Anti-Football Media/General Public and Police Thread!

[Colonial]

I'm not pushing any anti-A-League agenda and I've seen with my own eyes (having been to 50-odd A-League games and hundreds of AFL games, all over the country) that this is simply not the case. Your experiences might be different, but I'm afraid you will never convince me that things that I have witnessed didn't happen.

Before Melbourne derbies, I've actually been discouraged from meeting up with a dozen or so close friends who support the Victory, because they're meeting at a pub where 'everyone will be Victory'. And these guys are just normal members like me, not active supporters or anything. What, am I going to get glassed or something, if I'm wearing a red cap? These things simply do not happen before AFL games, or any other professional team sport I can think of, in Australia.

I went to the derby in Round 1 of the 2012/13 season and (foolishly) leaving the procurement of tickets to someone else, ended up in the middle of the Heart active area, where, due to the set-up of Etihad, there were bays of Victory supporters on either side. The people around us literally were not even watching the game; they didn't give a stuff. They just wanted to bait the people in the bay next to them. And then the game finished and we were told by security which exit we were allowed to go out of. It's absolutely ridiculous.

And that has happened in other codes. In league you end up in the middle of bulldogs fans or in the all black bay in rugby wearing an alternate shirt you in for a world of trouble if your not careful.

The numbers are there that show the A-League have the least numbers thrown out of sporting events of all the major competitions.

I work on the trains up here. And i see it every week. We get guys trying to swap their shifts to make sure they dont end up working the night of games and dealing with the supporters. Some (hello bulldogs NRL) are worse when they win than when they lose.

 

[Colonial]

Oh...and a few million...? It's nine figures. The fact is, News wouldn't give a s**t that people are turned off from going to the games, as long as they're watching the games. And that goes for the NRL, AFL and the A-League. They have absolutely no reason to hold off on reporting about similar incidents as the one we saw between WSW and Victory supporters. It makes no sense.

Very true, they want people to watch the games they are invested in. When you own something however then crowd figures are important.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

The numbers are there that show the A-League have the least numbers thrown out of sporting events of all the major competitions.

Please provide these numbers.

I work on the trains up here. And i see it every week. We get guys trying to swap their shifts to make sure they dont end up working the night of games and dealing with the supporters.

And that wouldn't happen after every sporting event, especially those held in the evening, when the people using PT to get home in the hour after the final siren goes probably increases tenfold to the same time when a sporting match isn't on? I imagine most people in a similar line of work would probably take 'quiet' over 'jam packed with people' if they were given a choice.

 

[Colonial]

And that wouldn't happen after every sporting event, especially those held in the evening, when the people using PT to get home in the hour after the final siren goes probably increases tenfold to the same time when a sporting match isn't on? I imagine most people in a similar line of work would probably take 'quiet' over 'jam packed with people' if they were given a choice.

Nothing to do with jam packed. Peak hours its always jam packed. Its more to do with what is happening with the supporters.

 

[Colonial]

Please provide these numbers.
.

Will try to do so. Have read it in one of the stories out there.

 

[giggler99]

Anyone who doesn't think the Murdoch papers have an agenda against football should click then read the link below.

http://prestoninstitute.com/2014/01/05/wowmuchethnic/

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

Anyone who doesn't think the Murdoch papers have an agenda against football should click then read the link below.

http://prestoninstitute.com/2014/01/05/wowmuchethnic/

Rebecca Wilson has an agenda against any sport that isn't NRL. She's a complete idiot. Michael Lynch took the opposite viewpoint of the incident (only admitting after the fact that he hadn't even seen the footage), made himself look no less an idiot and had to make an embarrassing backdown when he espoused many of the similar paranoid 'the mainstream media is victimising soccer fans!' comments that have been espoused in this thread.

Of course I don't condone violence, and when I saw footage of a clash between two sets of fans in the CBD outside the Royal Melbourne Hotel in Bourke Street, I have to admit that it didn't look great.

Police have already laid charges and more may follow as they survey CCTV footage as football once again attracts headlines of the wrong sort.

On this occasion, it looks like I got it wrong, so I have to admit it and cop the flak.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/football-violence-a-trend-not-worth-following-but-active-fans-give-game-its-edge-20131231-3041v.html#ixzz2pa1lwchE​

Standard 'shoot first, ask questions later' journalism, by someone who should know better.

The thing is, when these journalists with their enormous egos decide to write an opinion piece about anything (and are given the space to do so), the goal these days is to get people to click on it. That's it.

Considering who ultimately pays the bills that ensure that the FFA and A-League can stay afloat, it would be completely counter-productive for a Murdoch-owned media outlet to have 'an agenda against football'. Can you explain why they would?

 

[Colonial]

Rebecca Wilson has an agenda against any sport that isn't NRL. She's a complete idiot. Michael Lynch took the opposite viewpoint of the incident (only admitting after the fact that he hadn't even seen the footage), made himself look no less an idiot and had to make an embarrassing backdown when he espoused many of the similar paranoid 'the mainstream media is victimising soccer fans!' comments that have been espoused in this thread.

Actually she has been on the Swans bandwagon for the last 9 years so has pretty much left them alone. Has been bashing us (Giants) though every chance she gets.

 

[Crows_United_FC]

 

[tigs2010]

Every week when they segregate the cheer squads no?

I regular attend both too and I haven't felt any more threaten at an A-league match then an AFL match and haven't witnessed any aggressive behaviour in the 7 years I've been attending, except from lighting flares which to me isn't aggressive at all just stupid. I agree there are idiots and dickheads that have watched to much Green Street Hooligans and YouTube clips on what goes on in Europe sometime, most of them are just dumb try hard wanna be ultras who find out very quickly they are not needed at MV matches.

Probably because you haven't gone looking for it. Let's be honest you're only going to get in a fight at the soccer if you go looking for one.

 

[tigs2010]

Swear in the AFL and you get kicked out?? Hahahaha dont know what games you have been going to but swearing doesnt mean you get booted.

Pretty much. A lifetime of barracking for Richmond and never kicked out...

 

[Slax]

Pretty much. A lifetime of barracking for Richmond and never kicked out...

Do you sit with the Grog Squad?

I've been attending all sport in this country for over two decades now and my experiences in attedning soccer go to the early 90s in the ethnic violence days of the NSL. The A-league is no worse than the AFL or NRL for fan violence, it is just that the press choose not to report it. I'm a Victorian Lions (previously Fitzroy) Member, MVFC Member (was SM Hellas member) & have been a Storm member in the past. My experiences are that AFL is as violent as any of the major codes.

The only football code where I have ever experienced trouble is AFL, never had any problems anywhere else but have been hit from behind by an Essendon fans, had problems interstate with Adelaide fans and got caught up in a fight at a Hawthorn v Collingwood match (just in the wrong place at the wrong time). I've also seen plenty of fights involving fans from virtually all clubs and they happen on a weekly basis, it just isn't reported. When something though happens at a soccer match the media love to jump on it, sensationalism is what sells newspapers and boosts ratings for tv news, beating up on smaller sports is easy as they are seen as ethnic/migrant based sports by many.

The crazy thing is in 6 months time the media will be in love with the Socceroos especially if we manage to somehow get some positive results in Brazil.

 

[Hoops]

The violence is the same, its just more visual with the flairs and smokers etc. Its fact that there are less fans thrown from an A-League game than in league afl or cricket

would love to see statistics for this looking at game time and crowd size as well

 

[Hoops]

Anyone who doesn't think the Murdoch papers have an agenda against football should click then read the link below.

http://prestoninstitute.com/2014/01/05/wowmuchethnic/

The side’s support base boasts numbers that are so phenomenal they are the envy of all professional footy clubs.

Stopped reading after this. that 15K they get for their home games would make all but the newest AFL clubs scoff

 

[Hoops]

Seriously? Looks like you're the one with an agenda

 

[peternorth]

I hate the fact these dickheads hide their faces with scarves and other clothing elements. why hide your face?

hate the violence. the mob mentality at work. great, be tough in numbers, but when law enforcement come you run and hide. then when apprehended you scream "i didnt do anything!!!!1!!". that really shits me about dickheads who get into fights anywhere really.

flares - why the fk do you need to bring them to games? do you use them at home? look, they're colourful and nice to look at, but not at a game ffs!!!1!!!

the football coverage (anti if you will) certainly polarises the community. talkback is fun. i dont think comparing codes is helpful in anyway in terms of ejections, fights etc. if we ask say the herald sun why they favour afl in terms of positive vs negative stories over football they'd deny doing so. might as well ask a politician to tell the truth....it aint happening.

as a football fan id like the clubs to address the fans. havent been to a game for a year due to other commitments, but say a video message from muscat telling everyone to cool their jets and dont use flares could be a start.

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

would love to see statistics for this looking at game time and crowd size as well

Yes, that would be my main question: whether it's some crap like 25 people being kicked out of the Boxing Day Test, compared to 15 people being kicked out of a standard A-League game, with 10-15,000 attending = soccer fans are better behaved.

 

[giggler99]

Probably because you haven't gone looking for it. Let's be honest you're only going to get in a fight at the soccer if you go looking for one.

Yeah true too, but that can be said for any sport as well, if I want to go out and give s**t to the Magpie army how long will I last you think?

 

[giggler99]

I hate the fact these dickheads hide their faces with scarves and other clothing elements. why hide your face?

hate the violence. the mob mentality at work. great, be tough in numbers, but when law enforcement come you run and hide. then when apprehended you scream "i didnt do anything!!!!1!!". that really shits me about dickheads who get into fights anywhere really.

flares - why the fk do you need to bring them to games? do you use them at home? look, they're colourful and nice to look at, but not at a game ffs!!!1!!!

the football coverage (anti if you will) certainly polarises the community. talkback is fun. i dont think comparing codes is helpful in anyway in terms of ejections, fights etc. if we ask say the herald sun why they favour afl in terms of positive vs negative stories over football they'd deny doing so. might as well ask a politician to tell the truth....it aint happening.

as a football fan id like the clubs to address the fans. havent been to a game for a year due to other commitments, but say a video message from muscat telling everyone to cool their jets and dont use flares could be a start.

Well the FFA have threaten 3pts so that may put a lot of these dickheads in line, but then again the clubs can't monitor every fan everywhere.

 

[tigs2010]

Yeah true too, but that can be said for any sport as well, if I want to go out and give s**t to the Magpie army how long will I last you think?

Not long. There are knobs at all sport. They generally punch on with each other. I actually agree with the thread FWIW. I've only started going to A-League games this year and love it. Have had no issues at all with crowd behaviour and no one in the areas I've been seated in have been kicked out and the worst behaviour I've seen (again in the area I'm seated) is people swearing. Lol

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

Well the FFA have threaten 3pts so that may put a lot of these dickheads in line, but then again the clubs can't monitor every fan everywhere.

It works under the assumption that even in these dickhead mobs, there's a few that actually care about how the team is going and so they will pull others from their group into line if they can see them getting out of hand. Incidents of one supporter getting out of line obviously can't be self-policed and just as obviously, incidents of individual supporters doing the wrong thing aren't what is concerning the league (otherwise they wouldn't have taken the action that the did, following the MV v WSW game).

As others have said, it's these mobs that want to embrace the hooligan culture that are the problem and they will be able to self-police, if they give a stuff about their club.

 

[peternorth]

Well the FFA have threaten 3pts so that may put a lot of these dickheads in line, but then again the clubs can't monitor every fan everywhere.

true that.

if people wanna punch on wearing team colours in the street, say the day after in outer eastern melbourne who gonna report it?

the ffa threat i feel isnt gonna do anything....the club needs to address this with the fan base at games. these thugs (probably gen y hehehahaha j/k) hate authority and thus the ffa. they will listen to what their own club says.

 

[finders]

Anyone who doesn't think the Murdoch papers have an agenda against football should click then read the link below.

http://prestoninstitute.com/2014/01/05/wowmuchethnic/

They dont have an agenda against "football" just soccer!

 

[juss]

The idea of stripping points for fan violence away from the game venue is simply ridiculous.
One caller on SEN made a good point, what if instead of it happening a few hours before the game, it happened the night before, and instead of being a few kilometers from the game, it was in a different state, or a few hours befoaway in a different city. At what point and what parameters do you set for clubs having to control their fans? Clubs can't be responsible for what every fan does all over Australia at any time.

I understand the FFA encouraging clubs to educate their fans, I have no issues with this, but you cannot threaten competition points for actions the club is in no way responsible for, and has absolutely no way of policing or controlling.

 

[Colonial]

They dont have an agenda against "football" just soccer!