Get Rid of The Donkeys
Coach
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I don't follow the A-League. I'm just repeating what I heard from YouTube content producers who commentate on the competition. The owner of this video said it was known for a few days that the OSM were going to enter the field around the 20 minute mark. His comment on it was be found at the 13.45 mark of the video.Firstly, the APL and teams only have so much control over stadium security, so it's pretty silly to blame them for that.
Secondly, security was lowered at A-league events after years of active supporters groups, and A-league fans more generally, claiming that the heightened security at soccer games, and specifically around active supporters groups, was discrimination, and that crowd disturbance and rates of violence at A-league matches was similar to other major sporting events (which is technically true, but also a twisted statistic as the types of violence are different, but this is a tangent).
Finally, though it's not impossible that some individual members of OSM had said they planned to invade the pitch (who knows), OSM it's self had not made it public that they planned to invade the pitch. That's simply untrue. They were vocal on social media about participating in the protests by walking out of the stadium on the 20th minute, but A. that's obviously not what happened, and B. it wouldn't have been a problem if they did. In fact it's what they should have done just like all the other active support group in the league managed to do without assaulting multiple people.
In other words, active support groups got the privileges they wanted back, only to abuse them relatively quickly after that point, and the only people to blame for that, and the inevitable crackdown that will come to soccer games nationwide, is the OSM. This isn't a time to shift blame or try to use this to push an agenda. Those f**kwit OSM members were the sole cause of the problem, they've bought this down on the A-league and soccer more generally, and they deserve everything that they get for it.
It's just bloody lucky that things didn't escalate, if City's fans had taken it on themselves to defend their team or take revenge, then it could have been an even bigger shit show.
I saw another video from a Melbourne City fan who was sitting at the opposite end. There were supporters near him lighting flares and throwing them onto the ground.
I don't know about Bruce Stadium in Canberra, but the security at Lang Park inspect attendees' bags upon entry into the ground.
Does the APL and stadium security let A-League fans into the grounds with flares?
If they do then they're inviting trouble. I just watched a Four Corners episode on YouTube called "A League of Their Own". It was paroduced a couple of years ago. Fans from clubs were sitting in stadia waving flares. It said the APL is run by the clubs and that some of the club owners are foreigners with criminal backgrounds.
Apparently there was a riot in Sydney a month ago after a Western Sydney vs Sydney FC game. Graffiti was sprayed on the facilities adjacent to Moore Park.
The more I learn about the A-League the more I'm convinced that the APL has let the players down by not cracking down on anti-social behaviour more severely, as it seems to be a recurring problem in the game. I saw a representative from Melbourne Victory talking about recent behavioural problems committed by the club's fanbase.
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