Scoops- MUFC RULZ
August 2nd, 2006, 03:29 PM
The A-League's second season is almost upon us, and Phill Chadwick runs the rule over the different clubs' support groups.
Hyundai A-League Adelaide United has "The Gate", Sydney FC "The Cove", Perth Glory "The Glory Boys", Central Coast Mariners "The Marinators". These groups and the groups supporting the other A-League clubs are the epitome of football support in this country.
Their contribution to the success of the A-League should not be underestimated.
With the A-League players now warming up for the second season with a few pre-season cup games, the fans are also warming up, and anticipation is, for some of us, almost too much to bear.
No fans are more excited, as the end of the interminable off season approaches, than those most committed of supporters, the organised supporters' groups.
Sydney FC's fanatical supporters "The Cove", dominating one end of Aussie Stadium are the benchmark group in this fledgling phenomenon and by far the most visible.
In numerical strength, vocal support, and level of visibility, they clearly lead the way. But with that leading role comes responsibility.
As the visible face of football fandom in this country, The Cove, and the groups backing the other A-League teams, have a serious duty to present their support of football in the best possible light.
Each A-League club has one or more supporter groups. Some are loosely organised, simply an area of the stadium in which fans gather, with a few enthusiastic leaders around which the group rallies. Others are more rigidly structured, with membership registers. Some even pay membership fees.
There are official groups, recognised and supported by their clubs, and unofficial groups without any official endorsement.
Regardless of their status, they all have the same duty to the A-League competition, and to the game of Football itself. Make no mistake, the success of the A-League competition in this country is a fragile, new-born thing and could be badly damaged by even minor problems.
The mainstream media in this country seems to be suspicious of this new phenomenon, especially where they perceive a threat to entrenched codes like AFL and NRL. The spectre of football crowd violence still lurks, waiting to be dredged up by eager journalists welded on to other codes.
One significant incident of crowd violence, one pitch invasion, one act of vandalism could be blown up out of all proportion to its true significance and do permanent damage to the sport.
The supporter groups are the backbone of public support for their local clubs. They create the atmosphere at the games. They teach other, more reticent fans how to chant, sing and show vocal support. Their importance in attracting paying customers to the grounds must be acknowledged. It is just their type of vocal support, atmosphere and excitement that rubs off on the young fans newly attracted to football at the elite level.
What must be guarded against is any perception of these groups as some kind of hard core thugs, or that they may be dangerous to be near.
Football grounds in this country have not needed to separate, with physical barriers, the fans of opposing teams. It is entirely sensible to allocate a section of the stadium for travelling away fans, simply because they will wish to be together. If we ever need fences, the battle is lost.
And if crowd behaviour should ever deteriorate to the stage where opposition fans do not feel safe inside or outside the stadium, then the great opportunity for football to achieve major sport status in this country will evaporate.
If that should happen, younger fans and families will begin to turn away and the appeal of our great game to the wider Australian community will have been lost.
Football fans from a British background have embraced this deliberately non-ethnic competition in a way that was forever impossible in most cities in the old NSL. They bring to the terraces a passion, a sense of humour and a love for football that can only enhance the A-League experience. Blending in seamlessly with the Aussies, Italians, Greeks, Serbians, Croatians, Poles, and all the other ethnicities that have always been there, these mixed groups sing, chant and cheer as one.
The supporter groups are noticed by the clubs, the media, and the other fans at the grounds. This recognition gives them power. Power to influence the game in progress, power to gain media coverage for the game, and power to ignite the rest of the crowd.
But with power comes responsibility.
These groups must behave responsibly. It is perhaps understandable for Australian supporters to import many of the European supporter groups traditions. Passion, noise, involvement and colour can only enhance our game. But other, less desirable influences must be resisted.
The magnificent sight of an all red Hindmarsh Stadium, or the spine-tingling sound of The Cove in full voice are what we should one day experience at all A-League games.
There is an Australian tendency to integrate the best of all cultures into our own. This should apply no less to Football.
And the organised supporter groups have the leading role in the development of an Australian Football culture.
To adapt John F Kennedy's famous line, I say to the leaders of all of the supporters groups: "Ask not what Football can do for you…Ask what you can do for Football".
http://www.sportsaustralia.com/articles/aug06/artid6149.html
Hyundai A-League Adelaide United has "The Gate", Sydney FC "The Cove", Perth Glory "The Glory Boys", Central Coast Mariners "The Marinators". These groups and the groups supporting the other A-League clubs are the epitome of football support in this country.
Their contribution to the success of the A-League should not be underestimated.
With the A-League players now warming up for the second season with a few pre-season cup games, the fans are also warming up, and anticipation is, for some of us, almost too much to bear.
No fans are more excited, as the end of the interminable off season approaches, than those most committed of supporters, the organised supporters' groups.
Sydney FC's fanatical supporters "The Cove", dominating one end of Aussie Stadium are the benchmark group in this fledgling phenomenon and by far the most visible.
In numerical strength, vocal support, and level of visibility, they clearly lead the way. But with that leading role comes responsibility.
As the visible face of football fandom in this country, The Cove, and the groups backing the other A-League teams, have a serious duty to present their support of football in the best possible light.
Each A-League club has one or more supporter groups. Some are loosely organised, simply an area of the stadium in which fans gather, with a few enthusiastic leaders around which the group rallies. Others are more rigidly structured, with membership registers. Some even pay membership fees.
There are official groups, recognised and supported by their clubs, and unofficial groups without any official endorsement.
Regardless of their status, they all have the same duty to the A-League competition, and to the game of Football itself. Make no mistake, the success of the A-League competition in this country is a fragile, new-born thing and could be badly damaged by even minor problems.
The mainstream media in this country seems to be suspicious of this new phenomenon, especially where they perceive a threat to entrenched codes like AFL and NRL. The spectre of football crowd violence still lurks, waiting to be dredged up by eager journalists welded on to other codes.
One significant incident of crowd violence, one pitch invasion, one act of vandalism could be blown up out of all proportion to its true significance and do permanent damage to the sport.
The supporter groups are the backbone of public support for their local clubs. They create the atmosphere at the games. They teach other, more reticent fans how to chant, sing and show vocal support. Their importance in attracting paying customers to the grounds must be acknowledged. It is just their type of vocal support, atmosphere and excitement that rubs off on the young fans newly attracted to football at the elite level.
What must be guarded against is any perception of these groups as some kind of hard core thugs, or that they may be dangerous to be near.
Football grounds in this country have not needed to separate, with physical barriers, the fans of opposing teams. It is entirely sensible to allocate a section of the stadium for travelling away fans, simply because they will wish to be together. If we ever need fences, the battle is lost.
And if crowd behaviour should ever deteriorate to the stage where opposition fans do not feel safe inside or outside the stadium, then the great opportunity for football to achieve major sport status in this country will evaporate.
If that should happen, younger fans and families will begin to turn away and the appeal of our great game to the wider Australian community will have been lost.
Football fans from a British background have embraced this deliberately non-ethnic competition in a way that was forever impossible in most cities in the old NSL. They bring to the terraces a passion, a sense of humour and a love for football that can only enhance the A-League experience. Blending in seamlessly with the Aussies, Italians, Greeks, Serbians, Croatians, Poles, and all the other ethnicities that have always been there, these mixed groups sing, chant and cheer as one.
The supporter groups are noticed by the clubs, the media, and the other fans at the grounds. This recognition gives them power. Power to influence the game in progress, power to gain media coverage for the game, and power to ignite the rest of the crowd.
But with power comes responsibility.
These groups must behave responsibly. It is perhaps understandable for Australian supporters to import many of the European supporter groups traditions. Passion, noise, involvement and colour can only enhance our game. But other, less desirable influences must be resisted.
The magnificent sight of an all red Hindmarsh Stadium, or the spine-tingling sound of The Cove in full voice are what we should one day experience at all A-League games.
There is an Australian tendency to integrate the best of all cultures into our own. This should apply no less to Football.
And the organised supporter groups have the leading role in the development of an Australian Football culture.
To adapt John F Kennedy's famous line, I say to the leaders of all of the supporters groups: "Ask not what Football can do for you…Ask what you can do for Football".
http://www.sportsaustralia.com/articles/aug06/artid6149.html