Forget the play-acting of Sergio Busquets, the bullish unrestrained antics of Pepe or even the arrogance of a certain Cristiano Ronaldo – the general consensus amongst football fans in Australia indicates that Damien de Bohun, the A-League boss who often prides himself in exhibiting strategic, forward thinking qualities, is perhaps the most hated man at the moment.
The A-League’s head honchos announced Monday that new protocols will be in place at the beginning of next season with regards to active support. The purpose is, erm, to protect the unique atmosphere which is generated by dedicated, club active supporters. They claim that it is a long term strategic move which will help in increasing the number of club memberships and also deepen fan engagement.
From the outset, it doesn’t sound at all that bad. But then again, Communism, from the outset, isn’t a bad idea either.
At first glance, it may seem justified that the FFA would bring in certain regulations. The fact is, nowadays, mainstream sports reportage on the beautiful game is much more fan orientated than football focused – the media seemingly set aside journalists to pounce on any sort of unruly fan behaviour.
Read the rest of my piece on From The Stands - an Australian football blog
