In a year where the SCG & Allianz Stadium were listed among the most violent venues in Sydney, incidents were lowest at football games, compared to matches in other codes that use the two venues. Could the Boxing Day Test be off the agenda? Credit:Getty Images All of which suggests that the hysteria around football simply does not tally with the hard facts. Some commentators have smeared football fans, comparing them to terrorists, and will continue to take pot shots at the game in the future no matter what the evidence says. It's becoming clear that statistics are being ignored for what can only be assumed to be personal agendas. While you can't stop the haters hating, football fans can at least enjoy the peace of mind that comes with knowing the A-League is a safe haven for spectators this summer. 2. Mariners in crisis.

Central Coast Mariners are genuinely a club in trouble. It's closing in on 12 weeks since their last win and a young squad becoming more bereft of confidence won't be able to handle too many more defeats before their season enters a nose-dive coach Tony Walmsley can't pull them out of. Losing 4-1 with ten men to Sydney FC in isolation isn't terrible, but conceding two penalties and scoring an own goal is indicative of an implosion. Safe haven: Wanderers fans support their team at the Christmas Eve match against Newcastle. Credit:Brett Hemmings They may find sympathy for their situation but the small club tag too can only go so far. They, like all clubs, have to spend 90 percent of the salary cap - meaning the squad disparity between them and, say, Melbourne Victory should hardly that of Bournemouth and Manchester City. A club that was champions two years ago doesn't look like getting off the foot of the table. 3. The pantomime villain lives. Just for a minute, neutral fans were beginning to like Besart Berisha. The Albanian striker has let his football do his talking for some time but showed that old habits die hard. A dramatic tumble under minimal pressure, if any, had Perth Glory goalkeeper Ante Covic seething as a penalty was awarded. In duping the referee, Berisha showed again that he'll do whatever it takes to win and if that means putting the rest of the league offside, then so be it.

4. Victory losing pace. Keeping with the Victory, their chances of lifting the Premiers' Plate grow slimmer by the week. Archie Thompson described their draw against Perth as feeling like a defeat, such was his disappointment. It made it five games without a win, four of which they've lost and unless they can bounce back soon they're at risk of losing pace with the leaders they may not be able to make up. 5. Wanderers remain favourites. There's nothing quite like a roll in football and for the Western Sydney Wanderers, it doesn't look like ending soon. It wasn't that they beat Newcastle Jets so comfortably but that it appeared so routine that makes them the clear favourites for the title.