Football fans walk out to defend those banned

Football fans walked out en masse during games around the country last weekend in protest at crowd surveillance and heavy-handed police tactics against fans.

In the last week of November, A-League supporters waged an unprecedented campaign in response to Sydney’s Daily Telegraph publishing a leaked list of 198 supporters banned from games for “anti-social behaviour”.

Active support groups have long organised independently to march to games, sing and chant for their clubs. This has put us at odds with the Federal Football Association and the media, which want to promote a clean-cut, corporate image of the sport.

The “anti-social behaviour” category includes a range of alleged offences, with bans handed down without evidence or any right of appeal. The effects of this leak are only beginning to be felt by those named. Julian Combo, a Western Sydney Wanderers supporter, lost his job after his boss spotted him on the leaked list.

Rebecca Wilson, the journalist responsible, spoke to Alan Jones on 2GB radio as the campaign was building. “Is this like terrorism in Paris?”, Jones asked. Wilson replied, “Exactly right”.

Supporters reacted by uniting across club lines to organise protests at all matches of the A-League, including two active support groups staging mass walkouts.

Melbourne Victory’s North Terrace and the Western Sydney Wanderers’ Red and Black Bloc walked out in the 30th minute of their respective matches on 28 and 29 November, leaving their usually loud and vibrant bays silent and empty to highlight the essential role fan culture plays in the growth and attraction of the league.

The demands put forward by fans include the introduction of a fair and open appeals process for all banned supporters.

Elsewhere, other supporter groups held up banners condemning the FFA and News Limited. In Newcastle, the Squadron unfurled a banner denouncing the “anti-football mafia”. Melbourne City’s active support group, the Melburnians, had a number of members evicted from the stadium for unfurling a banner reading, “WE STAND WITH THE 198”.

Protesting supporters have received the backing of players, who are fresh from their own bitter bargaining dispute with the FFA. Matt McKay, Brisbane Roar captain and president of the players’ union, told the union’s annual general meeting, “[T]he players are firm in their support of the fans and the players must stand with them”.

Media commentators have also entered the fray, including former Socceroos player Mark Bosnich, who interrupted A-League head Damien de Bohun on Fox Sports mid-interview after he avoided answering questions and refused to commit to an appeals process.

The response from de Bohun and FFA CEO David Gallop shows their complete disregard for active supporters. They have refused to defend fans from media slander or commit to a fair appeals process.

The Red and Black Bloc have vowed to boycott their next fixture. Other supporter groups are set to follow. In the words of the North Terrace, “We will not lie down until we achieve what we set out to”.