Go England! !
Jun 16th 2014, 5:08 pm
#62
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 15,526
Re: Go England! !
A-League could take a lesson from World Cup fandom before implementing ‘active zones’ plan
•SIMON HILL
•NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA
•JUNE 17, 2014 5:03AM
LAST night I sat in the Maracana among an explosion of colour, noise and nationalities for the Argentina/Bosnia game.
In front of me were two Englishmen — to their left, two Aussies of Greek extraction wearing Argentina jerseys. Behind me were Brazilians, to my right, a pair of Frenchmen sporting “Les Bleus” jerseys, but brandishing an Algerian flag.
At various stages last night, we encountered Mexicans, Dutchmen, Colombians, Croatians, Chileans, and a whole host of locals clad in their favourite club shirts.
The atmosphere was incredible, as the Brazilians and Argentines in particular gave it to each other, via a series of songs and chants clearly designed to gain one-upmanship in the South American battle for supremacy.
At one stage, the whole ground appeared to be in unison, singing for — or against — the Argentines. It was football fandom in its purest form, and there wasn’t a hint of malice.
The World Cup of course, is a special tournament. But last night’s experience only magnifies the incredulity at reading the news from back in Australia.
In case you are unaware, the FFA has opted to incorporate new rules for “active fans” in the A-League.
The new rules will make the active zones members only. The governing body believes this will “protect” the atmosphere created at A-League grounds around Australia.
On the contrary, in my opinion, it seeks to control such areas, and is a sop to security, who still — by and large — don’t quite understand the concept of football fandom, of the sort that I witnessed at the Maracana.
Furthermore, it is a response to a media still in thrall to the other codes.
Let’s make one thing clear. No-one condones poor behaviour, and at times we have had to endure the adolescent stupidity and lawlessness of some A-League fans hell-bent on causing trouble, or letting off flares inside stadiums.
Specifically, a small minority of supporters from Melbourne Victory and Western Sydney Wanderers dragged the game through the mud last season, with the horrible scenes that accompanied their meeting in Melbourne — leading to widespread condemnation, and a suspended three-point penalty for both clubs.
But they have been isolated incidents.
If Victory and Wanderers want to introduce a members-only “active” area for their clubs, then that is their business, and for them to discuss with their own fanbase — but why should the rest of the competition have to follow suit?
Why should the FFA insist fans of — say — Perth Glory register their intent to sing and chant, just because a few idiots in Melbourne or Western Sydney have misbehaved?
What this does, is tarnish all fans with the same brush. It suggests they need to be herded away from the mainstream, tagged, and watched over, in the way unruly elements of society are kept under constant surveillance by the authorities.
You can understand the FFA being twitchy to avoid the sort of publicity that followed the incidents in Melbourne last season — but a clampdown on active areas is not the way to go about it, at least not in a “one-size-fits-all” edict.
It’s strange, but within the last month, two major incidents have happened at AFL matches, the sort of which would have led to front page headlines for the A-League.
First, Collingwood fans clashed with police in Adelaide, leading to three arrests and 19 evictions. Earlier in May, a man was brutally bashed outside the MCG after a Carlton/Collingwood game.
Yet the AFL (and the Melbourne media especially), are careful to treat such incidents for what they are — occurrences that are distasteful, but not the norm.
Collingwood club president Eddie McGuire even refused to comment on the first incident in Adelaide. Can you imagine David Gallop getting away with that?
The FFA should not be justifying the stereotype, nor reacting to the paranoia around football — they should be identifying individual troublemakers, while attempting to educate the media and security services that poor behaviour is no more widespread in the A-League than in AFL, rugby league, or cricket.
Why? Because it happens to be true.
Instead, they have chosen to persecute the very people who give football its flavour. Worse still, the language chosen to explain their move suggests they are trying to “own” the unique atmosphere football fans create. They don’t.
Fandom is organic. It cannot be bought, controlled, nor penned into official sections — as the late Margaret Thatcher found out during her time as UK prime minister many years ago, when she tried to introduce an ID scheme for all football fans in England.
The FFA would have been wiser buying plane and match tickets for the security services, and some of the scaremongers in the media to this World Cup, and taken them to the Maracana last night. I’d love to see them try to curb that sort of spontaneity by insisting they carry a membership card.
This is the kind of situation as to why we are precious and protective of football/soccer in this country, there is a media war against our code and our own FFA are reacting to this media pressure.
•SIMON HILL
•NEWS CORP AUSTRALIA
•JUNE 17, 2014 5:03AM
LAST night I sat in the Maracana among an explosion of colour, noise and nationalities for the Argentina/Bosnia game.
In front of me were two Englishmen — to their left, two Aussies of Greek extraction wearing Argentina jerseys. Behind me were Brazilians, to my right, a pair of Frenchmen sporting “Les Bleus” jerseys, but brandishing an Algerian flag.
At various stages last night, we encountered Mexicans, Dutchmen, Colombians, Croatians, Chileans, and a whole host of locals clad in their favourite club shirts.
The atmosphere was incredible, as the Brazilians and Argentines in particular gave it to each other, via a series of songs and chants clearly designed to gain one-upmanship in the South American battle for supremacy.
At one stage, the whole ground appeared to be in unison, singing for — or against — the Argentines. It was football fandom in its purest form, and there wasn’t a hint of malice.
The World Cup of course, is a special tournament. But last night’s experience only magnifies the incredulity at reading the news from back in Australia.
In case you are unaware, the FFA has opted to incorporate new rules for “active fans” in the A-League.
The new rules will make the active zones members only. The governing body believes this will “protect” the atmosphere created at A-League grounds around Australia.
On the contrary, in my opinion, it seeks to control such areas, and is a sop to security, who still — by and large — don’t quite understand the concept of football fandom, of the sort that I witnessed at the Maracana.
Furthermore, it is a response to a media still in thrall to the other codes.
Let’s make one thing clear. No-one condones poor behaviour, and at times we have had to endure the adolescent stupidity and lawlessness of some A-League fans hell-bent on causing trouble, or letting off flares inside stadiums.
Specifically, a small minority of supporters from Melbourne Victory and Western Sydney Wanderers dragged the game through the mud last season, with the horrible scenes that accompanied their meeting in Melbourne — leading to widespread condemnation, and a suspended three-point penalty for both clubs.
But they have been isolated incidents.
If Victory and Wanderers want to introduce a members-only “active” area for their clubs, then that is their business, and for them to discuss with their own fanbase — but why should the rest of the competition have to follow suit?
Why should the FFA insist fans of — say — Perth Glory register their intent to sing and chant, just because a few idiots in Melbourne or Western Sydney have misbehaved?
What this does, is tarnish all fans with the same brush. It suggests they need to be herded away from the mainstream, tagged, and watched over, in the way unruly elements of society are kept under constant surveillance by the authorities.
You can understand the FFA being twitchy to avoid the sort of publicity that followed the incidents in Melbourne last season — but a clampdown on active areas is not the way to go about it, at least not in a “one-size-fits-all” edict.
It’s strange, but within the last month, two major incidents have happened at AFL matches, the sort of which would have led to front page headlines for the A-League.
First, Collingwood fans clashed with police in Adelaide, leading to three arrests and 19 evictions. Earlier in May, a man was brutally bashed outside the MCG after a Carlton/Collingwood game.
Yet the AFL (and the Melbourne media especially), are careful to treat such incidents for what they are — occurrences that are distasteful, but not the norm.
Collingwood club president Eddie McGuire even refused to comment on the first incident in Adelaide. Can you imagine David Gallop getting away with that?
The FFA should not be justifying the stereotype, nor reacting to the paranoia around football — they should be identifying individual troublemakers, while attempting to educate the media and security services that poor behaviour is no more widespread in the A-League than in AFL, rugby league, or cricket.
Why? Because it happens to be true.
Instead, they have chosen to persecute the very people who give football its flavour. Worse still, the language chosen to explain their move suggests they are trying to “own” the unique atmosphere football fans create. They don’t.
Fandom is organic. It cannot be bought, controlled, nor penned into official sections — as the late Margaret Thatcher found out during her time as UK prime minister many years ago, when she tried to introduce an ID scheme for all football fans in England.
The FFA would have been wiser buying plane and match tickets for the security services, and some of the scaremongers in the media to this World Cup, and taken them to the Maracana last night. I’d love to see them try to curb that sort of spontaneity by insisting they carry a membership card.
This is the kind of situation as to why we are precious and protective of football/soccer in this country, there is a media war against our code and our own FFA are reacting to this media pressure.
If anything is worse than the FFA it's that little hard core of about 150 to 300 at MV... influenced heavily by a Serbian group called Horda.
Could be even worse this year... infighting on a major scale coming at MV.
I'm going the FFA's way from now on.... whats wrong the casual supporter buying 3 games worth of "active" tickets... Surely they dont just want to come once. Plus casual "active" Membership can only improve the SEnds atmosphere from all the gawpers that haven't got a clue. Afaik under these new rules you can bring a freind on a one on one basis... that equates to 4 with my memberships
This is going to take at least another 18 months to clean up at MV at least.
Meanwhile the rest of the league suffers because of a stupid "Political" (laugh) struggle at MV.
I honestly think this hardcore would rather see MV stop as a entity than negotiate.... maybe thats the answer for the greater good of the league.
Last edited by ozzieeagle; Jun 16th 2014 at 5:18 pm.
Jun 16th 2014, 5:43 pm
#63
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Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 1,253
Re: Go England! !
[QUOTE=ozzieeagle;11304896]I'm over it to be honest, two full years we've had these issues and boycotts at MV... Problem is the hard core at MV wont negotiate on flares or anything to do with active support. At least the RBB condemned the flares inside the ground.
If anything is worse than the FFA it's that little hard core of about 150 to 300 at MV... influenced heavily by a Serbian group called Horda.
Could be even worse this year... infighting on a major scale coming at MV.
I'm going the FFA's way from now on.... whats wrong the casual supporter buying 3 games worth of "active" tickets... Surely they dont just want to come once. Plus casual "active" Membership can only improve the SEnds atmosphere from all the gawpers that haven't got a clue. Afaik under these new rules you can bring a freind on a one on one basis... that equates to 4 with my memberships
This is going to take at least another 18 months to clean up at MV at least.
Meanwhile the rest of the league suffers because of a stupid "Political" (laugh) struggle at MV.
I honestly think this hardcore would rather see MV stop as a entity than negotiate.... maybe thats the answer for the greater good of the league.[/QUOTE]
Wow you really are down about it aren't you!
The RBB grew from a small group who took mates along to the game and got them hooked. The nature of the RBB is one that grows organically and not by membership restriction.
What the FFA are proposing for the RBB is to lock out access to the active area for the whole season once the membership sale is finished.
We will also have the crazy situation like at the Melbourne Herat away game back in April when they only allowed RBB members to purchase tickets in the away active area. The result was a small group of active fans in one bay and then two bays over the rest of the WSW fans who ended up more active than the active fans! It was totally crazy and I can see no end of trouble at the CCM. Jets and ESFC away games.
Also how are clubs like CCM, Jets and ESFC going to police this with their open stadiums? What are they going to do about active people in non active areas, evict them for being active? Even the non active area at WSW can get pretty active at times.
If the FFA want to kill support in this country then they are going the right way about it.
If anything is worse than the FFA it's that little hard core of about 150 to 300 at MV... influenced heavily by a Serbian group called Horda.
Could be even worse this year... infighting on a major scale coming at MV.
I'm going the FFA's way from now on.... whats wrong the casual supporter buying 3 games worth of "active" tickets... Surely they dont just want to come once. Plus casual "active" Membership can only improve the SEnds atmosphere from all the gawpers that haven't got a clue. Afaik under these new rules you can bring a freind on a one on one basis... that equates to 4 with my memberships
This is going to take at least another 18 months to clean up at MV at least.
Meanwhile the rest of the league suffers because of a stupid "Political" (laugh) struggle at MV.
I honestly think this hardcore would rather see MV stop as a entity than negotiate.... maybe thats the answer for the greater good of the league.[/QUOTE]
Wow you really are down about it aren't you!
The RBB grew from a small group who took mates along to the game and got them hooked. The nature of the RBB is one that grows organically and not by membership restriction.
What the FFA are proposing for the RBB is to lock out access to the active area for the whole season once the membership sale is finished.
We will also have the crazy situation like at the Melbourne Herat away game back in April when they only allowed RBB members to purchase tickets in the away active area. The result was a small group of active fans in one bay and then two bays over the rest of the WSW fans who ended up more active than the active fans! It was totally crazy and I can see no end of trouble at the CCM. Jets and ESFC away games.
Also how are clubs like CCM, Jets and ESFC going to police this with their open stadiums? What are they going to do about active people in non active areas, evict them for being active? Even the non active area at WSW can get pretty active at times.
If the FFA want to kill support in this country then they are going the right way about it.
Last edited by Jon77; Jun 16th 2014 at 5:46 pm.
Jun 16th 2014, 6:53 pm
#64
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 15,526
Re: Go England! !
Wow you really are down about it aren't you!
The RBB grew from a small group who took mates along to the game and got them hooked. The nature of the RBB is one that grows organically and not by membership restriction.
What the FFA are proposing for the RBB is to lock out access to the active area for the whole season once the membership sale is finished.
We will also have the crazy situation like at the Melbourne Herat away game back in April when they only allowed RBB members to purchase tickets in the away active area. The result was a small group of active fans in one bay and then two bays over the rest of the WSW fans who ended up more active than the active fans! It was totally crazy and I can see no end of trouble at the CCM. Jets and ESFC away games.
Also how are clubs like CCM, Jets and ESFC going to police this with their open stadiums? What are they going to do about active people in non active areas, evict them for being active? Even the non active area at WSW can get pretty active at times.
If the FFA want to kill support in this country then they are going the right way about it.
The RBB grew from a small group who took mates along to the game and got them hooked. The nature of the RBB is one that grows organically and not by membership restriction.
What the FFA are proposing for the RBB is to lock out access to the active area for the whole season once the membership sale is finished.
We will also have the crazy situation like at the Melbourne Herat away game back in April when they only allowed RBB members to purchase tickets in the away active area. The result was a small group of active fans in one bay and then two bays over the rest of the WSW fans who ended up more active than the active fans! It was totally crazy and I can see no end of trouble at the CCM. Jets and ESFC away games.
Also how are clubs like CCM, Jets and ESFC going to police this with their open stadiums? What are they going to do about active people in non active areas, evict them for being active? Even the non active area at WSW can get pretty active at times.
If the FFA want to kill support in this country then they are going the right way about it.
Thing is they took their friends, which is exactly the way I started in the active area of the South End. After 3 games I was hooked and became a member of my own accord...Plus I've taken at least 20 people during my 8 years as a member most of whom have joined. You can actually get 2 people in easy per member, well in Melbourne you can, just by swapping tickets over. The percentage of people that are going to rock up on their lonesome to join an active area would be miniscual... even then a chat in one of the bars with a member at the ground would probably get you in.
As for active v non active areas, it comes down to sitting v standing... With standing only allowed in the Active areas, It's pretty difficult to be full on passionate in a sitting area. I wouldn't want to even attempt it myself. I anticpate they will strictly monitor the sitting rules outside the active areas from this point on.
Another crap season, only probably far worse with more entrenched polarisation on the supporter front coming for MV this year. It's going to be like a civil war in some ways.
.
Jun 16th 2014, 7:03 pm
#65
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Thread Starter
Joined: Oct 2005
Location: Hill overlooking the SE Melbourne suburbs
Posts: 16,622
Re: Go England! !
Thing is they took their friends, which is exactly the way I started in the active area of the South End. After 3 games I was hooked and became a member of my own accord...Plus I've taken at least 20 people during my 8 years as a member most of whom have joined. You can actually get 2 people in easy per member, well in Melbourne you can, just by swapping tickets over. The percentage of people that are going to rock up on their lonesome to join an active area would be miniscual... even then a chat in one of the bars with a member at the ground would probably get you in.
As for active v non active areas, it comes down to sitting v standing... With standing only allowed in the Active areas, It's pretty difficult to be full on passionate in a sitting area. I wouldn't want to even attempt it myself. I anticpate they will strictly monitor the sitting rules outside the active areas from this point on.
Another crap season, only probably far worse with more entrenched polarisation on the supporter front coming for MV this year. It's going to be like a civil war in some ways.
.
As for active v non active areas, it comes down to sitting v standing... With standing only allowed in the Active areas, It's pretty difficult to be full on passionate in a sitting area. I wouldn't want to even attempt it myself. I anticpate they will strictly monitor the sitting rules outside the active areas from this point on.
Another crap season, only probably far worse with more entrenched polarisation on the supporter front coming for MV this year. It's going to be like a civil war in some ways.
.
Jun 16th 2014, 7:07 pm
#66
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Nov 2003
Location: Scotland
Posts: 7,949
Re: Go England! !
There was a classic case of blatant cheating which severely detracts from the game in the Germany vs Portugal match. I don't condone Pepe and he reacted in the way he was meant to (from Muller's perspective) but the way Thomas Muller reacted to some contact from Pepe - both with the arm first and lightly with head too was laughable. Do Aussie Rules and rugby players genuinely behave like that with such contact? Until players get sent off for diving and feigning injury it will continue.
Jun 16th 2014, 7:22 pm
#67
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 15,526
Re: Go England! !
Yehp, plus it's stupid and pathetic arguments behind all of this.
The whole thing feels juvenile... and when you argue with people of that mindset you reduce yourself to that level.
So all in all there are a whole lot of people acting like idiots.
Having said that, the authorities did go in heavy handed and group in everyone down the North Terrace and treat them all as perpetrators of anti social behavior, which has totally exacerbated the situation. It's amazing that the police involved in the early stages managed to seemingly capsicum spray more innocent people than guilty ones... including a fair sprinkling of women and kids, who were rubber necking too close to the action. Why they couldn't just use video footage of people lighting flares and go in afterwards and pick them out one by one instead of mob handed and rough handle people in between them and the perps then we wouldnt have such a polarised situation.
Who knows what this season will bring really, you never know, maybe it will come to the boil quickly and sort itself out that way.
The spin off this season will be the pros and antis down the South end, which was getting to the point of physicality at the end of last season.
I'm going to be very cautious about taking anyone new this season at this stage as I reckon it could well be very nasty in the early stages.
Jun 16th 2014, 8:25 pm
#68
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Joined: Nov 2003
Location: Scotland
Posts: 7,949
Re: Go England! !
Yehp, plus it's stupid and pathetic arguments behind all of this.
The whole thing feels juvenile... and when you argue with people of that mindset you reduce yourself to that level.
So all in all there are a whole lot of people acting like idiots.
Having said that, the authorities did go in heavy handed and group in everyone down the North Terrace and treat them all as perpetrators of anti social behavior, which has totally exacerbated the situation. It's amazing that the police involved in the early stages managed to seemingly capsicum spray more innocent people than guilty ones... including a fair sprinkling of women and kids, who were rubber necking too close to the action. Why they couldn't just use video footage of people lighting flares and go in afterwards and pick them out one by one instead of mob handed and rough handle people in between them and the perps then we wouldnt have such a polarised situation.
Who knows what this season will bring really, you never know, maybe it will come to the boil quickly and sort itself out that way.
The spin off this season will be the pros and antis down the South end, which was getting to the point of physicality at the end of last season.
I'm going to be very cautious about taking anyone new this season at this stage as I reckon it could well be very nasty in the early stages.
The whole thing feels juvenile... and when you argue with people of that mindset you reduce yourself to that level.
So all in all there are a whole lot of people acting like idiots.
Having said that, the authorities did go in heavy handed and group in everyone down the North Terrace and treat them all as perpetrators of anti social behavior, which has totally exacerbated the situation. It's amazing that the police involved in the early stages managed to seemingly capsicum spray more innocent people than guilty ones... including a fair sprinkling of women and kids, who were rubber necking too close to the action. Why they couldn't just use video footage of people lighting flares and go in afterwards and pick them out one by one instead of mob handed and rough handle people in between them and the perps then we wouldnt have such a polarised situation.
Who knows what this season will bring really, you never know, maybe it will come to the boil quickly and sort itself out that way.
The spin off this season will be the pros and antis down the South end, which was getting to the point of physicality at the end of last season.
I'm going to be very cautious about taking anyone new this season at this stage as I reckon it could well be very nasty in the early stages.
The crowd trouble, the cheating, the 'sissyness' of some players and their actions and the low scoring are what detract from the sport and will prevent it from ever becoming the main sport down under. The other 2 codes are too firmly entrenched and have the above to a lesser extent. End of sermon.
Jun 16th 2014, 8:50 pm
#69
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Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 1,253
Re: Go England! !
Perhaps there-in lies the difference between soccer/football and other sports? Other sports are more about what happens on the field and not what happens amongst the spectators and who can sing the loudest and wittiest. If I went to watch Murray play Nadal it would be to watch Murray play Nadal and not to chant at the Nadal supporters. Some might think this adds to the 'atmosphere'
The crowd trouble, the cheating, the 'sissyness' of some players and their actions and the low scoring are what detract from the sport and will prevent it from ever becoming the main sport down under. The other 2 codes are too firmly entrenched and have the above to a lesser extent. End of sermon.
The crowd trouble, the cheating, the 'sissyness' of some players and their actions and the low scoring are what detract from the sport and will prevent it from ever becoming the main sport down under. The other 2 codes are too firmly entrenched and have the above to a lesser extent. End of sermon.
0/10, must try harder.
Jun 16th 2014, 8:51 pm
#70
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Joined: Nov 2002
Location: Redneck Wonderland
Posts: 9,932
Re: Go England! !
There was a classic case of blatant cheating which severely detracts from the game in the Germany vs Portugal match. I don't condone Pepe and he reacted in the way he was meant to (from Muller's perspective) but the way Thomas Muller reacted to some contact from Pepe - both with the arm first and lightly with head too was laughable. Do Aussie Rules and rugby players genuinely behave like that with such contact? Until players get sent off for diving and feigning injury it will continue.
Jun 16th 2014, 9:51 pm
#71
Account Closed
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 0
Re: Go England! !
Someone said there was a tennis player calling someone else a sissy on here, surely not
The ref should draw a shaving foam circle around him, any non captains that enter get a yellow - simples
My first comment was a bit glib, but these 'my sport's better than your sport' conversations do make me chuckle, me personally, Tennis, AFL, and Rugby Union all bore me to tears, that doesn't make them shite or their fans any worse or better than me. Can't we all just love eachother?? haha
The ref should draw a shaving foam circle around him, any non captains that enter get a yellow - simples
My first comment was a bit glib, but these 'my sport's better than your sport' conversations do make me chuckle, me personally, Tennis, AFL, and Rugby Union all bore me to tears, that doesn't make them shite or their fans any worse or better than me. Can't we all just love eachother?? haha
Last edited by scrubbedexpat098; Jun 16th 2014 at 10:10 pm.
Jun 17th 2014, 12:32 am
#72
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 15,526
Re: Go England! !
Perhaps there-in lies the difference between soccer/football and other sports? Other sports are more about what happens on the field and not what happens amongst the spectators and who can sing the loudest and wittiest. If I went to watch Murray play Nadal it would be to watch Murray play Nadal and not to chant at the Nadal supporters. Some might think this adds to the 'atmosphere'
The crowd trouble, the cheating, the 'sissyness' of some players and their actions and the low scoring are what detract from the sport and will prevent it from ever becoming the main sport down under. The other 2 codes are too firmly entrenched and have the above to a lesser extent. End of sermon.
The crowd trouble, the cheating, the 'sissyness' of some players and their actions and the low scoring are what detract from the sport and will prevent it from ever becoming the main sport down under. The other 2 codes are too firmly entrenched and have the above to a lesser extent. End of sermon.
Last edited by ozzieeagle; Jun 17th 2014 at 12:40 am.
Jun 17th 2014, 2:39 am
#73
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Nov 2003
Location: Scotland
Posts: 7,949
Re: Go England! !
Trouble is active Football fans "Know/Believe" they are the 12th man, Apparently its been proven. Particpation and all that etc etc. Which is why eventually Football will succeed in this country.... It's just going to be a little fraught along the way whilst the general public start to catch on, despite the tortured machinations.
Luckily, in most sports if you feign injury you don't gain an advantage via a penalty or having the opposition numbers reduced. I know of very few sportsman who would have continued to play and not mentioned injury after defeat like Nadal did against Wawrinka.
Jun 17th 2014, 2:40 am
#74
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Joined: Nov 2002
Location: Redneck Wonderland
Posts: 9,932
Re: Go England! !
I'm over it to be honest, two full years we've had these issues and boycotts at MV... Problem is the hard core at MV wont negotiate on flares or anything to do with active support. At least the RBB condemned the flares inside the ground.
If anything is worse than the FFA it's that little hard core of about 150 to 300 at MV... influenced heavily by a Serbian group called Horda.
Could be even worse this year... infighting on a major scale coming at MV.
I'm going the FFA's way from now on.... whats wrong the casual supporter buying 3 games worth of "active" tickets... Surely they dont just want to come once. Plus casual "active" Membership can only improve the SEnds atmosphere from all the gawpers that haven't got a clue. Afaik under these new rules you can bring a freind on a one on one basis... that equates to 4 with my memberships
This is going to take at least another 18 months to clean up at MV at least.
Meanwhile the rest of the league suffers because of a stupid "Political" (laugh) struggle at MV.
I honestly think this hardcore would rather see MV stop as a entity than negotiate.... maybe thats the answer for the greater good of the league.
If anything is worse than the FFA it's that little hard core of about 150 to 300 at MV... influenced heavily by a Serbian group called Horda.
Could be even worse this year... infighting on a major scale coming at MV.
I'm going the FFA's way from now on.... whats wrong the casual supporter buying 3 games worth of "active" tickets... Surely they dont just want to come once. Plus casual "active" Membership can only improve the SEnds atmosphere from all the gawpers that haven't got a clue. Afaik under these new rules you can bring a freind on a one on one basis... that equates to 4 with my memberships
This is going to take at least another 18 months to clean up at MV at least.
Meanwhile the rest of the league suffers because of a stupid "Political" (laugh) struggle at MV.
I honestly think this hardcore would rather see MV stop as a entity than negotiate.... maybe thats the answer for the greater good of the league.
Jun 17th 2014, 3:04 am
#75
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Nov 2003
Location: Scotland
Posts: 7,949
Re: Go England! !
Yes to AFL & NRL players doing the same. Michael Ennis [Bulldogs] has feigned injury for multiple penalties this season, he's become a master at it. It's laughable especially with the on field refs being miked up these days. You could hear the opposing player saying 'get up you soft @#$% nobody touched you'
I haven't seen his offences but I doubt in a scoring system like league that any feigning can have as much an impact as it can in a football match. League players generally speaking are much tougher than a lot of footballers and you will see less acting for sure.
