled down to the lowest levels of Wilson, Rupert Murdoch and Alan Jones.
Let’s have conversations along the lines of : “OK, so you’d like to see the A-League change – what would you say are the main things that ought to be different?”
“I can see why you say that. Let me explain to you why we did it this way.”
“I’ve thought about what you said and we agree that what we’re going to do is…”
Turn our thoughts into actions and constructive discussion to show that we have listened to feedback and positive suggestions and we will respond in the best possible way to get a better outcome for football and the A-League in the end.
It takes leadership from the FFA, the football clubs and the fan groups to get the job done properly.
Don’t take it personally.
Don’t take it personally if someone doesn’t like football or the A-League. There are people in the world, believe it or not, who don’t like sex.
Even if you feel we’re being criticised unfairly, don’t retaliate with any extreme knee-jerk reaction or else you can irreparably damage your relationships with your own club, fan-base, FFA or even your friends.
There are people out there who are the potential audience for the A-League and may be sitting alongside you one day in the stands.
Arguing among ourselves, the football family, is exactly what the detractors want and will ultimately harm our reputation and the reputation of football and the A-League.
There will be occasions when you feel the criticism is personal and now and then you’ll be right. People have agendas. We are fallible.
It’s important to remember to not be offended by someone’s remarks.
Like any great professional footballer, take criticism on board and make it work to your advantage.
Justin Thighm
Roar Guru
Yes but football is way ahead of other codes in terms of participation rates, international recognition and international television ratings.
Herbal Lint
Guest
'so is Rugby League & Cricket" And Union, swimming, athletics...heck even Aussie Rules' origins are steeped in decidedly 'non-indigenous' factors.
Perry Bridge
Guest
and what Jones said isn't the real concern of the FFA - and that whether the FFA did or didn't defend people who did or didn't need defending well enough or not really shouldn't impact on peoples attendance at matches.
Kasey
Roar Pro
there havent been any that I have seen . Its a strawman argument on here to discredit football fans posting attacking the way the FFA have handled this matter. Every single football fan I know is 100% supportive of banning people who act in a manner that discredits the game and is anti-social.
marron
Roar Guru
Perry my point was there seems to be a suggestion that Jones did not label anyone a terrorist with his assertion. Regardless of who it was aimed at - he labelled some people terrorists. It really shouldn't require any great analysis though. Which is why, as you would have repeatedly read over the last week or so, any "angst" is not about jones or wilson - football fans are used to that.
Perry Bridge
Guest
#WeAreTheReds why would that be naïve?? 198 over 10 years. Not a ridiculous number - and especially with the total number for flares let off - which I figure would be well over 198!! The R.Wilson article - just to refresh - was highlighting that of those 198 that 70 had occurred in the last 3 years from one brand new club (WSW). That is concerning (surely). Still - 198 not a massively ridiculous number. #marron If between stadium management, police and AFL/club - the security were deemed insufficient then you'd see things go to an extra level. The A-League has 3 clear things going against it. 1. the heritage from the NSL and part of the whole reason of de-ethniciscing the competition 2. the prevalence of flares (illegal/dangerous to body and to facility) 3. repeated occurrences of broad damage to seats resulting in entire sections/bays being out of action pending repairs. This goes beyond having too much to drink, being rowdy, - not that I condone that behaviour either. At any rate - a little scuffle in a cheersquad is most likely to be easily handled by existing levels of security/police. The problem for the A-League is perhaps similar to the EPL where there is actually a high level of police/security intervention and separation of fans etc. Having no incidents for a period of time - does that mean that the security is no longer needed? has the culture changed? or is it simply proof that the security level is right? I don't know what the 'statute of limitations' is on this. However - the HAL has a messier track record on this front. Cricket by contrast has been evicting fans for starting the Mexican Wave - because they had a messy track record on that front. (note - you don't get banned/arrested for starting a Mexican Wave).
Perry Bridge
Guest
#marron That's your interpretation. I'm pretty sure that it certainly was not Rebecca Wilson's position. Alan Jones' comment though - if you interpret it as you describe you still should only apply it to the troublemakers. Not all fans. The flipside is that the comments by Jones re Paris is that are you suggesting that he is asserting that all Islamic folk in France are terrorists? (and no - I wouldn't put it past him). I stand again by my assertion that this desire to be offended is effectively over ruling the normal application of rational thinking and common sense. If I fill in your equation Terrorists = ~198 banned louts (flares/assault/ground invasion). Terrorists total fans, most fans or normal fans. So - I'm curious here - what is YOUR value for the equation Terrorists = ??? The irony of course is that the Lowy regime hired David Gallop from the NRL where in 2011 he DID actually himself compare Melbourne Storm fans to Terrorists (because he got booed!!!). Which makes me feel even Adam Goodes handled getting booed better - while on the other side the Melbourne Storm fans took being compared to Terrorists by the big boss far better than the current A-League fans who are trying to make themselves bigger than the game. It's interesting to observe. There seem really to be some misdirected angst.
marron
Roar Guru
Two games in a row last season there was fighting in the cheersquad at bulldogs matches. I'd like to know if the AFL hired a security firm to find out who these guys were and if there were any other reasons why even if they didn't through punches they could be banned from Australian Rules Football at all levels.
RBBAnonymous
Guest
Well wouldn't you know it he hasn't actually been banned even though he is currently serving time in jail. And the reason for this, get this, its because the AFL still has to go through their appeals and review process which takes 30 days. So while he is in jail he technically isn't banned yet, because he still has rights according to the AFL, and rightly so. His ban will come, but unlike the FFA the AFL have a proper banning appeals process in place.
marron
Roar Guru
Where are the football fans sticking up for the people who have been correctly banned?
marron
Roar Guru
YOu know how allegory works Perry? Let's look at it carefully. In Paris you have leaders who failed to do anything about terrorists (supposedly). In football you have leaders who have failed to do anything about football fans (supposedly). Politicians = Football Officials Terrorists = ??? You fill it in.
Kasey
Roar Pro
It’s not the people who’ve been rightfully banned that we the fans are taking umbrage with. I like many others have no time for anti-social d*ckheads in sporting crowds, it’s the blokes who’ve been banned for jaywalking near the stadium, or for being in the wrong place at the wrong time and have been mis-identified as the troublemakers….and then banned. Where is their natural justice?? i.e. right of appeal. To suggest that all 198 identified ’thugs’ deserve their bans is naïve in extreme. For sure a lot of them probably do, but certainly not all of them.
Happy Hooker
Guest
Spot on Perry.
Happy Hooker
Guest
That stacks up good. Which,as the headline over your article says, should be good news for soccer. I'm not assuming all 198 are guilty. But I don't care whether they are or not. For the good of the sport overall, this is not a case where it is better that 99 guilty men go free, than an innocent man is condemned.
Happy Hooker
Guest
Finally, you've got it!
Happy Hooker
Guest
Yeah, you know why the "Drunk Freo fan" matter is done and dusted? Because it was dealt with, and no AFL fans are sticking up for him saying he shouldn't be banned.
Kasey
Guest
@Slim: Feelings have been hurt?? At least one fan has reportedly lost his job over this disgraceful hatchet job by News (very) limited. 198 out of the 10 million + fans that have attended A-League games is a statistic that ouight to be applauded....and would be if any other sport was lucky enough to have that sort of ratio:(
Kasey
Guest
Feelings have been hurt? At least one person has reportedly lost his job over this hatchet job by News (very) limited.
Kasey
Guest
I get what you're trying to say here: when you become a threat, you become a target. Its still frustrating to have the older lady at the ticketek booth ask my female friend if she really wants a ticket in the active area all by herself, cos....implication being that she'd be unsafe there:( The simple fact is A-League games are NOT unsafe to attend and many families already can and do enjoy the atmosphere at an A-League stadium. These public attacks on the game are the real terorism, meant to create fear and control the actions of others. I do not condone the vitriolic and suggestive of violence responses to Wilson and her "hey look at me" attention seeking clones like Susie O'Brien, but I can understand the feeling of persecution when this is the pulic narrative around our game not a month after the "Drunk Freo fan punches woman on camera" incident reached court and was briefly reported and then forgotten by the vast majority of sports news Opinion Piece writers.
Bondy
Guest
But there's one problem Cricket cant be our national sport people dont play it and generally dont really attend it and 6 X the amount of people play Football over Cricket Nationally , more people play major body contact Rugby League than Cricket and Rugby League is geographically restricted to the east coast . Whatever sport/s commercially popular here in Australia is not popular anywhere else in the World bar Cricket in India (so what) the only note able sport with major International significance is Rugby Union and that sport remains unfortunately largely ignored here in Australia. The sports that truly reflect who we are as Australians to the rest of the World remain largely ignored here and there is here in Australia this fanciful vague dream that the World is going to start playing Victorian Rules its delusional thought processing ... And stop changing your username you coward that's cowardice behaviour . .