“Here’s the problem with soccer: Idiots” – Neil Mitchell, 3AW, February 19 2013

Active supporters are the catnip that turns the atmosphere of a regular football game into a frenzy of passion and energy. As the Red and Black Bloc demonstrated last season, active supporters can transform a stadium into an intimidating battleground in which memorable struggles can be fought. While things can get out of hand sometimes, on the whole active supporter groups are well-behaved, intelligent people who just want to cheer on their team and spend bucket-loads of money on merchandise.

A variant of the active supporter is the ultra, groups of fans who are fanatical in the support of their team but also, importantly, of each other. It is with one of these groups, Horda, who Neil Mitchell blogged about voraciously earlier this year.

The actions of active supporter groups – especially ultras – become more apparent during derby games, when media and police attention is at its zenith. Footage of the Red and Black Bloc tormenting restaurant patrons was a popular one trotted out on TV last season, and the Herald Sun reported in 2011 on the attempted abduction of a Victory supporter by members of a Heart ultra group.

I raise these examples not to antagonise, judge or criticise, but to reflect on the dilemma both clubs and the FFA must deal with. On one side of the coin, you have the fostering of healthy fanaticism with the aim of building a lasting club legacy. On the other, you have the managing of spectator safety – passive, active, ultra and away supporters – respecting the stadium itself, and managing the public image of your club.

It would appear that Melbourne Victory have flipped their coin and angered their active supporter groups, barely 5 months after the Melbourne Victory fans won the Supporter Group of the Year award from the Professional Footballers Association:

“For years our fans have been the benchmark when it comes to support in the stands across the A-League, and as players, we certainly feel that it gives us an edge over our opponents. “We know our fans will also take their support to another level in the coming seasons, now that Western Sydney’s Red and Black Bloc are on the rise, and we can’t wait to see it again when we take to the pitch.” – Adrian Leijer, then Melbourne Victory captain.

What makes this about-face even more interesting is that just over 12 months ago, Victory were echoing sentiments that travelling Victory fans were the target of ‘overzealous security treatment’:

“The club wants to concede and acknowledge that there are significant issues with varying levels of security management.” – Trent Jacobs – General Operations Manager, Melbourne Victory

The Northern Terrace Collective (NTC), an alleged collective of active supporter groups who sit in the Northern Terrace part of Etihad Stadium, is currently engaged in a dispute with the club over stricter security rules for the upcoming A-League season. From reading the letters published on their Facebook page, the NTC and some other groups have expressed their disapproval of the following terms laid down to the active supporters by the club:

Banning of ‘crew’ banners, banners supporting individual supporter groups within the Northern Terrace

Introduction of tarpaulins to the edges of active supporter areas, thereby containing supporters and reducing the number of entrances/exits to the area

Introduction of scanners to entrances/exits of active supporter areas to increase security

Reduction of the active bay size

These measures have supposedly been brought into place due to repeated breaches of the “Supporters Charter”, a document drafted between the active supporters and authorities, in Season 8. According to the Blue and White Brigade (BWB), another active supporter group, the following is the reason why the measures have been brought in:

“1st season of a Supporter Charter (Season 2011/12)

1. No breaches of the supporter charter within the active allocated area.

2. No breaches of the supporter charter by Vic Police & stadium management 2nd season of a Supporter Charter (Season 2012/13)

1. 45 breaches of the supporter charter within the active allocated area.

2. 1 breach of the supporter charter by Vic Police

3. 2 breaches of the supporter charter by ACG” – BWB

The NTC claims that everyone in the Terrace is being punished for the actions of a few:

“The general principle of collective punishment is outlawed under the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 and is widely considered to be a violation of both human rights and natural justice. The restrictive policies put forward by MVFC to limit the size and restrict movement within the North Terrace can be seen as nothing else but subjecting the innocent majority to suffer as the result of the actions of the guilty few. Such repressive punishment stands against the values of a democratic and free society.” – Letter from the NTC to the Victory

The NTC also claims that their concerns are being dismissed by the Victory, without any avenues for discussion or appeal.

“We feel that it is important to mention that, at no stage during our meeting with MVFC, were we involved in a negotiation process. We were not consulted about the proposals before they were decided upon, and at that point we merely had them dictated to us. When asked to put forward a proposal before the meeting last night – which we did – it was flat out rejected and not even open for discussion.”

There have even been threats from the Victory to remove the NTC from the formal terrace leadership group.

“At last night’s meeting, it was suggested to us by the club that, if we withdrew our support and suggested others do likewise, the NTC would be removed from the formal terrace leadership group and excommunicated from the monthly meetings with all stakeholders.”

The ultimate outcome has been the threatened withdrawal of support from the Northern Terrace.

“For these reasons, along with the health and safety concerns of all North Terrace members, we will be withdrawing ourselves from North Terrace active support, and advise all other North Terrace members to do the same in the interest of their own wellbeing, and the betterment of our active support.”

As a reaction to this, the BWB on Friday outlined that they will be taking over the active supporting duties in the Northern Terrace this upcoming season.

“Earlier today we released a statement based on a meeting with MVFC last night. In that statement we advised the position of the newly formed NTC from the meeting – their intention to boycott the designated North Terrace active area this season.

Their decision is based on their concerns regarding new measures adopted by the club to stop non paid-up NT members entering the designated active area and causing a repeat of last year’s incidents.

In response, the Blue & White Brigade would like to advise that they will be leading the North Terrace and will be supporting the players in round 1 and beyond.

“The Blue & White Brigade respects every individual’s decision; however we believe our course of action cements a vibrant and safer North Terrace community.” – Blue and White Brigade

This decision has already drawn the ire of Melbourne Victory supporters from the NTC, furthering the schism which threatens to distract the Victory from the upcoming season.

The timing could not be more perfect for the FFA, who today announced the formation of a body dedicated to working with clubs to improve their active supporters.

“The unique nature of A-League supporters has been further acknowledged by the FFA, who will introduce a football specific working group this season. The operation will be implemented with a view to providing security that accounts for the distinctive style of support from active supporter groups such as The Cove of Sydney FC and the Red and Black Bloc of the Western Sydney Wanderers and will involve clubs, police, stadiums and FFA security operations. ”It’s now something all our clubs are harnessing,” Gallop said. ”Our players let our fans know that they respond to that atmosphere. There’s a working relationship between our fans and our players that’s really turbocharging the season.””

NTC

In terms of the NTC, I think this paragraph sums up the problem (bolding mine):

“The NTC were asked to put our proposals in writing, we did so in the form of the letter we released to the public via the North Terrace Melbourne Facebook page last night. MVFC were unsatisfied with our response – it was their belief that we did not put forward any alternative proposal. We disagree with this assertion. We put forward a proposal for the North Terrace to remain as it was last season as we believe in terms of both the level of support and growth it was arguably the most improved season in recent years.” – NTC

Now let’s pretend that we all own football clubs. You are faced with violence and flaunting of the rules which takes place within a certain stadium area that your fans inhabit, after promises from those who claim to represent those fans that no issues will occur. The previous season had no recorded incidents by other active supporter groups.

Do you:

Increase security measures to this certain area of the ground Do nothing, as NTC have essentially suggested?

I think it would have been naïve for Melbourne Victory to sit on their hands and do nothing, while I think it’s also naïve for the NTC to assume things will change by not doing anything differently.

“Insanity is repeating the same mistakes and expecting different results.” – Rita Mae Brown

The point of this is, if you are a club and are given a proposal which simply says ‘nothing should change’, then you could make the case that no proposal has been put forward, thus the club doesn’t need to do anything differently.

The approach being used by the NTC has been rendered mostly pointless now that the Blue and White Brigade have offered to step in and fill the void.

Ultimately, the NTC are in a Catch 22: Continue going to the Northern Terrace and compromise all that they claim to stand for. Don’t go, and the Blue and White Brigade may render them redundant in the supporter landscape by filling the stands with fans who will be reassured by the extra security.

Since I initially wrote this on Friday, both the BWB and NTC have been trading barbs on their Facebook pages. I’ve only provided an initial summary, but check out both pages for more info: North Terrace Collective, Blue White Brigade

As both sides are now accusing the other of mis-representing the truth, I’ll leave it up to you to decide who, if anyone, is right.

Melbourne Victory

The club is not blameless in this whole affair. Nobody wants to see fans caged in, whether it’s with tarps or actual cages. Containing sections of fans into certain areas is a noble goal on paper, but physically keeping fans in place is just asking for trouble. These are active supporter bays, fans will NOT sit still. Without giving them a way to flow naturally in and out of the area, it’s going to create dangerous situations.

The scanners are another matter altogether. Treating your fans like criminals is certainly one way to alienate them, especially if it interferes with them coming and going in the area. It will certainly slow down the ability of fans to enter and exit the active support area, which will only further increase fan unhappiness.

Ultimately the club is partially responsible for this mess as would seem they have gone back on the Charter they wrote with their own fans by shutting some of them out. To go from co-operation to heavy security measures which wouldn’t be out-of-place at an airport is completely irresponsible, not to mention turning the Victory active supporters group into a laughing-stock by not stepping in as they slowly destroy each other.

Conclusion

I agree that the NTC have completely valid points regarding the way the club is treating the active supporter sections; no supporter should be treated like a criminal. However I think their approach to the situation is unrealistic in an environment where support for the A-League is continuing to grow all the time, so there are always more fans to fill the void left behind by the disgruntled ones if they choose to boycott. To quote Henry Ford, founder of the Ford car company:

“Don’t find fault, find a remedy; anybody can complain.”

Personally, I think the NTC resemble Clive Palmer’s Football Australia compared to their more moderate BWB comrades: rhetoric-heavy claims, laden with threats of boycotting, but ultimately toothless given their lack of size compared to the number of fans who will go along with what the Victory want in a more conciliatory manner. I think the NTC will ultimately be unsuccessful in this particular fight, but that isn’t always a bad thing. One of the best ways to learn is to fail.

“Failure is simply an opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.” – Henry Ford.

Who do you think will blink? The club or the fans?

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