[dropcaps style=’2′]There are many situations which call for riot vans, one hundred police officers, and hard attitudes. A hostage situation, that’s valid. An attempted terrorist attack, absolutely. Friday night at The Cross, it is pretty rough out there. Many a situation, many a good reason for a great deal of security and police presence.[/dropcaps]
[image src=’http://fnx.network/fnxnetwork/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/3rdSecurityUproar1.jpg’ width=’400′ height=’200′ title=’Source: Michael Caru’ align=’right’]A game of Football on a Sunday afternoon? Apparently that falls in the same category.
We have already talked about the increased security, the overzealous amount of cops and bad attitude FFA has for the lifeblood of the club and with only one generic “answer” from the club (if you can really call it that) we thought we had seen the worst of it.
Sadly, we were wrong.
Last Sunday the Western Sydney Wanderers won back their second position against Perth in a fantastic display that gives us all hope for their chances in the Grand Final series (the fight for the Toilet Seat). The mainstream media was happy to give a mention, between the immense coverage of the NRL, to that and Engelar’s fantastic half-way goal for the Melbourne Heart (and honestly, no matter what club you support we all thought that was incredible).
Not covered however was the continuation of the overzealous amount of security and police officers present at Parramatta Stadium. Not only aggressive in numbers but also in attitude.
A few weeks ago we thought having a few cops at each game to be over kill and it was dampening the mood in the crowd. We (myself and Ryden) witnessed a fan who responded to the Newcastle Jets fans (we were sitting near them) chants and was promptly ejected from his seat by police (no warning or caution to settle down, a zero strike rule). Yes he said the apparently worst word in the world: fuck, but is an immediate ejection and a 12 month ban the right answer? Does this say “we endorse a family friendly environment” or “we are bending over backwards so The Daily/Sunday Telegraph will like us”?
[image src=’http://fnx.network/fnxnetwork/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/3rdSecurityUproar2.jpg’ width=’400′ height=’200′ title=’Source: Michael Caru, Flickr’ align=’left’]Rebecca Wilson’s views of the A-League and Western Sydney Wanderers have no credibility when the parent company of the paper she works for has an invested interest in the NRL. Why do we care what she thinks? The truth is, we the fans don’t… yet the FFA will jump through hoops to please a paper that would benefit from the A-Leagues demise.
The truth is, we are becoming a nanny state. Barry O’Farrell brings in “swearing laws” which gives Police yet another opportunity to wield power. I feel sorry for that kid being ejected (he was only a teen) we overheard him before the game saying he only had been able to come to games a handful of times and this time had bought the red and black dreadlocks hat, a flag, a jersey and wanted to get into the RBB to chant but with ridiculous rules where you have to show ID before entering the area he wasn’t able to so he wanted to have some fun and banter with the away fans.
That kid now has a 12 month ban and I suspect Parramatta stadium won’t see him again, who would return to a stadium where they are going to be ejected for bantering with away fans? What is next? Banned for cheering after a goal?
Oh wait, they did that at the last game to a fan who knocked into someone while they were jumping up to celebrate the first goal against Perth – something most of the stadium does. The police called it “moshing”… Gee, surprised the riot squad wasn’t called at the 80 minute mark, the van is sitting outside the stadium after all.
The icing on the cake comes from a mother of a 9 year old boy, taking their kid to the game. Someone who can look past the newspapers portrayal of the team and the fans, someone who feels safe around the people at the stadium to the point where her 9 year old is perfectly fine in the atmosphere.
That boy, a 9 year old, was frisked by the police upon entry into the stadium.
[image src=’http://fnx.network/fnxnetwork/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/3rdSecurityUproar3.jpg’ width=’400′ height=’200′ title=’Source: Michael Caru’ align=’right’]Football fan or not, we cannot sit back and allow this to be acceptable behaviour. That insults every one of us. That says to the Parramatta Stadium occupants “we believe you are the type of people who would smuggle in a flare or weapon using a child”.
Is this acceptable attitude by Security and Police? Do the FFA condone this?
We didn’t stop with just speculation, we sent email after email until we got a response.
Ryden sent an email to the FFA which was formatted into the article we posted a few weeks ago.
The response finally came, but unfortunately it was the generic response that we asked not to be provided. It basically said to us “the cops can do anything they want, we will continue to be unfair based on opinions of a paper rather than the fans this effects”.
Yes, those who are truly rowdy or bring in illegal items should get a fitting repercussion but blanket rules are not acceptable when they make it feel like APEC is back in town. The FFA needs to learn that the fans are the lifeblood of the team, not the opinions of a paper which caused this fiasco… any fan knows that the atmosphere is not what it is portrayed like in the paper, the FFA seems to be blind of their own front yard.
I truly hope that during the Season break that the FFA finally sells the club and that the new owners have an understanding of what security and excessiveness is. Recently they have vowed to improve the atmosphere (via emails to members), whether or not this holds true is a question for later.
It is our last hope else Parramatta Stadium becomes Parramatta Gaol.