Football Federation Australia (FFA) has today announced measures to enhance and protect the unique atmosphere created by active supporters at Hyundai A-League matches.

The Head of Hyundai A-League, Damien de Bohun, said the new protocols would set league-wide standards and were part of a long-term strategy designed to grow membership and deepen fan engagement.



“The atmosphere at Hyundai A-League matches is unique in Australian sport,” said de Bohun.

“You don’t have to go to Europe or South America to experience football passion and see how real supporters get behind their team. It’s on show every week in the A-League.”



The key component of the new measures is a ‘membership only area’ for all “Home Club Active Supporter Areas” for the upcoming Hyundai A-League 2014/15 Season.



This will mean that all fans within the designated “Home Club Active Supporter Areas” will have a valid season membership pass or shorter-term active area pass.



“The connection between active fans and their clubs goes beyond the purchase of a ticket on match day,” said de Bohun.

“We want our fans to have a growing voice in how clubs interact with their supporters and the local community.



“The other advantage of this development is that the club and active supporters will be able to work together to build on the experience of match day and continue to create a safe and family-friendly environment.



FFA has confirmed that the new measures will be linked to enshrining active supporter activities such as playing musical instruments, tifo displays, capo stands and large flags.



“We want fans to be able to create the best atmosphere and in conjunction with clubs and stadium managers we will give the fans certainty over their activities,” said de Bohun.



FFA also announced that there may be additional ticketing measures for “Away Club Active Supporter Areas”, particularly for matches where it is anticipated that there will be a high number of away club active supporters in attendance.



FFA is committed to working with each club to customise solutions based on their individual needs and their respective membership markets to comply with these conditions.

An example of this may include the use of three (3) game membership passes, or members ‘guest’ passes into the respective active supporter area(s) to allow fans to try before they buy into a full membership.



“From our discussions with the various fan groups and other stakeholders around the competition, there is a common desire to see a reduction of the presence of police and security at football matches, in particular around active supporter areas.



“We believe that the successful implementation of these new conditions will go a long way towards reaching that common goal,” concluded de Bohun.

These measures will be effective from the opening round of the Hyundai A-League 2014/15 Season and will be reviewed following the Hyundai A-League 2015 Grand Final.

