The most beautiful thing about being a Western Sydney Wanderers fan is that no matter what happens, our fans will always be there for our team and together we will always come out on top.
This past week has been a tough one for the only Australian club to ever win an Asian Champions League title.
The Wanderers hierarchy understandably decided to take a strong stand against a tiny number of fans who lit flares and thus broke the law in last Sunday’s derby against East Sydney FC (the smallest A league club in Sydney, even factoring in the new licence bids from Southern Expansion and South West Sydney).
The end result was the much appreciated and often maligned Red and Black Bloc (RBB) will be disbanded for Sunday’s home match against Perth Glory at Spotless Stadium (kick off 5pm). The response from Wanderers fans has been mixed, with many applauding the move while some have condemned it.
(AAP Image/Tracey Nearmy)
Things got harder today when the FFA as expected imposed a suspended three point penalty on the Wanderers which could potentially cost us a finals spot if anything else untoward happens for the rest of the season.
Lets make one thing clear, the vast majority of Wanderers fans including the RBB do the right thing week in week out. The Wanderers fans have proven time and time again to be colourful, jovial and loyal.
The RBB have added some much needed spark to Australia’s premier football competition. The singing, dancing, chanting and engagement with the rest of the crowd have made the RBB the most revered active supporters group in the league.
Sadly though there has been a tiny element (the vocal minority) who have engaged in some behaviours which are simply not acceptable.
Distasteful banners and dangerous flares are not welcome at A league games where a family friendly and safe environment must take precedence over any individuals need to rebel.
The simple fact though is Wanderers games most definitely fit the bill when it comes to being a welcoming environment for children and adults alike.
I have been to many games home, away and overseas since the Wanderers were formed in 2012 and have always felt perfectly safe. I have taken family members and friends to games and they have all enjoyed the Wanderers experience.
The passionate discussions among Wanderers fans on social media this week has been interesting. Many have taken a stand condemning those who are doing the wrong thing. This has been great to see.
The Wanderers fans who do the right thing (i.e. the majority) are the real fans and are the ones that count. There is absolutely no need to break the law to create atmosphere and passion.
The singing and dancing is more than enough. Sure flares look good but if someone gets burned or has a respiratory problem that is not on. Banners or t-shirts containing swear words and vulgar pictures may be amusing but it is not the right way to make a point, furthermore it is not what parents want their kids to see when they are out of an evening to enjoy a football match.
(AAP Image/Paul Miller)
Sadly there has been a number of Wanderers fans lamenting what has happened to the RBB. They argue that without the RBB the match experience would be boring.
They are right but the reality is without the rest of the Wanderers fans who are not active it would be boring too!
Everyone contributes equally in their own way. From the fan sitting down with his arms crossed to the one bopping around in the aisles, every fan counts.
Personally, I’d rather less atmosphere with fans who behave than a better one with those that don’t. This may sound stupid but that is how I and most Wanderers fans genuinely feel. The RBB need to realise they are not bigger than the Wanderers.
Yes we need them to make it that much better to go to a game or watch on TV, but not at the expense of causing problems, breaking the rules and potentially losing vital competition points. Football clubs can’t survive without fans but fans don’t exist without a football club either. The RBB wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for the Wanderers.
The worst thing about this whole saga is seeing Wanderers fans turn against each other. We have all been guilty of it this week as emotions run high.
We have all said things that we may regret or things that we will stubbornly hold onto. While it’s great to have different opinions and passionate views at the end of the day we are all part of the one club.
There has been discussion about creating a safe zone for people to legally let off flares. This idea is worth considering.
There can be licensed people who are allowed to let of flares and other pyrotechnics in a specifically designated area.
One wonders though if this would help solve the problem though? Part of the reason flares have been let go during games is due to people feeling the need to fight against authority and vent out their frustrations.
Would these rebels stop letting off flares in unsafe areas just because it is legally allowed to do so in other designated zones?
That will surely take away the thrill they feel in breaking the rules. But perhaps this may help weed out the trouble makers more and ensure they garner less sympathy than they currently do. That can only be a good thing.
The club had their second Member Committee meeting last Monday night. A great example of how they are trying to listen to the fans.
Something the club has done brilliantly from the beginning. There is no doubt at the next meeting there will be some fireworks (pun intended) as people voice their suggestions on how to solve the current issue with the RBB.
The club has set up an email address for fans to voice their concerns and all fans are encouraged to put forward their thoughts and feelings.
While the club can’t give us everything we want no matter how logical we may think we are being, they still need to hear from us about the current issues that have reared their head this week.
It will be interesting on Sunday night when for the first time in our six year existence the RBB won’t be in their designated area.
Let’s hope the majority turn up and support the Wanderers on the field cause ultimately that is what we are all here for.
Hopefully some positive dialogue takes place between the RBB and the Wanderers in the coming week once emotions have settled and they can be back again where they rightfully belong the following Saturday against Wellington. If they don’t then it’s ok because the Wanderers will keep on going.
(AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)
At the end of the day the Wanderers will still draw crowds especially when our brand spanking new stadium opens up in two years.
The ones that don’t go to games will still tune in on TV. At the end of the day that is just what Wanderers fans do, we support our team. Something that other clubs would love to have.
The rest of the league can laugh, criticise and even cringe at us but the beauty of being a Wanderer is that come match day we don’t care about the rest of them because we will all come together and who will we sing for?
Janakan Seemampillai
Roar Guru
The Wanderes became popular in season 1 purely due to results on the field which were fortunately enhanced by a fantastic atmosphere at the game. Both went hand in hand. Sadly some in the RBB got ahead of themsleves and thought its about them. Now the team is struggling the RBB feel they are more important. It always happens in supporters groups. At the end of the day the RBB are a very important part of the WAnderers and lets hope for the good of the game they are back.
Rolly
Guest
Rolly
Guest
They average nearly 14,000 all codes all clubs crowds are down clealry when one is riding a wave of success the more get on the bandwagon the Wanderers average crowd is better than the average crowd of any nrl game
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
Like most draconian policies in civilised societies, they're usually implemented due to the minority ruining it for the majority. I'm sure with time, the FFA will remove its regulation of banners. For the record: I agree that people should be able to bring whatever they like to the football. The consequences of those actions, however, should be harsh if one chooses to abuse the privileges of free speech. Society should and will condemn such actions in the event they're deemed highly inappropriate. I'm just informing you of why I believe the FFA have implemented such a policy — one I just happen to agree with and endorse at this present time.
That A-League Fan
Roar Guru
Good to see the beauty of being a Wanderers supporter, as the Wanderers are the newest team in the A-League.
Waz
Roar Rookie
Other countries manage fine and we would too. We are not unique. If a banner would be legal displayed in your local park, it should be legal displayed in a football stadium. It’s not hard.
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
No, that's exactly how a free society works. The FFA and WSW have the right, within our free society, to defend their imagine in whatever ways they deem appropriate. Why on earth would the FFA rely on security when they can't stop these same perpetrators from smuggling countless flares into the stadium? Secondly, how do you know security wouldn't have let that huge Donkey Kong d!$k into the the stadium? I know plenty of people around here found it funny — some even defended it as 'free speech'! I have no doubt plenty of the security staff would have found it funny too, potentially letting it "slide" literally. Security aren't smart enough, nor have they the moral compass to determine what is in the best interest of the FFA, the WSW and the A-League.
Waz
Roar Rookie
That’s not how free society works. Let all banners and flags in and let stadium security remove any that are deemed offensive. You know, like they do in all other countries bar North Korea.
Janakan
Guest
Exactly Rick. They have to check them due to the behaviours of some people who did the wrong thing and put up tasteless banners where children could see it. And yes we have to think of the children.
valhalla
Guest
and lets not forget the sexual act said banner was used to depict .... and the homophobic subtext underpinning the sexual act .... all for the purposes of humiliating its intended target (ive never seen so many posts disecting the purpose and meaning of 'eat a d**k' before in my life - certainly not on a sports website) so yeah, rick has a point
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
"Banners have to be pre-approved, that is unacceptable." Blame the RBB for bringing a huge banner in the form of a schl@ng, Waz.
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
Typical — I rewrite this to get through the filter (below), and you guys approve this comment 4 hours later.
Waz
Roar Rookie
Coloured smoke, despite being legal, is banned by the FFA. Add it to the list.
Janakan
Guest
@Rick I agree with some of your sentiments. The hooligan element must be removed and to be fair I think it is. The majority of Wanderers fans who once empathised with the RBB trouble makers don’t do so anymore. As you say the RBB are brilliant and add wonderful colour and theatre for the a league. We need to find a way to bring everyone together
Janakan
Guest
Considering we are homeless the crowd has been pretty good. I think playing at Campbelltown, Penrith and Belmore is the way to go but those venues don’t have the corporate facilities of Homebush. That is the bottom line. I think the Wanderers should play 3 games at Spotless, 2 derbies at ANZ, 3 at Campbelltown and 3 at Penrith and 3 at Belmore. We will have a home community game next year which is why we have 14 games there. FFA Cup games should depend on the opponent.
Josh
Guest
Anyone who claims WSW is a passing fad obviously lacks the intelligence to look at the membership numbers. People are still buying memberships in anticipation of a good seat for the new stadium. Add the rise of the Gombau era team between now and then - we are on the verge of seeing 25k members within 3 years. Nice dig at ESFC too, on top for 2 years and still can't draw members or crowds - how miserable is the culture there...
Doc Disnick
Roar Guru
I chose to stay out of the last two articles regarding the Wanderers & RBB due to the embarrassing levels of wit. As one of the few who can be objective on this site, let me tell you the problems with the RBB, along with the hardcore element on this site: — They lack discipline — They lack vision — They lack confidence in their product Discipline Criminals lack this important trait, often leading to disdain for authority, resulting in flares constantly being lit by small factions within this poor man’s rebel alliance. Unfortunately, so do most on this very forum — highlighted by the sheer number of simple folk continually coerced by The Roar’s finest master baiters. Vision & Product The RBB have none. Neither do many here nor have they any confidence in the product on display. The level of hypocrisy from both parties is astounding and is one of the many reasons the A-League is failing in this country. The very people who argue the product is fantastic (along with the RBB) are the very people that claim flares are harmless and are what makes the match day experience so unique and special. My argument is simple: How rubbish must the product be if it requires flares to spice it up? There is a distinct lack of confidence in the product, i.e. the A-League. I can understand this… it’s ordinary, but it doesn’t have to be. Solution I will write a detailed roadmap one day outlining my vision of how the A-League can become Australia’s preeminent sporting competition, but I’ll start with the basics. To be recognised by others, you have to be proud of something yourself. The Wanderers are a beacon of hope for the A-League, whether you follow this club or not. It’s the only team, I believe, that has the capability of becoming world class, at least in Asia. For this to occur, the product must have an appeal to the masses of Western Sydney, but this is hindered by h0ligan1sm at present in the form of the RBB. Saying this, I don’t believe they should be disbanded, far from it, as they do bring an edge to the atmosphere. The Wanderers have the potential to market the A-League singlehandedly to Asia, just like Manchester United has done for years with the EPL worldwide. A brand like the Wanderers needs protecting from the likes of the RBB — I would do everything in my power to put these p^nks in their place, which is about the only thing the FFA has done right over the past 2-years.
Waz
Roar Rookie
Fans are still there, on average 13,300 at every game despite poor form and playing away from home every “ home” game
Waz
Roar Rookie
Banners have to be pre-approved, that is unacceptable. Flags of other nations are banned, that is unacceptable. Standing is allowed but there are restrictions on where you can stand and move in some areas, that’s also unacceptable. You can be banned for 5 years for breaching any of these FFA rules without the right of appeal, that is unacceptable. This is no reason in unreasonable rules and regulations. The FFA are laying the foundation for a new fan boycott starting in R1 of next season.
Kangajets
Guest
Wsw should move to belmore next season , play in a smaller venue until they get back to parramatta