Against Modern Football, but not really

Do you want to know who has been the best PR for the Wellington Phoenix?  The FFA. 

While some of the more FOX oriented members of the media attempt to bait the Wellington Phoenix into a response, by far the best PR for the club has come from the behaviour of the FFA.  From the 'not at all a leak' of the Cronulla/Sutherland side in the paper the week before, through giving the Phoenix two hours notice that the FFA were going to reject the 10 year application, then Gallop's flawed metrics point and finally Frank Lowy's bizarre rant the FFA have helped galvanise the support for the Phoenix around the world more than any statement from the owners group would have.

Frank Lowy again attempts to put his own foot in his mouth:

As for Mike Cockerill's challenge to the Phoenix owners, unlike the resoundingly successful Australian clubs with a single owner and voice (Nathan Tinkler or Clive Palmer) the Phoenix ownership group is made up of a disparate group of businessmen who are not necessarily all in Wellington to make a statement.  They are also astute enough to know that an immediate reaction is likely to leave you looking foolish (see the FFA).  Their time will come and it will be polished and pointed and more than likely will leave most people wondering why they aren't running the game in this country instead of the buffoons who are.


Interesting to see a stat last night saying the league's three biggest ever Monday night crowds are matches including the Wellington Phoenix.  #Metrics.


Is there another fan group in the A-League as likeable as Yellow Fever?  The constant message from this organisation is not so much 'come and have a go if you think you're hard enough' but more 'come over and see me sometime'.  I don't think they will claim they make the best Tifo's or make the most noise or are the greatest Ultras but they are a credit to their club and their city.  While some other groups make visiting fans feel like they are taking their lives in their own hands the Wellington supporters attitude is that if you are willing to make an effort to get to Wellington they'll make you welcome, they'll buy you a beer and they will make sure you go home telling everyone else how good a trip it was.

On top of this the community spirit impresses me.  After a Wellington fan (Matt Weldon-Smith - turns out Google is my friend) picked up the Football Fans Down Under awards supporter of the year award for a programme where the fans donated money or took part in fundraisers to send families from Ronald McDonald house to games they have excelled themselves with their new Save The Nix drive.

While it would be easy to make a fighting fund for banners, self-aggrandising and talking to the media to fight this fight the people at Yellow Fever have instead set up a fundraiser where money can be donated to buy season passes which will be used by Wellington community groups to reward volunteers and families that otherwise may not be able to make Phoenix games.

Last time I looked, this fund had in 5 days broken $8000 and to the credit of supporters across the league this isn't just money from Phoenix supporters with donations from four or five other A-League club supporters committing to a cause that helps the Phoenix and helps Wellington society.

Credit to Yellow Fever and the fans across the A-League.  It certainly makes Robbie Slater's cringeworthy comments at the opening of last night's game between the Victory and the Phoenix at Etihad look ill-informed, inaccurate and generally classless which should come as a shock to no one.


Meanwhile on our side of the Tasman the senate inquiry into the nanny state (that name alone would normally have me running for miles as would the name David Leyonhjelm) has got to the point where they are looking at Football and in particular the treatment of supporters of West Sydney Wanderers.

A disclaimer first of all.  I think the RBB do great visual work and make good noise.  I do not think they are the be all and end of all of active support and I do think a number of them could do with a swift kick in the nuts and a large dose of humility but I won't generalise that as all West Sydney active supporters unlike our media and our Police. 

I could delve into the relevations from the NSW Police or the statements from the Parramatta mayor but let's be honest, this blog isn't an AusPol blog or I'd be going for months.

Yes.  The #nannystate hashtag continues to be cringeworthy but isn't that typically Lowy and the FFA?  We're above this and don't need to sully ourselves with your requests.  Well they should because they have to an extent brought this situation on themselves. 

When they had a football team in West Sydney that they owned and needed to sell building the atmosphere was a selling point, it brought fans in the gate and made the team emminently saleable. 

Of course they were never going to implement the same financial consequences on themeselves if their fan's misbehaved so they turned a blind eye.  While the idiot element of the Wanderers fan base ripped flares during fire bans and engaged in organised fights with opposing fans the FFA said little and took little action until they had names on a signed contract with new owners at which point they waded in with Police to clean up the mess they had caused.

As fan behaviour made the front pages of the media funded by the rival codes the FFA suddenly were shocked by this behaviour.  Maybe if they had been shocked and made an effort when they owned West Sydney Wanderers the anti-football media wouldn't have a leg to stand on.  Maybe if their trained FOX media personalities weren't so busy spouting the party line we could see some genuine journalism on this subject.