Post by serious14 on Oct 15, 2007 10:00:34 GMT 10
Can you believe this garbage actually got published?? Just another indicator of the mentality of the media that we're up against......
www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,22581565-2682,00.html
"WITH controversy flaring over spectator unrest at A League soccer matches, Sunday Mail reporter TOM ZED joined the travelling Melbourne Victory fans for Friday night's grudge match.
IT was all fun and games on Friday night – until Melbourne Victory lost 4-1.
Then soccer fan anger threatened to boil over as Victory supporters reacted to their side's drubbing by Adelaide United.
Only the work of an extra-large contingent of police and security guards – who had to escort more than 50 Victory fans from Hindmarsh Stadium to Port Rd – stopped violence from erupting.
Threats, taunts and insults were traded between Victory and United supporters following the match, both inside and outside the stadium.
Three Victory supporters, in particular, left United fans in no doubt that they would be "smashed" if they ventured out from behind the ranks of police and security guards who kept the two groups apart.
Officials were clearly taking no chances after the clubs' torrid history and the damage caused by Melbourne fans at last weekend's away match against Sydney FC.
I spent the night in the midst of a group of Melbourne Victory supporters behind the goal at the southern end.
The intense rivalry between the two sides, fuelled by Victory's 6-0 win over United in last season's grand final, was clear from the start.
Both teams' core supporter groups were on their feet and in full voice before the kick-off.
United and Victory supporters were shoulder to shoulder behind the goal.
Early in the first half, the banter was mainly friendly but then, in a preview of the spite to erupt later, provocative taunts and insults began to be traded.
Victory fans let the United fans behind them know all about Archie Thompson's first-half injury-time goal, which resulted in a half-eaten sausage roll narrowly missing my ear and hitting a Victory supporter in the back.
The nastiness began at half-time when a fight between two fans had to be broken up by police and security guards, who were present in large numbers around the Victory group.
Goals to United's Travis Dodd and Lucas Pantelis in the second half sparked celebrations in the Reds' camp at the opposite end of the field, including flares, one of which nearly landed on the playing pitch. United fans chanted "S. . . on Melbourne" while Victory fans returned fire with "Champions", "6-0" or, strangely for a soccer match, the Geelong AFL club song.
But it wasn't until the referee had blown the final whistle that tempers really flared.
A few Victory supporters who seemed determined to win some sort of battle over United were quickly surrounded by security guards, but United fans added fuel to the fire by taunting the angry Victory fans. Police and security guards kept the opposing groups at opposite ends of a staircase as people started to leave the stadium.
They were forced to restrain several Victory fans who tried to hurl themselves at the United crowd.
Outside the stadium, the volley of threats, taunts and insults continued across Manton St but police on horses and on foot escorted the core group of Victory supporters along Manton, down Adam St and on to Port Rd where the tension dissipated, along with the crowd.
The threat of serious violence had been evident during the tense encounters outside the ground.
I overheard a young United supporter phoning her dad to ask him to come and find her because she was really scared.
The police and security guards did a good job of preventing serious physical confrontations and hosing down the heated crowd.
However, the tribal culture of soccer continues to leave an ugly stain on the beautiful game."
Bear in mind that this is the same paper that reported Port Adelaide's grand final win in the SANFL final with a lead line of "exuberant fans celebrated the win by setting off flares and singing the club song in the stands"
DOUBLE F*CKING STANDARDS ANYONE?!?
www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,22581565-2682,00.html
"WITH controversy flaring over spectator unrest at A League soccer matches, Sunday Mail reporter TOM ZED joined the travelling Melbourne Victory fans for Friday night's grudge match.
IT was all fun and games on Friday night – until Melbourne Victory lost 4-1.
Then soccer fan anger threatened to boil over as Victory supporters reacted to their side's drubbing by Adelaide United.
Only the work of an extra-large contingent of police and security guards – who had to escort more than 50 Victory fans from Hindmarsh Stadium to Port Rd – stopped violence from erupting.
Threats, taunts and insults were traded between Victory and United supporters following the match, both inside and outside the stadium.
Three Victory supporters, in particular, left United fans in no doubt that they would be "smashed" if they ventured out from behind the ranks of police and security guards who kept the two groups apart.
Officials were clearly taking no chances after the clubs' torrid history and the damage caused by Melbourne fans at last weekend's away match against Sydney FC.
I spent the night in the midst of a group of Melbourne Victory supporters behind the goal at the southern end.
The intense rivalry between the two sides, fuelled by Victory's 6-0 win over United in last season's grand final, was clear from the start.
Both teams' core supporter groups were on their feet and in full voice before the kick-off.
United and Victory supporters were shoulder to shoulder behind the goal.
Early in the first half, the banter was mainly friendly but then, in a preview of the spite to erupt later, provocative taunts and insults began to be traded.
Victory fans let the United fans behind them know all about Archie Thompson's first-half injury-time goal, which resulted in a half-eaten sausage roll narrowly missing my ear and hitting a Victory supporter in the back.
The nastiness began at half-time when a fight between two fans had to be broken up by police and security guards, who were present in large numbers around the Victory group.
Goals to United's Travis Dodd and Lucas Pantelis in the second half sparked celebrations in the Reds' camp at the opposite end of the field, including flares, one of which nearly landed on the playing pitch. United fans chanted "S. . . on Melbourne" while Victory fans returned fire with "Champions", "6-0" or, strangely for a soccer match, the Geelong AFL club song.
But it wasn't until the referee had blown the final whistle that tempers really flared.
A few Victory supporters who seemed determined to win some sort of battle over United were quickly surrounded by security guards, but United fans added fuel to the fire by taunting the angry Victory fans. Police and security guards kept the opposing groups at opposite ends of a staircase as people started to leave the stadium.
They were forced to restrain several Victory fans who tried to hurl themselves at the United crowd.
Outside the stadium, the volley of threats, taunts and insults continued across Manton St but police on horses and on foot escorted the core group of Victory supporters along Manton, down Adam St and on to Port Rd where the tension dissipated, along with the crowd.
The threat of serious violence had been evident during the tense encounters outside the ground.
I overheard a young United supporter phoning her dad to ask him to come and find her because she was really scared.
The police and security guards did a good job of preventing serious physical confrontations and hosing down the heated crowd.
However, the tribal culture of soccer continues to leave an ugly stain on the beautiful game."
Bear in mind that this is the same paper that reported Port Adelaide's grand final win in the SANFL final with a lead line of "exuberant fans celebrated the win by setting off flares and singing the club song in the stands"
DOUBLE F*CKING STANDARDS ANYONE?!?
