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No wonder the active culture is dying and general attendance and overall interest across the league has gone tits up. You read through most of the posting on this thread from a purely objective standpoint and the sort of issues and resulting commitment involved in dealing with this rubbish extends way beyond what it should for simply following a local sporting team and attending games every 2-3 weeks. Most of the roles I perform in my full time, paid job don’t require as much commitment or consequence as most of these issues innocent people are forced to deal with simply to clear their name while at a game of sport... Christ, who wants to put up with this **** over something that’s meant to be a hobby and a release from the stresses and routine of life. To make matters worse, people pay good money to attend, buy merchandise, buy food and drink and just generally support their club yet are at risk of being wrongly accused and punished severely without reason, for things they haven’t even done. It’s really hit me reading through these last pages more so than ever before. I appreciate the need to maintain a standard of public behaviour and if people do genuinely do the wrong thing well then that’s their problem to deal with the process. As for the 99.9% of others that consistently do the correct thing, it’s gotta change. What are these processes set by the FFA designed to actually do? Are they dealing with true trouble makers or are they just appeasing and seeking validation from the naysayers and critics by trying to act tough and treat everyone as a crook until they can prove otherwise? From my understanding of how it all works, I still don’t see how this process would pass any sort of fair trading, consumer protection, general law etc. When I had a retail job throughout uni; as an employee, I couldn’t even accuse a shoplifter of anything without hard evidence so they basically would get away unless they’d miraculously hand themselves in for some reason. We had to do regular online training modules because the law protected customers so much. Why does this sort of protection not extend outside of that realm to sporting grounds? Whether you agree with the term or not, we are customers at the end of the day... To me it appears as though this whole discipline process has been mostly unchallenged, even after it was supposedly reformed, because no one has the time or money to pursue a proper case against it and expose how flawed and unfair it seems to be. Therefore it stands and until someone can take it to a higher level, it’ll remain that way. Very sad.

Over the years, I reckon there has been loads of suggestions to the club re this question. Many of them sensible, mostly from football passionate people who actually understand the game and its culture and many from the RBB fighting for the rights of active support.. I guess, with the crowds we are now getting, most suggestions have gone by and been ignored. I really feel sad that what we once had has now been eroded to the point of almost no return. Can we ever return to scenes like this? It makes me so sad that these vids just seem like distant memories. And this,...………….. Probably my most favorite moment of A-League tv commentary ever, from Simon Hill. "This ladies and gentleman, is football". While we are singing "**** the Victory". I am so saddened that Gallop/Lowy et-al, and our beloved club have dropped the ball so badly since these heady days.

Fabricio Rodriguez Western Sydney Wanderers 12 hrs · Hi All, You may or may not remember my post last November about Victoria Police falsely accusing my teenage son of lighting a flare outside Kardinia Park in Geelong before our game against Western United. After four months of unanswered emails and phone calls for help, I have now been informed by the club that FFA are about to issue both my eighteen-year-old son and I with a five-year ban. While not official yet, (we have only heard this through the club in the last few days). No ban has yet been issued to us. Since this incident, we have never been spoken to or given the opportunity to present any evidence to whoever’s was investigating within the FFA. I have videos that clearly show my son could not have been involved. To the club’s credit, they have now encouraged us to appeal and have said they will support us. And I am thankful for that! Supposedly, this is the fairer process we all fought for a few year ago. Yes! Although having travelled to Sydney, my son and I still boycotted that game in protest a few years ago because we are passionate about the issue of police and security overzealous behaviour. And instead watched it with our other Wanderers family on TV. Never in our wildest nightmares we thought we would ever be targeted like this though! As mentioned above, we are confident that the videos we already have will prove my son did not do it. However, the more evidence we can gather the better. So, if you or someone you know has any footage or photographs of the March on that day, can you please PM me? No matter how long or short, or how poor the quality of your video or photographs are. If you have any? Please let me know. As I said at the time, we are not interested in pointing the finger at the RBB or anyone else. We just want justice for us. We should have never found ourselves in this situation. We’re foundation members who live in Melbourne and travel regularly to Sydney for as many home games as possible. We seat in Bay 217 with a group of thirty other family members and friends. We are not normally active supporters; however, we love joining the RBB on away games. Neither my son nor I, (nor anyone I know for that matter) have ever lit a flare in our lives. But we will fight these ****ers!

That sounds good in theory. Until there is a Married at First Sight style edit and the vision cuts to flares in Turkey with Cynth's family photo-shopped in the back-ground and the 5 year ban becomes a lifetime ban with ACA pushing for the death penalty.

That was one hell of a bump That post is nearly three years old. I still have toaster but haven't used it in ages. As I recall, it was part of a line of unreleased merchandise that also included beer steins, beanies and coffee mugs I still hold the title of the only forumite to own both a WSF scarf and toaster. I'm special

Thanks for your words, I am at a loss at how unjust it all is.

So as an update I have spoken to Louie who Taurus put me on to. Very knowledgeable and generous with his time. He was part of writing the current ban appeal rules. He said that once they issue a ban the FFA have to make the evidence they based their decision on available to the person and then give them right to appeal. The issue he said is that the FFA have chosen to interpret those rules in questionable ways at times. As far as our situation goes, my brother in law has now learnt that the FFA is claiming they have “evidence” that both my nephew and brother in law handled the flare which is impossible because they didn’t. Hatamoto is involved as the stadium security that handed the info to the FFA which is interesting as this event happened outside the stadium not inside. It’s all very confusing. At this stage we are weighing up whether to wait for the ban to be physically issued or raise hell about it now. I have received the relevant email addresses to send our concerns to at the FFA but of course no one was willing to talk to me when I rang. Our greatest concerns right now are two things 1/ the story seems to have grown bigger between the event and what the FFA are claiming making me think there has been some fabrication of evidence or chinese whispers at work. 2/ clearly a police report exists from the day stating my nephew and brother in law were picked up for lighting a flare. A false report that maybe will stay on record? What does this mean for my nephew in particular for his future.

Makes me sad also, those events and games put down life markers, my son has gone from kindy to just starting high school with WSW landmarks dispersed between. I know before the Newcastle game where we won the plate I was down at the toddlers sea pool with the lad playing with buckets and spades and making sand castles before the game, but we are all hooligans right lol I just don't think they will ever really get it in this country and I don't think they want to. Just be glad you were there to experience them and hope the good times return on the pitch at least.

So apparently the club offers speed dating now. The original write up on the website said "Everyone is welcome, however please note this is a heterosexual event". They copped a bit on twitter, including this from the RBB. Now it just says "Everyone is welcome".

The police presence at the mariners game is a bit over the top. I saw at least 2 police on the telecast. That is one for each of the mariners fans. 😂😂😂

My goodness. What a complete disaster. I feel for your family members Cynth. The system really sucks when fans like your family (who I've met) are put through this shite. Hooligans and ban worthy they are not. A threat to society and match day security? Lol. 5 year bans? FMD!! If the A-League is still taking this approach, they only have themselves to blame for why fans are turning away. Do we all remember those days of past where thousands would march to games? Today, it is lucky to be dozens. What a disgrace of a politically correct country we live in.

When my great grandmother hit 100 in 1993 they local press came to the party and interviewed her and asked her that question....she had an interesting life and wanted a few quotes. She told them to bugger off. They wanted to put a party hat on her to take the photo...that wasnt going to happen either.... Then after that she asked if we were all buggering off because her program was starting on the telly soon.... There is a photo of all of us stood around her that made the paper with her looking well pissed off sat in the middle. If the secret of a long life is being a miserable sod i have it ******* nailed...

The corolla virus strikes again.

The overzealous policing actually assisted numbers, sure there was a few extra punted but there were a few thousand extra going because of that siege ACAB/Media hatred mentality as a sign of solidarity. Exclusivity and FOMO was also a key, having people think they will miss out on something (like toilet paper) will see more wanting to get it, the more exclusive you make it the more want it. So there was plenty of good stuff but the key was results is what tied it all together it was the West saying FU we can compete and beat you lot already.

Winning is the key. As has been posted before, it was the winning streak in the first year that attracted the fans. The few games before that, we were lucky to crack 10,000 at Parramatta. The police and security issues started almost straight away but the active endured for the first few seasons because we had a team on the pitch that we could be proud of so it was worth putting up with the issues. Once the team hit mediocre level, the fans said it was not worth putting up with it anymore hence the decline.

Pity they didn't do it a couple of seasons ago.....would of saved Unlimited from a world of greif.....

Hill joined twitter relatively recently too https://twitter.com/simonhill1894

Ah I don’t think ACA would be a good idea. I wouldn’t trust a commercial network with football stuff. Maybe a football journalist? I don’t know how to do that. The next step is emailing the FFA, just finalising it now.

This is not the Western Sydney Wanderers way.... I did a load of half marathons between the age of 18 - 21, sometimes on plus 25c days and up hills, when you hit a hill you ran ******* harder and got your head down...you ******* dig deep until it hurts bad. Lack of graft was disturbing.

Looks like the team deciding to blame it on the hot weather. Never had that before in Australia during the A-League season. Once off must be.

I don't think I'm asking for much when I say, if the team played with half the heart Santa showed every time we took the field, we'd be top 2 or 3. We have the talent but no heart.

When you look back you have to ask why were we so happy as a fan base , and why the policing was mainly a side issue. ....for me it was. For me it's simple. Results On The Pitch. We wanted to be there, not miss anything, celebrate together , then look forward to the next game. We had a team to cheer for. Since the end of the season in our last GF appearace we have basically been shyte on the pitch. Popa's last season didn't inspire....a GF team gutted and left a hollow shell...we barely made the six....policing/security was over zealous ........the fans getting frustrated and turning away. The debacles of Gombau and Babbel where the standard of play has fallen even lower....and we are where we are now. I'm convinced the policing issues will not unfortunately go away. The cops away from Parra want their fun at our expense. I don't know what the solution is. The club does have it in their power to put a team on the pitch that can unite fans and want them to go and watch, like the early days......the problem is they're taking too long to do it.

And us...

Simon Hill and Bozza are as good as it gets on the media front. Outside of them forget it.

Maybe direct communication with the new FFA CEO might help. He'd been keen to show he's better than Gallop.

I'd like someone to explain to me how a 40yo Scott McDonald, can play in humid conditions & yet our much younger squad struggled big time. We were poor v's Roar at home in round 4, the week after the previous Derby win. #NoExcuses

Don't worry stringer..... ..... at least Coldplay have a new album out.

Surely it’s time to replace the dunny seat with a golden roll...

Louie knows his stuff. I'd play the patient game, but with a view to ensuring that the false claim, is removed from the records of both individuals.

Don't panic, there's always the Telegraph and one should now practice doing hand stands in the shower.

Their penalty summed up the last three seasons of our football, lazy stupid pass to give the ball away idiotic tackle in the box

Oh, I don't know about that, I'm sure Gallop got a bonus for screwing over the fans once again.

Seems to be the case doesn't it. It will never happen with the current Administration of Football in Aus, but just once I would love for them to come out and say 'we back our fans who are innocent of any wrongdoing, prove to us they are guilty and we will take the appropriate action'

Can't remember where I've been dumping these. Apologies to you all for the repetitive nature of it all haha. Today I took the day off and went up to Mt Vic. My plan was to have a poke around Asgard Swamp on my bike because the website said it was open, but it wasn't. Still a good solid ride to the lookout at Mt Vic Falls but a bit annoying. So headed back home and then thought, oh well, might as well have a look around behind the hermits hut, i'd read about some more points of interest over that side. So some bush bashing later (the ashy trees drew all over me, looks like someone came at me with piece of charcoal :lol:) came across these views: (that's looking towards leura/wentworth falls, if you know it, this spot was north of Pulpit Rock which is still closed) And found this out there too:

Oh Shinji, our wandering Japanese samurai how we miss you! Definitely the best we have ever had and the club needs to find another one like him for next season if we want to be a force to be feared again.

Wonder when Wendy will be along to tell us all we are old cynical miserable chunts.

Worth contacting Simon.

That should apply to Corica

Ahh does this make you long for the days you had to buy kodak photo film in those little boxes. Then you had to open the back of the camera and insert the film, close it up and then click and move it forward a few times so you dont use the exposed bit. Then the only way to get your photos was to drop the film in for processing. The end result was hard copies you stashed in shoe boxes on the top of your wardrobe where they will stay or move with you...house fire apart. Ed could probably reminisce in the same way about gun powder flashes, cloaks over his head and glass plates.

They wanted it more and we relied on complacency from last weeks win. They knew with our regular fullbacks out we'd crumble, and they knew we wouldn't adapt to accommodate. Our playing style relies on one or two players, and if they're off we're sitting ducks. I'll give it to popa - at least he knew when to go to a corner and take body blows to scrape through. We could have caused a lot of damage getting behind their high press, but we didn't adapt. Our position on the table reflects our performance and intelligence.

Had a nightmare that Liverpool were about to win the EPL, Sydney were top of the A League by a mile, Boris Johnson is Prime Minister of the UK and some ex-advertising exec PM of Australia, people are panic buying toilet paper and running round shopping centres like a George A Romero film.. Woke up to find.. that Liverpool were about to....

Yeah agree.

My point was that people actually fell for this, and that is what is creating the problems for those of us who are honest and sharing. It's the dumbest of society who could not see this and are creating this problem. If everyone just shopped normally for their needs, this wouldn't be an issue. There is no reason why they shouldn't be. Yet, it is becoming one and the dumb arse panic buying is exacerbating the issue

A few points: - The excuses it’s too hot or it’s hard to back up after a derby are rubbish. Duke saying after 20 minutes they were buggered but in the first 20 minutes we hardly touched the ball but stood around while Roar pressed us. Thoroughly disappointing but it isn’t good enough, reminds us of what we saw under Babbel - Brisbane followed up there worst performance of the season last week against city with one of the best of the season against us. Go figure. I guess that’s one thing that needs to be mentioned. - When playing a back 3, your wing backs are so important, it was always going to be a struggle with both our first choice WB’s missing & putting in the kids. It was a big weakness on the night, it really hampered our efforts.

I've actually been both disappointed, as well as angry at this panic buying of basic staples that has occurred, starting mostly from the beginning of this past week. I'm not quite sure what brought this state of affairs on, but I highly suspect that the majority of the panic buyers have been panicked by some irrelevant, panic induced shite that they initially read on social media, and the reporting of it on MSM has exacerbated the issue. There is a lot of not very bright people in this world. I shudder to think what might happen if we, as a human race, were faced with a REAL catastrophe. Something like (and I know I am going out there now) a hit to earth by a small meteorite, or a decent earthquake. This has been a wake up call. Most humans are decent and caring and sharing. But this current CoronavIrus is really a non-event (it's just another strain of flu) and unfortunately, it has brought out the worst in our society. I've been sickened by the response I have seen his week. For example, I've been building a duplex in Baulkham Hills for the past 8 months. I have a temporary toilet on site for the tradesman, and I have for that time been supplying the toilet paper. It's not a hired Port-a-loo. It was a temporarily set up facility. I have, for the past week, been trying to buy supplies to continue to supply toilet paper for my tradesman. I have a supply at home for myself which is running short. This week, I have been to 6 different supermarkets or local IGA's, at various times of the day, to maybe just buy 1 x 12 or 18 pack of TP just to keep contractors supplied. Each market I visited has had empty shelves at each attempt. I have now had to install a sign on the door of the temp toilet requesting my contractors to supply their own toilet paper. All my contractors are good people and they understand why I have taken this action, but geez, if there weren't stupid feral muppets out there buying 200 ******* rolls of toilet paper in one hit at the local Woolies, the more honest of us would probably not have to deal with what is probably the most simplest of issues. My parents always taught me to share and share alike. I haven't been to a shopping centre yet when I have seen someone taking a trolley full of toilet rolls out to their car. Every time I have been to a shopping centre, there has been nothing left. But, if I at some stage come across one of these panic buyers, I will no doubt let them know my thoughts. It will be no holds barred. ******* selfish pricks these people are, and they need to be called out for it.

I agree with that first sentence...totally. As for the second, credit to the Roar players, including a few Pommies, who were written off by some here at the start of the season, for acclimatising to such awful playing conditions. Walking around in 95% humidity is bad enough. I can't imagine galloping around a football pitch for 90 mins in it! If the Bribane players have got used to it, good on them. Our heat this Summer has been dry heat, and some of our European players wouldn't have known what hit them playing last night. I admire (and sort of pity) A League players for being able to play in the hostile (and quite frankly, ridiculous) conditions they are sometimes called on to play in. I think it's a bit harsh to condemn any of them for lack of effort if they don't play at an optimal level in such conditions.

I mean, there's not much point in looking at that statement as evidence for what they do. It wasn't worth the air it took for Gallop to say it anyway.

Reminds me of that old gag. "Ruth, you're a hundred years old today. Tell me, what's your secret?" "I knocked over bank in '47."

We were awful made Roar look like Barcelona. It must be said we were missing some cattle so a lot of our normal attack down the wings was gone as Russell and Cordier had enough trouble defending let along pushing up. Hard to blame them though we were terrible across the park with Lopar and Muller the only two who deserve to be paid. JPM also needs to take that loss on, its easy to get them up for a Derby or the week after your coach is sacked but it’s up to the Coaching staff to get them up for these games. It’s the same 3pts we were playing for last week. Not sure if the 6 is gone but regardless we were only going for the extra week anyway.

Ok now this feeling is more familiar... Normal service has resumed.