I have been hesitant to again add to the growing deluge of opinions regarding the fan issue, but would like to give a fan’s perspective in reply to the several excellent outsider views posted by Roar expert John Duerden recently.
On the surface, it is hard to argue with any of the points Duerden makes. Yes, we should rise above the slander from various media outlets, and yes, in contrast to many other leagues in our region we are fortunate to have the administration that we do.
Judging by his responses to date, I’m fairly certain that these are similar to the opinions held by FFA chief executive David Gallop.
But to look at the individual components in this way misses the big picture.
As a long-suffering football fan of the sport locally, you can not look at the current crisis without understanding the history and context behind it.
During the 1980s and ’90s, a nationwide perception developed, for many reasons, that football in Australia was plagued by crowd violence. Forget that the violence was confined to a couple of ethnic-based clubs in Sydney and Melbourne at a handful of games, the entire code was tarred with the same brush.
This perception was fuelled by anti-football components in the media. Why there is such a hatred by some media towards our sport, I have never understood, but there can be no doubt it exists.
That perception continues to persist today.
Since the inception of the A-League, the sport has gone a long way towards overcoming this hurdle, but the issue has once again raised its ugly head thanks to the actions of a few handfuls of supporters and the lingering anti-football media.
I am not talking about one article by one journalist. The article that sparked the current furore is just one in a long line of misinformed drivel that has been regularly trotted out.
What infuriates me as a football fan is the pathetic response of the FFA. They seem to have failed to understand that this is not an attack on the banning process, but is an attack on the entire sport.
Football fans do not care that there is a list of banned spectators. We applaud the FFA for taking a strong stance on the issue, though that doesn’t mean we approve of their methods.
Their knee-jerk defence of the banning process is appalling. They have repeatedly stated for years that there is no appeal process. Quite frankly their suggestion that long-standing society rules such as ‘innocent until proven guilty’ and the ‘right to face your accuser’, do not apply to the FFA because they “are not a government body” is abhorrent and not an image I want my sport associated with.
That is what a couple of journalists who portray themselves as the champions of Australian values should have been attacking, not the list itself.
But more than just that, the repeated failure of the FFA to stand up and support the average fan over any number of similar media articles for 10 years has been thrown into sharp contrast thanks to their inept response to this recurring issue.
To date, the FFA has only reinforced the public perception that every game in the country is subject to crowd violence.
I am a Brisbane Roar fan. Apart from the very occasional flare, there has been no trouble at any Roar home game ever that I am aware of, other than what you would find at any event where passions and alcohol run free. I am sure the same can be said for the Mariners, Adelaide, Perth, Newcastle and Wellington as well. Yet the FFA has never mentioned that.
And even at the clubs that have had trouble, the vast majority of fans cause no problems and most games run without incident.
It is the repeated failure of the FFA to defend us, literally over 99 per cent of fans who never caused trouble, that has united us all, not some perceived miscarriage of justice.
What we really want is for the FFA to prove that they believe “We Are Football” is more than just a cheap marketing slogan.
Paul
Guest
you did mentioned the overzealouspolicing of A-league fans. the attitude of the NSW police force to football fans is heavy handed. I've been to 3 games this season with my family and the police have stared us down as if we're second-class citizens. with Scott Weber called all of us grubs, which borders on being racist. it's about time that the numbers of banned fans from other codes and those thrown out of grounds, the names should not be published! my family won't be beycotting this weekend!
RBBAnonymous
Guest
The only way to grow this game is to understand your fans, treat them with respect, stop being so arrogant and condescending. The players and the fans are the most important "stakeholders" in the game. If they prefer their fans being rubbished, called grubs, suburban terrorists by people who have no interest in the A-league then we will truly get no where. Eventually when this game gets bigger those on the periphery who continue to put down the sport will look only more ridiculous and foolish. If they want to be part of our game they can be but if they choose not to then they will only become more isolated.
dinoweb
Roar Guru
I think the football so far this round, and the lack of atmosphere at every match, proves that the vast majority of supporters are far more important to how the game is perceived, than a tiny minority of "troublemakers". The disrespect the FFA have shown to fans in general has caused far greater problems than ridiculous media reports that started the issue in the first place. Hopefully, the FFA will finally step up and start giving fans the support and respect we deserve, rather than treating us as some sort of necessary inconvenience.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
I've got no beef with the A-League - most games you'll see me on the live threads watching and commenting. That's how a true fan of the game should behave.
RBBAnonymous
Guest
So let me guess. You will continue to protest the A-league. 11th year and counting.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
It looks like we both agree that these protests are a waste of time.
Jeff Williamson
Roar Pro
Should be a good round of football this weekend. I hope everyone puts the past couple of weeks behind them and gets to enjoy some football.
Philip Coates
Roar Guru
Mister Football, I know you are an AFL person who really hardly deserves a reply for your comments but I'll patiently do so anyway. Re your first point, the FFA did not defend the 99% of fans at all and that is the issue. They only defended their abhorrent, third-world banning process. Re your second point, the MV supporter who would be delighted at the NT disappearing is not particular 'astute' at all. He is just proof that there are extremist in every group of people which include the NT and obviously the non NT supporters. I love the colour and atmosphere created by the Nth End and the South End and the RBB and The Cove. I don't support the flares or the occasional violent nature of some people - but bear in mind that an AFL spectator was given a jail sentence just 2 days ago for hitting a woman spectator at a West Coats game. And are all AFL spectators thugs and terrorists? Of course not. And no journalist would write a front page article accusing banned AFL supporters of being 'suburban terrorists'. I have taken rugby supporters to MV games and they are in awe of the chanting of the Nth End and Sth End and the chant off which sometimes includes East End / West End. The reality is that most MV supporters don't understand the issues faced, in particular, by the active supporters because they are not confronted with them as they sit in the grandstands. And MOST MV supporters do support the NT for taking a stand on the issue of lack of leadership of the FFA. The NT are not all kids with nothing better to do on a game night. But perhaps what I think and what the 'astute MV supporter' thinks is irrelevant. So I'll leave you with this comment - where do the players run to when they score a goal? Yes, the Nth End or Sth End. Where do the players go after every match to talk to and salute the crowd? The Nth End. An extreme MV supporter (and maybe even a few of his mates) might rejoice at the loss of the NT but I would not, the supporters as a whole would not, the club management would not, and most importantly, the players definitely would not. At this moment I think the active groups have made their point and should come back and give the FFA till Feb to address the issues which the FFA have said they would in a rather apologetic manner. After Feb, we can all reassess the situation. Now, go back to the AFL pages and check the latest news on drug scandals, the draft, or whatever else might be happening there.
NUFCMVFC
Roar Guru
Nice article
nordster
Guest
The smell the fear factor still coming out of some football quarters, re the 80s and 90s and the fear the game has of its own shadow. Get over it and take some cues from league's like the EPL, bundesliga that have an ultra competitive atmosphere driven not only from the top but from the lower tiers and mid section. A fixation on all this culture war stuff from ffa misses the trick of multi tier football ....the league is so riveting that all this other stuff pales in comparison.
Mister Football
Roar Guru
The author writes: "It is the repeated failure of the FFA to defend us, literally over 99 per cent of fans who never caused trouble, that has united us all, not some perceived miscarriage of justice. " 1. Arguably, the FFA is defending the 99% of fans by not showing publicly too much support for the 198. 2. I don't think all fans are united on this issue, as one astute MV supporter said the other day - he would rejoice at the prospect of the NT disappearing from MV games forever. It would appear some are supportive of the NT boycotting, but not for the reason you might think.
Neil
Guest
It is now the time for a League fans to back off and wait and see what the FFA comes up with after announcing their review.