FOOTBALL Federation Australia is taking an iron-fisted approach to hooliganism at A-League matches, considering permanently moving games between Sydney FC and Melbourne Victory to Friday nights and introducing mandatory five-year bans for louts.
The new rules have been forced on FFA after several incidents at last weekend's season opener at the Sydney Football Stadium. Police ejected 16 people and arrested eight of them.
The Sun-Herald understands the FFA is even considering introducing lifetime bans, including for Socceroos matches, while it is hoped the move to Friday nights will cut down the number of travelling fans and opportunities to drink before entering the ground.
FFA officials are furious that some people are putting the sport's hard-won reputation under threat and are adamant that bad behaviour, particularly at Sydney-Melbourne matches, be stamped out.
The events inside the ground last weekend followed a brawl at a nearby pub an hour before kick-off. Moore Park Road was blocked off as police rushed to the scene brandishing batons and broke up a disturbance involving football supporters. A large group of Melbourne fans were ordered to move and walked across the park yelling anti-Sydney slogans.
Inside the ground, a fight erupted before the match and, later, play was held up by the referee as security staff removed one of two flares that were tossed onto the field.
One of the flares is known to have come from a Sydney spectator, though he was not a club member or part of the team's cheer group, The Cove. FFA chief executive Ben Buckley told The Sun-Herald that people thrown out of grounds during A-League matches would soon face greatly increased penalties.
"If people who are banned attempt to enter a match, under our ticketing conditions, they are then liable to be charged with criminal trespass," Buckley said.
"We have been working closely with our security advisers, police departments, venue management and the clubs to do everything possible to minimise unacceptable behaviour at games.
"While there were some regrettable incidents at last Saturday's match between Sydney and Melbourne, the incidents were dealt with very quickly on the night by police and security personnel largely because of the cooperation and planning that went into the security aspects of the game."
The FFA has employed a policy of ushering opposing fans to different pubs before matches but it cannot control where people walk when outside the stadium. Last Saturday's problems add to a growing list of incidents. The most serious occurred after Sydney FC's visit to Melbourne last November when police used capsicum spray to subdue violent fans who had caused trouble inside and outside the ground. Patience is running out at football headquarters.
"The majority of football supporters are well-behaved and passionate fans who attend football to enjoy the game with their family and friends, and we intend keeping it that way," Buckley said.
