Tom Elliot at the Herald Sun recently suggested the A-League has a “cultural problem” among its fans. In all honesty, what is a “cultural problem”?
Is it having a tiny proportion of idiots highjacking football games to get on TV? Is it having vocal and passionate support for clubs?
Or is it something else?
Perhaps it’s having an incredibly multicultural fanbase that includes people of marginalised ethnic minorities in Australia?
In many ways it seems the latter plays a big role in the portrayal of football’s cultural problem. As Simon Hill said on the Fox Football podcast last week, when a male Fremantle Dockers fan assaulted a woman at the preliminary final no one suggested that the AFL had a cultural problem, and it would be unfair to assume the AFL had such an issue. One offender does not represent the thousands. The same courtesy should be extended to A-League fans.
We don’t need flares or anti-social behaviour in football. Flares are illegal and they don’t add anything more to the spectacle of the game – they detract from it.
If we are really looking at what makes up the culture of football fans in Australia, should we not look at a wider scope of the actions of these fans?
Last Saturday, at the Sydney Derby, Wanderers fans held up signs reading “Let them stay” – an appeal to stop the inhumane detention of refugees and asylum seekers. In late November, fans boycotted games in solidarity with people who had not been granted the right of appeal following bans from stadiums.
This a game with a cultural problem?
One might describe the conduct of thousands of AFL fans booing former Australian of the Year, AFL legend and champion of Indigenous rights Adam Goodes as a cultural problem. Despite Collingwood CEO Eddie McGuire likening Goodes to King Kong, or pundits who blamed Goodes for speaking out when he had racist taunts thrown at him, it would be churlish to suggest the AFL had a cultural problem.
What of rugby league fans throwing plastic bottles at referees? Or occurrences of players acting inappropriately and violently towards people, especially women. But don’t worry there isn’t a culture of sexism in the NRL, it’s just a few bad eggs spoiling it for the rest of the league.
Cricket, the so-called gentlemen’s game, saw over 90 people ejected from the first day of the 2015 Boxing Day Test, almost as many ejections as the A-League has had all season.
There is a bias against football in the media. The game is being held to a much more stringent set of standards than the other mainstream sports in Australia.
The easy mistake to make here is that football fans intend to bring about a siege mentality, or espouse a ‘football versus Australia’ mentality. What football fans (like myself) want is a level playing field, and the chance to coexist with other sports. To not be put on trial and tarnished with one brush.
This may come as a surprise, but many football fans actually like other sports. Along with the Sydney Derby, I was at the NRL grand final last year, and cheered on my team in one of the greatest, most heartbreaking matches of NRL ever played. I went out to a pub to cheer on our Wallabies in the final of the Rugby World Cup. I was at the SCG and Spotless stadium for some of the explosive and entertaining Big Bash games, along with the first day of the sodden Sydney Test.
There isn’t a cultural problem among the fans who attend any of those sports. Sure there is a small minority (and it really is minute) who are there to get drunk, harass people, and do anything but watch that sport. But this behaviour exists in all sports, so why is the A-League the only one with a cultural problem?
Football’s culture promotes social justice, fosters a strong sense of solidarity across the league, and creates an incredible match-day atmosphere. That sounds like a pretty good culture to me.
Perry Bridge
Guest
#Myles Houlbrook-Walk In this situation "Cultural problem" is largely around uniquely identifiable characteristics. Let's explore. Cricket had big issues with the 'Bay 13' mentality (Bay 13 being a somewhat infamous section of the 'old' MCG that was frequented by those looking to drink away the afternoon and pretty well hurl abuse, chant "You're going home in the back of a divvy van", taunt the police, 'abuse' ("Hadlee's a @anker") the opposition star etc etc. But it got out of hand. We had ground invasions (resulting in a collar bone injury to Terry Alderman in Perth), we had the Mexican Wave era with heaps of rubbish finding it's way onto the ground. Anyway - over the years that 'cultural problem' has been focussed on, reported on, and countered via in some cases what seem over the top 'fun police' policies such as banning starting Mexican Waves, and confiscation of beach balls. It was a cultural issue that still requires management. In the AFL (old VFL or for that matter WAFL, SANFL etc) - there were too often issues with drunken patrons, abuse, fights etc. So - we got more dry areas, designated seating, mid strength beer in plastic cups etc. Patrons are encouraged to dob in the idiots. The idiot Freo fan is a reminder of just why the 'culture' has been shifted. It was a cultural issue that still requires management. Soccer has the active supporter groups, seemingly supportive of (at least defensive of) flares, also offensive chants etc - and this is a culture largely unique to soccer and proudly proclaimed as such - so, if ever there's a 'cultural problem' then that is it. Don't for a minute think that 'cultural problem' relates to every patron nor even necessarily the majority. In all cases - there is ongoing 'management'. Neither for cricket or footy or soccer could security/regulations be removed and no issues be reasonably expected.
Anthony Ferguson
Guest
They don't even have hookers in Kings Cross any more. I did a walking tour during last year's Asian Cup, and the guide could only point out one girl, and she was homely.
Jeff Williamson
Roar Pro
Football in Australia has a good culture. Spend a bit of time at your local grassroots club and see how much this game has.
Tom
Guest
The AFC can make things verrrry uncomfortable for Australian companies doing business in Asia. Australia's economy and probably YOUR very own job Bryan, is reliant upon the goodwill of important organisations such as the AFC who could turn Asia against Australia with little effort. I'm guessing YOUR choice of sport is of the oval ball variety and if so, those games have ZERO influence anywhere within the region that your livelihood ULTIMATELY depends on! BTW, thank you!! The "ant" analagy you speak of is a perfect description of the combined international influence of both the AFL or NRL!
MelbCro
Guest
Promotes social justice? lol. Please explain how that is the case when the governing body of football in this country has a policy called the NCIP. Please oh please explain that one to me Myles
The Auteur
Guest
Mother Teresa is actually quite the hypocrite. But I take your point.
clipper
Guest
But Sam only mentions this thread. There have been no AFL fans running down Football, although a few running down AFL, which is their prerogative..
Tom
Guest
Cricket is the classic example of a third world game. How can cricket even be seriously considered as a 'sport?' Unathletic players mostly 'standing' or 'walking' around a field wearing ridiculous looking long sleeved and legged pyjama like uniforms, tramping off and on for lunch and tea time breaks over five days doesn't fit the bill as a ' true' athletic pursuit in most of the World's eyes. Cricket is seen as an sporting 'fraud'.
Midfielder
Guest
Sam cough cough cough posters from other codes do not come on the Roar Football tab .... yes the world is flat and the moon made of Swiss cheese...
Ian
Guest
Thanks Bondy Jack - 'I just think it’s funny soccer people don’t see that when they’re complaining about how narrow minded everyone else is' i think your statement is narrow minded which is the basis for all the statements you make.
Greg trilby
Guest
Have to agree. Rugby league is almost dead in England. Migration from footballing contries to once strong rl areas certainly hasn't helped
Sam
Guest
I have not red 1 post here that supports what you just wrote - stop imagining what you want to see Punter.
Waz
Guest
A well written piece although there is little that can be done about the past - rather we can only influence today and the future - and on the assumption certain media elements (such as the gin queen) will always hold a negative opinion and the bulk of the media naturally follow a negative news story no matter what, football has to work to change the narrative over the medium not short term. It's highly unlikely anyone who "hates soccer" woke up this morning with a changed mindset right? So rather than try and change the negative elements around the game we should try and change the positive elements - the best written articles critical of the flares for example have come from within the game eg Simon Hill, and we need more like it and it needs to reach more places eg why wasn't Simon Hill on 'The Project' when they ran their negative story - in the corporate world it's a PR plan and we need something (free of corporate and politician style spinning) that promotes the positive elements of our game, gives enough oxygen to the negative stuff allowing it to be discussed and debated openly, and creates other content for all those hacks that don't hold an agenda but just need to fill column inches. At the moment it seems like the sport is constantly looking over its shoulder worrying what our critics have said when the reality is the code from top to bottom is doing pretty well -- and more importantly is dealing with its issues better than any other code in Australia as far as I can tell!
Punter
Guest
I tell you why AFL fans are not liked, they come onto other sporting tabs & adds nothing to the conversation apart from slagging another sport. It's boring & tedious.
fiddlesticks
Guest
football is an extremely cultured sport where with other sports in Australia they dont have any culture at all a bit like food really, football has a thousand varieties where with the predominantly white supported sports they only have meat & potato seriously bondy, attitudes like this and you wonder why people dont like football supporters. com down off that white horse
peeeko
Guest
best answer is to stop buying these publications
duecer
Guest
Interesting post, Towser. The mix of migrants, as you allude to, is now is vastly different from the late sixties, which were mostly from strong Football nations, therefore what you consider a balanced mix is more a growing acceptance and participation from all facets of Australia. The latest round of migrants from India, South Africa, China or the Pacific Islands are not strong Football nations, SA and the PI's would be more into Rugby - in the case of the PI's, they have helped strengthen RL in QLD and NSW where they normally migrate to, and as a by product may have steered more kids into Football from parents who don't want their brethren to partake in what is perceived an increased physicality. In England it has been the exact opposite as migration has come from strong Football nations and has strengthened Football there, speeding the decline of RL in the areas it was once strong in.
bryan
Guest
Tom,I don't know bwhat kind of fantasy land you live in,but the AFC has about as much chance of achieving anything by "reading the riot act to the Australian Government" as you have of being first man on Mars! . One is a Sporting organisation,the other is a National Government---the AFC would be the "mouse,nay,the ant,that roared"!
Bondy
Guest
Ian Very good post ...
bryan
Guest
Bondy, remarks like that are why many people see Football as an "alien" sport. How is "The World Game" cultured? Do the English version of Bogans,("Anglos",all) miss some games so they can attend the Opera?,The Ballet?,or maybe attend a London Symphony Orchestra Concert? Perhaps their equivalents in France decide to forgo the Football & wander through the Louvre now & then? Maybe it's the players that carry out such cultural pursuits? Funny,I thought they spent most of their time training & playing Football! In the old days in the Shed at NIB,on the rare occasion we scored a Goal,people chucked beer everywhere. Fun?--Hell,Yes!,but cultured,No!