The Indisputable Facts
”It’s almost an expectation that some fans will act en masse and aggressively, especially within the ‘popular’ supporter groups.” Image: foxsports.com.au
I have been a member of the Melbourne Victory for all but one season since the inauguration of the A-League. Whilst I’m a supporter of the Club, I wouldn’t say I’m passionate (yet). I am a regular attendee at matches, although I have been less than I would have liked in the last few years. I attend numerous sporting events of all shapes and sizes from community sport to our international teams. I’ve been to sporting events in North America, Europe, Asia and Australia (obviously). Lastly, my career is in sport (off-field, not on).
These points aren’t made for reasons of vanity. It’s silly that they have to be stated at all. However with what I’m writing below, and some of the hysteria coming from the media, supporters, Football Federation Australia (‘FFA’) and the A-League clubs, I feel my impartiality has to be clarified. Let’s be honest, it’s a commodity rarely traded in much of the debate regarding crowd trouble at A-League matches.
14 January 2014
On this day I attended my first A-League match of the season. Melbourne Victory versus the Western Sydney Wanderers at AAMI Park. Fair to say it was eventful. The Victory played well. The football was entertaining. There were goals. There were cards. Plenty of action and for the greater part I enjoyed it.
The Prelude
Prior to match, three friends and I had a meal and a few beers at a local establishment. Funnily enough you can’t display your A-League colours in this pub. I know this as a year or so ago one of my party had to hide his scarf in his jacket as the bouncers instructed him that soccer colours were banned given past trouble from supporters. Somewhat topically, over our meal we talked about the media’s reporting of crowd trouble at football matches, especially the last clash between the Victory and the Wanderers on 28 December 2013 where fights prior to the game, and flares being set off inside AAMI Park incited widespread negative reporting and defensive retorts by football people, especially those in football-specific media, such as Fox Sports.
Of particular interest was the tweet sent on the day of the match by the Chief of Staff of Ten Eyewitness News. This tweet requested patrons have their smartphones ready in case of crowd tensions boiling over at the match. This person was interested in any footage of flares (I take it she didn’t mean the style of pant), altercations, evictions, or verbal abuse inside or outside of the ground. Helpfully, the tweet asked the footage be captured in landscape. I take it this aids in the transfer to our television screens. Isn’t that just wonderful? I’m surprised the tweet didn’t include tips on how to start the trouble and capture it at the same time.
Regardless of my disapproval of this strategy, I can understand the reasoning behind the tweet. People misbehaving at A-League matches is news. People are clearly interested in it given the extent of coverage in all forms of media. In this example, Network Ten was simply taking advantage of society’s preoccupation with their smartphones and capturing moments (you know, forget about helping a fellow human – video their predicament).
Now I’ve stated before my despair with the standard of much of the journalism in this country, especially in the sports sphere. I need not venture back to my criticisms of biased, uninformed and lazy reporting. Of course these are general views and do not apply in all cases. Bravo to those of you fighting this trend, and please hold your pens high. I’m also not trying to be a purveyor of sensationalistic rubbish. Hence rather than rely on the perspectives of others, here is my first-hand experience of the A-League match on 14 January.
The Match
We were sat at the south end of AAMI Park, to the right of one of Victory’s large supporter groups. I had arrived 20 minutes after kick-off (watching Lleyton Hewitt eliminated from the Australian Open at the pub). It was hot and was quite crowded in and around our seats. So we upped and moved further right to the emptier next bay. This was the bay that effectively separated a mass of enthusiastic Victory supporters from the small yet vocal travelling band of Wanderers supporters.
My initial observations:
There were many police and security guards in the vicinity. The numbers were certainly more concentrated than I’m used to at A-League matches and other sporting events in this country that I’ve attended. This wasn’t surprising given the events of 28 December.
Both sets of fans seemed very happy chanting at each other. It wasn’t necessarily offensive (to me) but it did involve swearing. The feeling was one of aggression. Further, a number of families participated in the chanting – including the bad language. This wasn’t new to me. Maybe I was more sensitive to the scene given the recent coverage and our discussion prior to the match’s commencement.
The Fight
Anyway, close to half time we were alerted to a fight in the stands via it landing in our laps. Out of the corner of my eye I see a flash of punches with one gent (loosely speaking) fleeing one or two others who are trying to punch him. They are cavorting between our seats and the row in front. It appeared to me the fight was over a national flag (not Australian) given some of the comments being made by one of the participants. I won’t presume which country and I won’t presume what set off the fight. What I will say is one of those involved had two children with him, obviously less than ten years of age. They were fleeing with their father. The group I was with weren’t harmed by the scuffle. Well not directly.
The Police
Remember the massive police and security presence in close proximity. Well the long arm of the law intervenes. My perception was that one officer sprayed pepper spray (or equivalent) at one of the perpetrators. I, and my three colleagues were unlucky enough to encounter the pepper spray shrapnel. A community service announcement – don’t get involved with this stuff. Never having experienced it before, it is effective. Whilst none of my group had the spray enter the eyes, bare skin on legs, arms, and heads was contacted. I only got what I thought was a small amount on my arms and legs. Yet, the next hour was awfully uncomfortable with the painful burning sensation. Of my friends, all three had the spray on areas of their head and neck (amongst other areas). All of us had clothes covered in the stuff. My lovely polo shirt and favourite blue tennis short were splotched with orange stains. Upon washing our clothes in the days following, the stains were found to be permanent.
I’ve no doubt the police involved overreacted to the situation. It looked like there might have been five or six people at most involved in the fracas. Whilst it was quite intense, I’d be happy to argue there were enough police and security in the region of the incident for it to be handled without the use of the pepper spray. As crowd control is not my specialty, I’ll leave it at that. The police have my contact details if they would like to investigate the matter further. Regardless of the conduct of police involved, I’ve no doubt they had to intervene in some fashion. There were many people around and others could have become involved. Who knows? This was a violent incident, and in my view, reflected the aggression prominent in the south and south east of the venue until that point in the match.
So What?
My experience at the match included:
A fight between fans of the Victory, seemingly over the display of a nation’s flag
The Western Sydney Wanderers fans spending the whole game singing songs. Of itself this isn’t an issue. However most of the songs were either about themselves (the Red & Black Block) or baiting the Victory supporters with chants involving swearing. Many of the main group of supporters hardly even watched the game. When Wanderers’ striker, Tomi Juric scored very late in the game, I’ve no doubt many of the Wanderers fans didn’t even see it. Within the Wanderers supporters there were a number of families with children. The swearing and aggressive gestures were not limited to adults.
Whilst I was less able to observe the Victory supporter group to my left (given where we sat), their behaviour didn’t seem much different. Their chants too involved swearing and aggressive gesturing. In fact a number of youths seemingly supporting the Victory took it upon themselves to enter our bay to ‘confront’ the Wanderers supporters. These ‘courageous’ young men were adept at doing this behind the security and police presence. Some were evicted. Most were just asked to relocate.
Now all this (except for the fight) might be considered harmless fun. Maybe. Others will say this is what football supporting is all about. Maybe. Sure in Europe, the aggression seems somewhat integral to the support of clubs and players. This is associated with much history and rivalry. Is this a good thing? Well when it turns to violence, as it used to much more regularly, it isn’t. Regardless, from my distant vantage point and understanding, this support is generally intermingled with humour and often celebrations of individual players. This is not what I experienced the other night. What we were hearing was not chanting, but organised abuse (that’s how one of my colleagues at the match described it).
Football’s defenders seemingly ignore the blatant aggression. They ignore that whilst it is a minority of the people attending the game, it isn’t so small as to be insignificant. I love the game. I enjoy watching the A-League on television and attending matches. If I was to be biased, my allegiance would fall on the side of the sport. However, my objective opinion is Football is doing itself a disservice defending the status quo. Facilitating and protecting such behaviour will not contain it. It will fan it. As such, the present situation is unsustainable in my opinion.
Look Within
I’ve been to enough sporting and entertainment events to understand that the behaviour by more-than-few at our A-League games is below society’s expected standards. Sure the physical violence is infrequent, as is the letting off of flares. But the gateway behaviour is more wide spread, and it seems like it is par for the course. It’s almost an expectation that some fans will act en masse and aggressively, especially within the ‘popular’ supporter groups. I find this hard to justify. Using this match as the example, how can Victory and Wanderers supporters really dislike each other? One group has existed since 2005. The other, 2012. They hardly even have their own history, let alone a shared one.
I’m pretty sure Football’s administrators are very cognisant of the issue I write. The problem is they are not very good at communicating their concern. It seems that only fights and flares draw action from FFA and Clubs. However, the problem runs deeper. Firstly, the sport’s administrators need to encourage its ‘pro’ media to stop the comparisons with other sports (for example, the claims that lots of people get drunk at the cricket or the horse racing). Based on my experience, the general environment at other sporting codes and events is calmer (yet not necessarily less passionate). The fact is that anti-social behaviour at the A-League matches I have attended is a problem. Whether it’s better or worse than other sports or events is entirely irrelevant. Assuming my experiences are replicated at other venues, then the A-League could be on a slippery slope towards widespread crowd trouble. Then the sport will certainly earn the negative coverage it will receive.
The suspended point penalties for the Victory and the Wanderers following the incident in late December is a start. The greater issue is the apparent acceptance of aggression and bad language amongst supporters. Whilst I doubt FFA are actually accepting of the behaviour I’m describing, current policy is seemingly ignored by certain elements of the football spectating community (and those that defend it). More has to be done educate (or punish) those displaying the hostility. This faux European ‘firm’ malarkey is already compromising the sport’s image. Whilst some families seem happy to be involved, I’d contend most others would be concerned about exposing children to such environments.
The Final Word
This isn’t another ‘bash soccer’ article. Not for a second am I suggesting all football fans are badly behaved. Far from it. However the reality needs review. Football needs to facilitate and grow real passion. It really needs the fans to own their clubs and players. It needs supporters to care about every match. Not just the ones where their team is playing. Only then will FFA be truly able to lay claim to the A-League having true relevance in this country. That is the comparison that really matters. If the game continues to misinterpret poor behaviour for loyal, passionate support, then the sport will continue to get the comparisons, and coverage it doesn’t want. Eventually it will impact upon attendances and viewership.
Luckily, the A-League is young and these matters can be addressed with strong, implemented policy from the game’s administrators.