FFA shooting itself in the foot AGAIN

[kruddler]

The fans of the 80's and early 90's were involved in dust ups with rivals.

South Melbourne had their old home ground at middle park.  Once they moved from that ground to Bob Jane, there was minimal fan altercations happening. 

Beyond that my post is a window into my psyche.  FFA didn't want us greeks represented in the Australian national league.  Any which way you cut it the two biggest Melbourne clubs were the Melbourne knights, and South Melbourne FC and both were denied an A league licence. 

I decided if they didn't want us, I dont want them either and wish them nothing but misery and failure. 

So basically, my initial thoughts were correct. They didn't want the 'bad' history to continue and wanted to shake things up.
The fact you have mentioned 'us' and 'the greeks' etc is part of the reason. The clubs indentity and the inherent racial issues that come with it are the issue, not the ethnicity itself.
The fact you are holding a grudge 20+ years later, despite not even having a team, backs up that the cultural roots ran too deep to change, so the easy way to go about it was to start from scratch.

I'm not saying its right, but i can certainly understand why they did what they did....and i don't think they were being anti-greek, but more anti-violence.

[DJC]

So tell me, the life bans they've issued to a couple of the scum bags, how they gonna police that? Facial recognition on entry? I call BS.

I think that I heard that a “supporter” who caused injury by throwing a glass bottle at another game was already on a life ban.  I guess if you can smuggle flares past security, a bottle is no problem.

A FA official on the wireless this morning was at great pains to point out that none of the banned tossers, or those facing bans, were subject to previously issued bans.  He also said that clubs would be sanctioned if banned supporters attended games.

My understanding is that the bans cover playing and spectating at all levels. 

It will be interesting to see how it is enforced and, yes, it may require facial recognition or, at the very least, security guards with a rogues’ gallery scrapbook.

[Gointocarlton]

I think that I heard that a “supporter” who caused injury by throwing a glass bottle at another game was already on a life ban.  I guess if you can smuggle flares past security, a bottle is no problem.

A FA official on the wireless this morning was at great pains to point out that none of the banned tossers, or those facing bans, were subject to previously issued bans.  He also said that clubs would be sanctioned if banned supporters attended games.

My understanding is that the bans cover playing and spectating at all levels. 

It will be interesting to see how it is enforced and, yes, it may require facial recognition or, at the very least, security guards with a rogues’ gallery scrapbook.

As if on cue, they had a news story about this tonight. A security expert pointed out that stadiums don't have the type of facial recognition tech needed, only airports do. This coupled with that fact that supporters are wearing caps, beanies, glasses etc, it will not be possible. As I suspected, it's a token gesture and these animals will keep attending games and keep causing problems for the game.

[madbluboy]

So basically, my initial thoughts were correct. They didn't want the 'bad' history to continue and wanted to shake things up.
The fact you have mentioned 'us' and 'the greeks' etc is part of the reason. The clubs indentity and the inherent racial issues that come with it are the issue, not the ethnicity itself.
The fact you are holding a grudge 20+ years later, despite not even having a team, backs up that the cultural roots ran too deep to change, so the easy way to go about it was to start from scratch.

I'm not saying its right, but i can certainly understand why they did what they did....and i don't think they were being anti-greek, but more anti-violence.

but the Victory are more violent. Are they getting shut down?

[kruddler]

but the Victory are more violent. Are they getting shut down?

If there was a new competition starting, maybe they would not be invited back.

There was a guy i used to work with who was a massive Victory fan and was a massive flog. I can almost guarantee he would've been on the ground during that debacle. Not that i see him anymore, but shutting down Victory would be a minor win against tools.

[Thryleon]

So basically, my initial thoughts were correct. They didn't want the 'bad' history to continue and wanted to shake things up.
The fact you have mentioned 'us' and 'the greeks' etc is part of the reason. The clubs indentity and the inherent racial issues that come with it are the issue, not the ethnicity itself.
The fact you are holding a grudge 20+ years later, despite not even having a team, backs up that the cultural roots ran too deep to change, so the easy way to go about it was to start from scratch.

I'm not saying its right, but i can certainly understand why they did what they did....and i don't think they were being anti-greek, but more anti-violence.

I still have team.  They play in a lower division.


Regarding your thoughts, south Melbourne is us, not solely representative of Greeks, but representative of the true soccer fans of Australia.

They didn't want us, as in our club.  If that's the case, they can stick their A league.

[Thryleon]

It is a fact that South Melbourne FC was in voluntary administration at the end of the 2002-03 season and didn't apply for the sole Victorian A-League licence.

It is also a fact that South Melbourne FC:
> applied to join the A-League in 2008 (Melbourne Heart got the nod),
> attempted to take a financial stake in the Central Coast Mariners, then Melbourne Heart in 2013,
> applied to join the A-League again in 2016, and
> applied for the new A-League licence in 2018 (Western Melbourne FC got the nod).

That's three separate applications as you said Thry, as well as two attempts to buy existing A-League clubs.  However, South Melbourne FC did not apply for the original A-League licence because the club was in voluntary administration.  Whether that affected the outcome of later applications is pure speculation but I would imagine that FA would go for the most lucrative and financially compelling bids ... on paper.

thats not my recollection of events particularly the voluntary administration.

Perhaps it's true, care to quote your source? 

[DJC]

thats not my recollection of events particularly the voluntary administration.

Perhaps it's true, care to quote your source?

I haven't tried to find the original paperwork Thry, but SMFC's voluntary administration is mentioned in several secondary sources, such as:

https://kick360.com.au/a-tale-of-two-foo...urne-city/

[Thryleon]

I haven't tried to find the original paperwork Thry, but SMFC's voluntary administration is mentioned in several secondary sources, such as:

https://kick360.com.au/a-tale-of-two-foo...urne-city/

was that before or after the NSL was declared dead and south were made aware they wouldn't be getting the license under any circumstances?

I know you can read stuff online retrospectively but history isn't able to be revised that easily.  Victory didn't have the money for their A league license either and were propped up by the FA. 

[DJC]

was that before or after the NSL was declared dead and south were made aware they wouldn't be getting the license under any circumstances?

I know you can read stuff online retrospectively but history isn't able to be revised that easily.  Victory didn't have the money for their A league license either and were propped up by the FA.

The historical record is only as good as the sources.  To be 100% sure, you’d have to look into the club’s papers from the time.

With that qualification, the recorded history is that SMFC got into financial difficulties, lost a lot of its players, went into voluntary administration and decided not to apply for an A-League licence; a responsible decision at the time.

Who knows what would have happened if they had applied?  Presumably the decision was made by the administrators and they probably had no choice.

I noticed that the latest rebuff included a statement from FA that there will be a place for SMFC in the future ?