I’ve been your target. Emotional frustration or strategic distraction, manifesting in insults, sarcastic compliments, projectiles flung my way. I’ve copped your coins, your golf balls, your over-priced beer and water, but one grenade was particularly memorable.
The moment before it infiltrated my peripheral vision the senses became heightened. I felt the air of anticipation from the pulsating mass behind. A lull descending before impact. This one was close. It sailed passed my right ear, inches away. A tracer that arced at a hyper parabolic rate. A trajectory necessary to rise above the net that’s erected either to protect the crowd from errant attempts at goal, or shield opposition players from the rabid throng. Hindmarsh is where it happened and a full soft drink bottle is what it was. Made of plastic, yet a serious concussion waiting to happen.
It probably seems counterintuitive to the majority but I would give up most things to be right back in the fire. A big part of me welcomed and accepted being target practice. Objects were noticed but most jibes didn’t register, although the odd original insult brought a smile and was appreciated for its thoughtfulness. Consigning an opposition home crowd to a loss and an ensuing week of football discontent always allayed any words or objects directed my way.
However, I’ll be upfront. Hardcore active supporters, I don’t understand you. The closest I’ve been to energetically supporting something is nodding my head and periodically flipping the ‘devil horns’ at a heavy metal gig. I surmise that for some it’s about the comfort of group interaction, for some an overwhelming need to action your support in an overt manner, and for others chanting, booing, and hurling abuse, and sometimes missiles, is a cathartic release from your everyday life.
Despite my lack of comprehension, the truth is I admire you, or, more accurately, what you embody. When in great numbers and full voice it means our league, our sport, is in a healthy position. You represent the lifeblood of the circulatory system of Australian football. A strong pulse indicates a robust system.
Moreover, you are our point of difference in a saturated sporting landscape. We do not reach for the sporting cosmos without your engaged, committed support. It’s like live music without crowd interaction. One does not really exist without the other.
Unfortunately, you haven’t been thanked enough. You haven’t been adequately valued, requisitely nurtured, made to feel consistently important. Instead, you’ve been publicly derided and demonised. Over-policed to the point of feeling unwelcome. At times treated like second-class citizens instead of priceless stakeholders of our sport.
Regardless of not having an understanding of how you’re wired, I have a serious chip on my shoulder about the manner in which the vast majority of active fans are being portrayed and treated. I know some of you are not there in the best interests of your fellow supporter, your team, your club or the sport. As far as I’m concerned, those that are there simply to cause havoc and mischief can hit the road and don’t come back.
(AAP Image/Brendan Esposito)
However, to suggest these aberrant behaviours are solely the domain of football is agenda-driven, headline-grabbing, sensationalist nonsense perpetrated by those acting out of self-interest. Show me a walk of life that doesn’t have a misbehaving human element.
Intuition senses a racial undertone, underpinning a hefty portion of the attitudes of outside disruptors. A lack of understanding and fear of the unknown also plays its part. Instead of attempting to gain knowledge, it seems easier and more comfortable for the ignorant to apply the tactic of suppression. Experience of society in general and life here in Australia suggests these factors cannot be ignored.
At times, the militant nature of patrolling A-League game day attendees can now seem more in line with a North/South Korea border crossing. Occupying the majority of A-League matches I’ve attended over the last couple of seasons is a heavy police presence and an overly officious security staff. Circumstances affect behaviour and these antagonistic conditions can lead to tension levels rising and unnecessary altercations.
I was fortunate to attend the last match of the 2013-14 English Premier League season in Manchester where City clinched the title in the last round with a 2-0 victory over West Ham. Cue bedlam at the final whistle. What looked like thousands of City supporters invaded the pitch. Whether pre-meditated or swept up in a state of euphoria, there was no holding back the throng.
But as I thought to myself, “how do you get them off the pitch while there’s still daylight?”, the police and security staff in attendance handled the situation effortlessly. They allowed the supporters a moment to enjoy their team’s success, a memory they’ll always cherish, while taking up position on the pitch to gradually usher them off. There was no physicality or overly domineering attitude from officials and after about five minutes of frolicking, the supporters started to return to the stands. After about ten minutes, the pitch was cleared with no altercations and the official ceremony took place with barely a delay.
Either the police and security staff had identified and prepared for this possibility and what action they would take pre-match or were taken off guard by the spontaneous nature of the supporters’ actions. But if they were unexpectedly taken aback, they reacted with the utmost calm and, dare I say it, feel for the sport and its active supporters.
At the heart of agenda driven headlines and stories targeting football supporters are politicking, positioning and fear mongering, and it is usually propelled by stakeholders from other sports. But to place the blame in other sectors is to waste our energy. We need to look inwards for improvement.
It is said that the ‘price of excellence is constant vigilance’, and in this regard, the sentinels of our sport have failed. The Double FA seems to be lacking in a clear vision. Whether distracted, underequipped, focussing their energies in poor areas, or attending to their own agendas, the struggle within Australian football continues to escalate.
The communications from a governing body are as poor as could be imagined. Confusingly and embarrassingly out of touch. When they do surface for air, the reactive posturing, soaked in denial, lacks understanding and genuinely frustrates those of us that are yearning for visionary leadership.
(AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)
In the meantime, false prophets have filled the void but they aren’t the brave, selfless captains needed to weather the storms. We need bold, proactive leadership forging a vision of a high quality, sustainable professional A-League/W-League that engages and nurtures all Australian football supporters. Importantly, that stops treating A-League/W-League members and supporters as customers, and instead as valued assets. Shape the game day experience to ensure all supporters can enjoy themselves and simply concentrate on actively supporting their team.
Once a quality on-field football product complemented by a unique, vibrant atmosphere becomes the norm, we can firstly consolidate then expand into new markets, increase sponsorship and ultimately attract fresh active supporters.
Broadcasters also have a large role to play in improving the experience of A-League supporters through match scheduling. While their investment is undoubtedly welcome, and needed, the timing of A-League matches this season suggests the focus of the main broadcaster is more eyes on televisions. While on one hand this is understandable, in my opinion it’s short-sighted.
Complementing the expected footage of goals scored and players holding trophies aloft, broadcasters are using the images of A-League active supporters to advertise the league with the intent to attract the fringe football supporter. But a high quality and visually compelling production is now being compromised without the continual chanting and roars of football supporters in near full stands that we’ve seen in previous seasons.
Knowing the value of your core supporters, and not just their price, is a failing of leadership and commercial departments that are driven by metrics. Contriving a football landscape with the endeavour to attract new supporters before requisitely nurturing the hardcore supporters, therefore continually endangering their loyalty, is undermining the organic development of our sport.
The time for rhetoric and excuses has to come to an end. We need football champions and football visionaries and we need you now. For the leaders of our football future make us believe that you have a clear vision with our game’s best interests at heart. Reflect on the past, understand what’s happening today, and strike a compelling course for the future. It doesn’t matter which way we’re facing, so long as we’re rolling forward.
(AAP image)
As football lovers in this country, we are hopelessly hopeful. We have to be, because this is a war of attrition that has gone on for decades, and will continue for the foreseeable future. Instead of telling you, the diehard supporters, what to do, we should be listening. It is time for communion with the loyal, active Australian football fans.
To the National Soccer League supporters that have been disengaged and alienated from the reform of Australian football, thank you. It saddens and annoys me that you were treated in the manner you were. The mishandling of hearty Australian football supporters, while soccer operated largely under the radar, is a blight on our sport. It has left deep wounds, which we can only hope will be healed in time.
To the A-League supporters, you have been through so much and you still have testing times ahead. Organise with each other, engage with your club and support your team. You can be the difference to team success. Either a wave of emotional support when the side has momentum or is in need of a lift, or the pressure magnifier when opposition individuals err. I’ve felt both extremes and every shade in between.
With endurance in mind, maybe mad lyricist Dexter Holland nails the sentiment of an Australian football diehard best when he sings, “the more you suffer, the more it shows you really care”.
It might get worse before it gets better. If it does you will need to display the endurance you’ve shown to this point. This characteristic gives football its best chance. It’s difficult but we’ve come this far. For me, there’s no turning back, and this is the area that I believe I share something in common with you.
I hope the day arrives soon that visionaries lead us back onto the path of football enlightenment, recognising, appreciating and appropriating the value of each stakeholder, and in particular the active supporter.
To the Adelaide United supporter who threw that bottle, thank you. I’ve never felt more alive than in moments like these.
Once again I thank you Australian football supporters. You have given me some of the best moments of my life.
Thank you.
Ferry McFerryFace
Guest
In response to Bryan - it hardly matters now that football didn't take off as our No.1 code in the late 19th/early 20th Century; there are valid reasons for that, which you'll find in almost any book on the history of the world game in Australia. But make no mistake: football was the superior code then as now.
bryan
Guest
You can have active support without flares & violent behaviour. The old "Shed" was in the main, lacking such things, yet we had a ball! OK, we sang & chanted, abused the Referee & the other team's Goalie, but it was all in fun, & taken as such. The Glory was terrible at the time, & one of our songs was " Let's pretend we scored a Goal"! After a while, a younger,demographic crept in with a "Why should we do what those old farts are doing?" attitude, & would set up their own chants out of step with ours, & flares started to appear. Thanks for stuffing up a fun thing guys! As far as "Southern States",are concerned, I ask what Southern States? WA extends nearly as far North as " far North Queensland". South Australia extends further North than NSW! So I guess that just leaves Victoria & Tassie! This probably plays well in NRL forums, but is tosh as far as Football is concerned. All those States have had a substantial Football ( world game ) presence since the early part of the 20th Century. If Football is such a superior game why didn't it take off back then? Instead, the children of migrants took up Aussie Rules instead. The "party line" says they were intimidated----have you seen some of these blokes? What would intimidate them would stop a herd of charging elephants!
The Doc
Roar Guru
Brilliant read Clint. I have been a MV supporter from the beginning and stood with the north end, south end and in the seats. It is a tough balance - the active support from the north end was a huge advertising ticket for fans and the league but unfortunately garnered bad press for the club and league due to the actions of a small minority mainly via the lighting of flares. MV worked hard to get them good rights e.g. no reserved seats for active support but some just had to light flares and ruin it for everyone. I was never part of these negotiations and cant comment for how fair they were Its a catch 22, the vast majority of patrons out of 25000 members are families and if they feel scared to bring kids, the club stands to lose much more. There is also the sanctions from the FFA about supporter behaviour - both monetary and points. There is sponsorship money at stake as well with poor fan behaviour potentially costing sponsors. mv had to clamp down. As for banners - it is draconian but better to get them taken away outside IMO. Once they get raised inside and if offensive then getting them down is a big problem for security staff and leads to conflict in the stands that can escalate. Given I dont trust the supporters to keep banner clean - i think the current methods of checking outside are for the best. MV tried hard but you cannot stop silly individuals ruining it for everyone
That A-League Fan
Roar Guru
nemesis You're right but it should be higher.
Nemesis
Guest
As usual AR exposes his ignorance about the Constitution of the Football Federation of Australia. And, as usual, he uses ALT Facts to validate is ignorance. You can have your own opinions. You cannot have your own facts. Educate yourself, or you'll continue to be treated as a dunce. 2 additional points 1) I have never ever said Steven Lowy was the best person for the job. I might have said he has top quality business credentials, but I never said he was the best person for the job. I've never spoken to Steven Lowy. I've no deep knowledge of his football background. So, I can just go on what I do know. Steven Lowy is a highly regarded businessman. 2) Even if I did say Steven Lowy was the best person for the Chairman of FFA, when AR grows up, he might understand that "the best person chosen for any job" can still disappoint. I thought Barak Obama would be a fantastic POTUS; he disappointed. I thought Malcolm Turnbull would be a a terrific small "l" liberal leader for the Conservative Party; he disappointed. I thought Bill Shorten would be a charismatic, powerful leader for the ALP; he's disappointed me. The world is filled with people who were picked as "best for the job", but, after they're in the job, the same people who hired them decide to fire them. Grow up AR & stop being a pest.
AR
Guest
This is interesting. A couple of years ago, when Stephen Lowy became Chairman of FFA, Fussball (or “Nemesis” as he now calls himself) not only staunchly defended Stephen as the best person for the job (fair enough), but attacked anyone who dared question the free and open democratic system that saw father hand the keys to the castle to his son. Now he says, “blame the state feds”. Righto then. To suggest that Lowy(s) and Gallop don’t own this mess is laughable.
Kris
Guest
Our leaders might not understand the supporters but they do understand ... 1. Corporate sponsorship and how skittish corporations can be if their brand is connected to something controversial. 2. That TV revenue is the biggest source of cash and that they need to suck up to TV. 3. That they are in a competition for the best junior athletes and need to create a family friendly product to appeal to parents of prospective juniors. 4, That they own none or few of their stadiums and are beholden to government for funds and stadiums. Governments run scared of violence. 5. Austalian media in all its tabloid, ACA, talk-back glory ready to poince on any bad news story.
Grobbelaar
Roar Guru
Yesterday's ratings: Saturday STV #ALeague #FoxSports #WELvADL 33k #ALeague #FoxSports#CCMvBRI 41k Attendance: CCM v Roar - 5,264 As we say in Vloandern: Zonder supporters geen voetbal.
Cousin Claudio
Roar Guru
Thanks Clint, so you agree that the appointment of Bert van Marwijk is a "backward step" for Australian football? What do you think about Graham Arnold taking over after the WC?
Kangajets
Guest
How do A league tweets Facebook posts and social media stack up against the cartoons you say outrate the A league ??? Fair question I believe . This is important in the metrics for the A league, and where do you source your data ? Cheers
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
Kanga 'Sometimes' is the keyword in what you just said there. Marron I'm not suggesting the active supporter group be removed from the equation. I'm simply saying the hardcore element needs to be removed, along with anyone not willing to acknowledge they're a problem. Football has a different atmosphere to other codes, yes, but I'd hardly call it superior in any way... just different. This, of course, is subjective, but what I can say is those who believe it is superior due to the hardcore element — therefore giving the product a competitive edge — have to also recognise they can equally detract the experience. Clearly, the WSW agree with me on this issue. Like most things in life, balance is the key and never quite as simple as a 2-page article like this suggests.
Nemesis
Guest
"The ffa gives NOTHING to the A League. The competition generates something like $75m per year and the A League see a third of that." Well, this is just not true. Last season the Salary Cap was around $2.6m, which is fully funded by FFA from central ALeague revenue. Plus all travel & 1 night's hotel accommodation is paid for 135 matches. The TV rights revenue received by FFA last season for ALeague was around $28m/yr. Let's assume the total revenue for ALeague (sponsorship, finals tickets & TV) was around $50m last year. That means clubs received more than 50% of the central revenue that ALeague generated.
Kangajets
Guest
Rick The anti social and sometimes lawbreaking behaviour of oz rules and cricket fans or Melbourne cup fans , has not stopped them becoming mainstream .
marron
Guest
Rick the football on the pitch will never compete with the best in the world. I dont mind the quality myself, but that's because I can put that aside and enjoy it for what it is -:the best live football I can watch on the flesh, with homegrown players that I can see progressing (or not). The football itself can not attract followers for any other reason. And that's not for everyone - well, it has to be what it is. Unlike yourself though many people are attracted to live events for things as well as the sport. Consider yourself a purist itself you like, high and mighty, for only appreciating the sport itself. Good on you. But many others appreciate the atmosphere it generates as well. Nobody goes just for it - it's the combination. Here's the rub. Whether it is singing tired old football songs from the English songbook, or whether it's the brass band, or whether it's got a European flavour, or south American, or the combinations of these that our multicultural makeup throws up, it is only football that has this unique audience participation. As a purist yourself that doesn't matter - but for the majority of people who have attended a-league matches, it is a unique part of the event. It's a draw. It's a draw with or without the issues that have been present; but these issues can be dealt with in ways that don't affect things, and have been, and times. Now you can dump on active support all you like, and the people who create it, and lump them all into one basket like them the expert proiler you are; you just highlight how little you know about it. People volunteering and spending hours every week preparing without - and refusing - assistance, this is the opposite of manufactured. Whatever. The bottom line is that football fans were attracted to this whole package; they knew the hysteria about safety was rubbish; without that whole package, more and more they are not bothering, as they are left without the whole, but with security on high alert watching for hooligans on the family hill that were never there.
Vicfootballer
Guest
They do give money to the clubs for that, yes. If they’re generating so much money why are they losing it? My point was that FFA is supposed to govern for all its members and that includes every player who is registered for the FFA. This focus on the NPL and AL under the guise of democracy and representation is a fallacy. And you can’t tell me that this ‘marriage of convenience’ between the PFA, AL and NPL clubs will last beyond their common enemy of the FFA. And then, once they get rid of the FFA (if they do) are we supposed to sit back and watch our registration fees go more and more into the hands of owners who at the present moment can’t turn a profit?
Waz
Guest
“The FFA gives money for the salary cap” ... utter nonsense. The ffa gives NOTHING to the A League. The competition generates something like $75m per year and the A League see a third of that.
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
Well, that's where we disagree. Football, at the elite level, will never become the dominant code if we continue to rely on the hardcore. It needs to become mainstream, The only way to achieve this is to rid the game of the hardcore element. Once this is achieved, the elite game can grow due to greater finances. Australia has one of the strongest economies in the world, unlike the Spanish who are an embarrassment to Europe. This coupled with better grassroots training facilities and academies will procure an abundance of world-class talent at the expense of the other codes. You only have to look to other sports to realise we outperform pretty much every other nation when it comes to world championships, especially given our population size. Given the growth of Australia over the next 50 years, along with our advanced economy and genetic diversity, I believe we'll hold our own against the traditional powerhouses who will start falling away.
Kangajets
Guest
Production of world class players is cyclic for most nations barring the obvious Brazil and Spain’s . Australian best young footballers will only get better by playing with and agdinst internationals whether they be as a few marquees here or playing in the epl La Liga . How would Australia produce world class players by only staying in Australia without international influence. Should we adopt 1000 Brazilians to breed good footballers . As you know , only cricket , Aussie rulz or league players can stay in Australia alone and expect to be the best in the world . Yes , I believe in spontaneity of support, but if some people want to choreograph their chants , that doesn’t bother me. Having been to hundreds of gsmes in Europe, there is always a leader for any spontaneous song . For the South American experience, just you tube a club like San Lorenzo who have raptous singing before a ball is kicked Yes I want the A league to be better and the Socceroos also, but you have to crawl before you walk . The current rot is at the head of Ffa . The on field action is ok at the top, but obviously improvements are needed and expansion will only create more opportunities for everyone.
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
Why don't we look at it from another perspective, which will help with the solution. We keep hearing about how awesome the A-League product is from all the diehards around here, yet today's reason for the crowds dying appear to be associated with the diehards being removed and the lack of atmosphere they no longer create. Now let me ask you this: How $h!t must the product be if it relies on a bunch of criminals to promote it with flares, vandalism, and profanity? I say this because I tend to watch football because of the football, not because of the fans or the atmosphere they create. We have the RBB that have weekly bandcamps to orchestrate their noise. Talk about a manufactured atmosphere of the highest order. Personally, I prefer the spontaneity of singing at football matches — you know where the singing represents what's actually happening on the pitch, rather than a bunch of cl0wns banging drums and yelling for the entire match, much like the embarrassing choreographed performances the RBB deliver along with mass hysteria. The game doesn't need it, but if you guys aren't confident enough in the product... well that says it all along with your endorsement of such rubbish. Stadium access, transport, pricing, promotion and most importantly... a perceived level of safety for regular folk are but some of the issues the FFA need to address. Unlike Clink, a man who endorses illegal behavior, the FFA don't and have taken a hard stance. I can assure you if they followed the advice of most on this site, the bad old days would return soon enough. Remove the marquee system, rid the idea of P/R in the near future and move towards a truly national game. The A-League will gradually grow once the FFA refines these structures. Once we start producing some of the finest world-class talents, the Socceroos should start becoming a more dominant player on the world stage. Following this, I expect the bandwagon effect to take place, but a critical mass of interest must be met before this occurs.
Vicfootballer
Guest
Shouldn’t the biggest stakeholders (ie. the men, women and children who play the game on a Saturday/Sunday) have the biggest voice? Are they not the ones who pay their fees to their federations to run the game for ALL stakeholders? This is what FFA’s focus needs to be on and it needs to allow the A-League to stand alone. Furthermore, to use the Socceroos broadcast rights as a way in which to keep the A-League owners in check. The FFA gives money for the salary cap. If it is the owner’s business, why should everyday players have to pay for these private companies to market them and then have to pay ridiculous amounts to watch these teams play? The A-League/NPL/PFA focus in regards to reform forgets the vast majority of football people. They deserve the biggest say in how the FFA is governed. Adding more power to the A-League clubs or the NPL clubs is a step backwards and makes the sport less democratic and representative, not more. Let’s not forget that it was only just over a decade ago here in Victoria that you didn’t get a vote for the Board UNLESS you had a men’s team and it was proportionate on where they were placed in the football ‘pyramid’.