A-League boss says police need to understand ‘unique culture’ of football and its fans

Western Sydney’s active supporter group will boycott Wanderers matches until a decision to ban six fans is overturned.

A-League boss Nick Garcia has called for police to “understand” football’s “unique culture” after Western Sydney’s active supporter group declared it would boycott Wanderers games.

The Wanderers remain furious with the actions of police during the Sydney derby at CommBank Stadium last Saturday night when fans from the Red and Black Bloc (RBB) walked out in the first half due to what they considered to be unnecessary aggression from police.

Wanderers supporters were denied re-entry by police to their allocated bay after unfurling a club-sanctioned banner before the match.

A video posted by the RBB showed fans being pinned to the ground and placed in headlocks.

Fourteen supporters were reportedly ejected from the ground, with six fans having been banned from the stadium.

The RBB released a statement declaring it would boycott their team’s home matches, starting with Friday night’s game against Western United, unless the “unfair” bans were overturned.

“The issues we have raised are more prevalent than just those at the derby and have been experienced with other active groups recently,” the RBB statement said.

“Our position remains clear. Until such time that all unfairly issued banning notices from the weekend’s game are overturned, and a meeting is arranged between ourselves and all stakeholders, specifically NSW Police, Venues NSW and security contractors, we will be absent from games, starting with our home game this Friday against Western United.”

A-League commissioner Nick Garcia has promised to ‘defend the reputation’ of football and its fans. Picture: Matt King/Getty Images for APL

Brisbane Roar fans were also unhappy with the actions of police before and during Sunday’s match at Suncorp Stadium against Melbourne Victory.

In an open letter to fans, Garcia promised that the Australian Professional Leagues – which runs the A-League – would “defend the reputation of our game and stand up for the rights and safety of our fans”.

“We are concerned with some of the reports and footage from the weekend and are finalising our investigation in collaboration with fans, clubs, venues, security and police,” Garcia said. “Going forward, we will continue to work with these stakeholders to ensure they understand and consider the unique culture of our game and supporter bases and act in accordance with the high standards expected.”

However, Garcia also called on A-League supporters to “adhere to venue and safety protocols”.

“We don’t condone any behaviour that negatively impacts the experience for our fans or the image of our game, no matter the situation,” he said.

“Our work continues and we are exploring new initiatives and procedures to ensure we can retain the incredible atmosphere at our games whilst ensuring a safe and enjoyable environment for every fan.”

Wanderers chief executive officer Scott Hudson said the club also wanted the bans overturned and was “urgently seeking a meeting with senior representatives from NSW Police and Venues NSW”.

“We are very disturbed by the feedback we have received from various parts of the stadium regarding their experience last Saturday night,” Hudson said.

“There is clearly a broader issue and we stand in solidarity with our members and fans.

“With consideration to recent incidents in football around the country, the Wanderers are calling for an ‘all of game’ response to current processes and safety procedures.”