Yet more lighting of flares over the weekend perpetuates a vicious cycle for Football Federation Australia that shows no sign of resolution

Australian football’s remarkable ability to shoot itself in the foot was on full display in round 18 with the A-League agenda once again hijacked by off-field indiscretions.



The week’s news cycle was triggered 15 minutes into Melbourne Victory’s home fixture with Western Sydney Wanderers on Saturday night when a series of flares and detonators were activated in the bay holding the sizeable travelling support. Referee Ben Williams paused the game for around a minute to allow a cloud of acrid smoke to dissipate from Etihad Stadium, immediately after which Victory scored. A pocket of home fans celebrated by lighting a flare.

Football Federation Australia threatens A-League bans for fans over use of flares Read more

“The behaviour of some fans and in particular a section of the Western Sydney Wanderers fans at last night’s match was unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” said FFA CEO David Gallop on Sunday. The inquest into fan behaviour will rumble on over the coming days, fuelled by whatever punishment FFA hands down.

The governing body is in an invidious position. Fail to crack down hard on a perceived hooligan element and the organisation will be castigated by the mainstream audience it’s courting desperately. But by handing out draconian punishments FFA risks stretching already fragile relationships with active supporters to breaking point. Furthermore, FFA has long made the febrile atmosphere of A-League matches its unique selling point.

It’s a vicious cycle that shows no sign of resolution. Fans, resentful they can’t emulate the bacchanalian scenes in Europe and South America, act out for attention. This feeds the beast of anyone looking to take a potshot at the A-League for being bad old soccer. FFA then articulates the only position it can, reassuring the mainstream, and reinforcing supporter discontent for not looking out for its core audience.

Flares are now code, shorthand for the suspicion outsiders have on football culture. Nights like Saturday, with shirtless, tattooed, Western Sydney men illuminated by flare-light, only serves to reinforce these fears. Contrast that with the largely indifferent response to the reported 81 patrons from a similar sized crowd being ejected from the Sydney Sevens rugby.

FFA will try to spin the situation as a few bad apples. It should be noted however that the Wanderers bay was at its loudest and most vibrant when it had its pyrotechnical accompaniment. There was no hint of self-policing.

Social media is an unreliable witness but here too there exists plenty of support not only for flares but also for what they represent in the battle for cultural custodianship of football in Australia. When the point is made that flares are not an Australian phenomenon the response reflects frustration at the infantilism of Australian supporters by authorities and the Anglicisation of football culture. Topics familiar to generations past.

This is apparent most clearly in a wave of younger supporters, drawn to the game as much through the allure of active support as by the promise of live professional football. To this new breed, where clips of grand pyrotechnic displays are readily accessible, there is a particular discontent with the tut-tutting of older heads.

It’s worth pausing at this point to reflect that it is possible to be both an active supporter and not light flares. Moreover, to choose to light a flare in the current climate you have to be an attention seeking moron. How do you even source a flare anyway? And then smuggle one into a football stadium?

On the field it was a dream round for Brisbane Roar. Predictably they slaughtered Central Coast Mariners who turned in an abject defensive performance at Suncorp Stadium. Less predictably, Roar were the only side in the top six to claim all three points.

Adelaide United played out an entertaining draw with Sydney FC with a line-up influenced by Tuesday’s Asian Champions League qualifying play-off. Now 10 matches unbeaten, the Reds are positioning themselves nicely for the run home.

Victory and the Wanderers also shared the spoils in a match dominated by the visitors. It took an 89th minute thunderbolt from supersub Brendon Santalab to snatch a point for the ladder leaders, but it was the least they deserved for bossing a high intensity game and coming up against Danny Vukovic in season-best form. With Carl Valeri now ruled out for the rest of the season and an ACL campaign about to commence, it looks an increasingly tall order for Kevin Muscat to mastermind a title defence with the squad at his disposal.

The big upset of the round arrived at its conclusion with Melbourne City going down in a boilover to Newcastle Jets. Referee Adam Fielding did them no favours, awarding a dubious penalty against Jack Clisby and then a harsh red card to Jacob Melling. The Jets worked hard for just their second win in 14 matches, showing the organisation and fight of the promising opening weeks of their campaign.

Perth Glory kept their faint hopes of a finals berth alive with a win on the road against Wellington Phoenix. The resurgent Glory will be making a few teams above them glance nervously over their shoulders if they extend their three-game winning streak.