mpgrewal

From past 3 years I'm witnessing spike in indiscipline among European spectators in Australian open matches. People don't reliaze that Tennis is not football where you can rant and shout to support your team. It requires pin-drop silence as the players need to concentrate especially while serving.

Not sure why crowds are getting so violent these days.
http://www.theage.com.au/sport/tenni...0119-mib2.html

Vash the Stampede

Ah, those feisty Croatian supporters! How we love them. And their larks.

Lord_Farquar

I thought they were Australian born though?

mpgrewal

Spilling the ugly rants of Balkan wars and frightening people with flares. Tennis courts are becoming Balkan battlefields for these louts

bcworld

I think this is definitely a time when the newspapers are trying to avoid saying that!

It would be odd that these Balkan trouble makers would be making a habit of making their way to Melbourne every year but not popping up at Wimbledon or the French Open? Or maybe they just fancy a winter holiday!?

Or yes...maybe they are Australians.

Lord_Farquar

Seems a bit hypocritical to me. They are Balkan trouble makers.

However, Jelena Dokić is a true blue Aussie champ (although not this year). Hmm.

Broad Shoulders

This does raise an interesting question as Australia and Australians claim to have a true melting pot of cultures and people and also, supposedly the most accepting of these different cultures. Yet, when these nasty incidents occur they are no longer Aussies, instead they are all pigeon-holed as Lebanese, Croatians, Serbs, Greeks, Cypriots etc etc.

The_Wookie

You seem surprised BS.

Vash the Stampede

Are they? They might be, but I haven't seen this confirmed by anyone. Either way, it's irrelevant. They've made it clear where their true loyalties lie. They're not attacking the Czechs because Australians have a grudge against Czechs. They're attacking the Czechs because they're Croats with a grudge against Czechs.

Of course they're Australians. But they're Croat Australians. The whole problem stems from Croatian antipathy towards Czechoslovakia. It does not stem from Australian antipathy towards Czechoslovakia.

That's why - and follow me closely here - the only people causing this trouble are people from the Croatian community.

Lord_Farquar

Broad Shoulders

Incorrect. A few years ago it was the Serbs, the year before that is was the Cypriots. In NSW Soccer league it was the Greeks. In the NRL for the Bulldogs it was the Lebanese...and so on and so on....

bcworld

So which Australians represent Australian views then? Who are the Australian Australians?

IvanM

Gets even more feisty when a Serb comes out to play a Croat. Very passionate and fiery people.

Lord_Farquar

Mark Philippoussis? No, sorry he speaks greek.

Broad Shoulders

...another great Aussie; Ivan Milat. That's a Croat name, isn't it?