" Threat " to Soccer !

Several decades ago, fan behaviour nearly killed football as a sport in England.   England's Soccer fans were so feared that at one stage the country was barred from the European competition.   Host cities dreaded their venue being invaded by fans from across the Channel because they arrived like an invading army, not intending to watch a game of football - but to wreak havoc on the city amenities and intimidate opponents - both on and off the playing pitch.

It got to the stage that stadiums were divided by barbed wire petitions.  Separate entrances for supporters of either team, but in many cases riots erupted and English fans surged across the barriers to attack those supporting the opposition team, resulting in serious injuries - and in some notorious cases - even death !

In that era, Soccer as the game is known here - was a minor sport, mostly played by girls and certainly no competition to League or Aussie Rules.   It is now flexing it's muscles and has grown into a major national competition - and the Socceroos are making their mark on the world stage.

The " British disease " is starting to make it's appearance in the Australian game.  Fan misbehaviour is marring matches with fighting within the crowd, the letting off of flares in stadiums and a growing hard core of organized fans who seem determined to foment trouble.

A new team from western Sydney has had a remarkable rise from obscurity, winning matches and attracting a huge support base.   Unfortunately, an organized rebel group within those supporters seems determined to challenge authority and go on the rampage wherever the team plays.   They seem to be trying to create an image of western Sydney as a team to be feared - not only for their prowess on the pitch - but as a movement that does not tolerate opposition.

The danger is that this hard core is growing in numbers.   If it reaches critical mass, then Soccer in Australia is in trouble.   It is in the games administration interests to crack down hard - and that will need a range of options to be effective.    The police and the courts need to hand down appropriate penalties for crowd misbehaviour - and not mere slaps on the wrist.    The game organizers need to use face recognition technology and entry refusal to bar repeat offenders from attending matches - and most effective of all - use the " money weapon " to enforce control.

The vast majority of fans do not cause trouble.   If a minority persists, simply refuse to allow that clubs matches to be played as a live sport.   No spectators at the ground - and television coverage the only way to view the game.

Loss of the share of gate takings will quickly bring that club to order, but it will be necessary to reimburse their competitor who suffered similar damage.  As happened in England, the vast majority of fans turned on the trouble makers - and made them unwelcome.   It quickly cleaned up the game.

This spectator problem is in it's infancy.  Decisive action now will nip it in the bud.