Western Sydney Wanderers shut down active support area for clash with Glory

Cheer squads have been neutered for over 20 years now. They used to have a heavy drinking culture, and as a result there was trouble every now and then at games. The AFL banned drinking in and around the cheer squad areas. It killed the problem effectively overnight because all the people at an age who may make trouble left. The only people who remained were grannies and kids.

Appear as a football fan? I'm a foundation member so that's a bit unfair. The quote from John Tsatsimas seemed to imply that there was a risk that Syd FC fans entering the WSW area would be a safety issue - hence the term in the article "inflame hostilities". I completely agree with people sitting where their tickets are. However if seating needs to be segregated and security put in place in order to ensure hostilities are not 'inflamed' we've gone a step too far in our passion IMO. It's just a sport.

Exactly right. At the MCG I can’t visit the MCC members area, or the AFL members area. At Etihad I can’t visit the Medallion Club area. There is absolutely no difference. I’ve been to the away area at Allianz on numerous occasions, and caught up with friends who are Sydney FC supporters without any problems whatsoever. Meet up at the edge of the away area and behave like responsible adults, and there are no issues.

Active Areas are ticketed areas only, you can't enter without a ticket, what is the issue there? I can't get into a members bar to give a mate a sandwich at half time, whats the difference? If your mate was one bay over from the away or home fans area you could sit down with him and discuss anything you want, again what is the issue? I think you are trying to say something but want to 'appear' to be a football fan.

Yes, sorry Ben, I was broaden your idea and looking at it that way. I think it would be interesting what you have pinpointed

I believe Claudio that was for 12 or 18 months, which was over 18 months ago

https://www.sen.com.au/news/2017/04/11/maher-slams-double-standard-in-crowd-violence-reporting/

AD no one is labelling you not worthy of contributing on this forum. Not me anyway. At least we have the guts to confront our issues and deal with them. Unlike the AFL that likes to sweep it under the carpet and point the finger elsewhere. The ABC 7pm news in Sydney has every night carried on about the flares in their "sports" report on football. The racial abuse at the AFL (which is endemic and far worse in my opinion) was mentioned once.

“Wanderers fans took part in a pre-meditated and coordinated series of incidents including the ignition of flares and detonators and the display of unauthorised banners,” the FFA statement said. The FFA said if they find any future “serious incident” occurs, the club must lose three points “immediately”.

I think the abuse at dark skinned players and spectators happens so much now that its just part of the match day experience at an AFL game. No need to report on it.

I never said anything about sitting with my mate. What if I want to pop over for a chat at half time or to give him a sandwich? I should be able to do that without it being a safety issue. And I am not talking about the team I am a member of. I should be able to walk into an opposition member area without it being a problem. There is a difference between visiting and inciting violence.

True, though I was referrng to the social compact between different actors as opposed to the link between flares and violence.

Stuart, I believe you are right in that they received Stadium Bans, ie any sporting event not just doggies, not just NRL but any sporting fixture at a stadium in Sydney/NSW

There has been anthropological type studies done on the firms and violence of English Football in the 70's and 80's. Some of them were very wrong in their assessment others not so. The issue at play here is significantly different to that time and it should be looked at in a different way. The popular view or the popular assessment seems to combine 'hooliganism' and violent anti-social behavior at football with the 'ripping' of flares. They two are different they are not linked, because one lights a flare does not mean one is a violent anti-social person. So we have to be careful in this area. My whole issue with this is people linking flares and violence, I am afraid I do not see and have never seen evidence of the two being the same thing. They might occur in the same space and time, but the two acts are very different

It is an interesting issue as it is cumulative as opposed to one made in isolation. As such there is a need for a holistic look at the incident and the response. Stadium management, police, the club and fans do not operate in isolation but within a complex social agreement. Rogue elements challenge this compact, partly as it is indeed a social compact and it is against society they wish to rebel. It is an interesting topic from an anthropological aspect. Another interesting aspect has been the obsfucation of the core issue by some posters through the introduction of red herrings and straw men, mascarading as a noble defense. The point of the obsfucation appears to be to stifle reasoned debate and to avoid any introspection. An effective approach for dealing with perception, but it is a facade beneath which problems fester and grow.

Well said Post_hoc, Actually I think some of the chronic offenders were banned for life from attending any Dogs' matches, although whether that can be actually enforced, what with fake moustaches and gender fluidity these days, I'm not sure. You make a nice measured point here.

A few straw-men are being created, I don't think people have an issue with people being banned, being removed, being charged for the flares. My personal opinion it is a lot of fuss over nothing but as it stands they are what they are and people IF CAUGHT should be punished. That is not the ISSUE. The issue that Waz has put forward and has been ignored is the Club is now punishing the WHOLE. Stuart illustrated that the CEO dis-invited those people doing it, WSW do the same thing, their membership is revoked, without that membership they are not allowed into the ACTIVE bays. They can still buy a GA ticket but that won't get them into that section at home matches. It is then up to the FFA and Stadium to BAN them from matches, which prohibits them from entering the stadium. The logical point is, why was this done at an away game? Occams razor would suggest that these people have already had their membership revoked so they can't get into the active bay at home games (but can still buy tickets for away games) if they had already been band then the stadium security missed them which shows that the system is not 100% (rainy day hoods hats etc etc) This comes back to the point, WSW Club is punishing the many for the actions of a few, based not on any logic as this will not impact those that did it, because in all likelihood they wont be at the game. The Clubs decision (unlike the Bulldogs CEO example) will have no outcome other than to disadvantage a group of fans.

I came on here agreeing with the decision and noting that WSW were making a good decision. Regulars of this forum have: - said I don’t have a right to comment on football - weirdly suggested my university was a bastion for illegal activities - pointed out a (terrible) incident of racism in footy before suggesting footy has a underlying problem with dark skin people - ignored my attempts to refute that allegation - gone up in hysterics about a drink driving incident - attacked me for turning a blind eye to the drunk driving incident even when provided with irrefutable evidence to the contrary - suggested there’s no problem with flares - noted they’d stand with “ethnics with flares” and not “bogans” - one member of this community has now popped up on the AFL forum with no obvious intention other than to start some sort of petty code war I might have become a bit agitated, but I never thought I was being overtly hysterical. I apologise if you believe that’s the case, Nem.

"You’ve really gotta learn to moderate your hysteria." How about you look in the mirror?

Damn, you've caught me! It's me, Eddie! Ha, no, cheers for that. Looking forward to getting back into some blogging. You doing any footy blogging this season, or you sticking to soccer?