Post by paoktzi on Oct 29, 2010 13:21:41 GMT 10
theworldgame.sbs.com.au/jesse-fink/blog/1029293/Sydney-FC's-just-war-against-the-potty-mouths
HAKOA's just war against the potty mouths
29 Oct 2010 | 00:00-Jesse Fink
Bonita Mersiades, who used to sit on Australia 2022's bid committee, wrote to me from Los Angeles this week after attending the LA Galaxy-FC Dallas game at the Home Depot Center.
"It was interesting to see so many women and girls at the match," she said. "I would estimate between 40 to 45 per cent were female.
"Andy Harper will attest to the fact that this has been one of my 'hobby horses' for about 14 years.
“I think we, as a code in Australia, do not do enough to attract women to the game or matches. (The simple fact is if you get a woman to a match, there is a multiplier effect as she will never attend alone)."
I can only agree.
The A-League, of course, doesn't have a draw card like LA Galaxy does David Beckham (most leagues would kill for their own) but perhaps this is why HAKOA has moved towards cracking down on swearing at home games, chief executive Edwin Lugt sending out a letter this week to season-pass members.
"HAKOA recently met with the Cove to discuss some of their chants and we hope to see a return to more family-friendly language," it says.
"However we have recently had reports from members of other bays about abusive and foul language outside of the Cove.
“Please remember that HAKOA appreciates fans and members of all ages come to our games, and we hope that we can all work together to improve the atmosphere while still remaining family friendly.
"We would also like to add that we welcome the attendance of fans of our opposition, and we encourage all HAKOA fans and members to treat them with the same courtesy you would like to be treated at their home venue."
Clearly the objective is to make matches the kind of experiences that young women, especially those with children, feel comfortable attending without having to listen to the profanities of a bunch of vocabulary-challenged yobs or be ogled like a piece of walking meat.
It happens all around the league.
But one Sydney supporter, Nicholas Zantiras, complained to me this morning: "Surely trying to intimidate the opposition and creating a great atmosphere should come first?
"I mean it's pretty much the boys upstairs sticking up for those who come to one game every two seasons rather than supporting their season ticket holders?
"In my view they should be trying to attract passionate supporters to the games, not kicking the passion out!
“Imagine telling every club in England to stop singing 'Who the f*** are Man United' because it has a swear word in it."
Just imagine.
Now I'm all for swearing. A well-used f-word can be devastating in the right context. SBS TV programmers let it loose late on a Friday night.
But surely fans are capable of creating a great atmosphere and intimidate the opposition without swearing? I don't see swearing as synonymous with being passionate.
If you want an example of passion and intimidation at a football match achieved without swearing, look at the fan organisation of just about any J-League club, Urawa Reds fans especially.
Theatre of immense power and delivered without cursing.
But this is a country where "Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi" is still considered by some to be a clever football chant.
Thankfully the tide is turning, Rory Gibson writing a great piece for the Courier-Mail this week calling for "the most boring, irritating, cringe-making chant in the history of crowd noise" to be put out to pasture.
C'mon Sydney. C'mon A-League. C'mon Australia. We're smarter than all this. Just because lager-swilling bozos on English Premier League terraces heckle and abuse players and coaches doesn't mean we should ape them.
We're Asian, aren't we? Let's start displaying some Asian-style respect to opponents, visiting fans and, above all, people who come to matches to watch the football and not be assailed with a symphony of foul language.
But this should apply to the players too. The club can't on one hand ask the fans to stop swearing while ground microphones pick up language too blue for little ears.
Who knows? Change the record a bit and more women might start coming to games as well.
HAKOA's just war against the potty mouths
29 Oct 2010 | 00:00-Jesse Fink
Bonita Mersiades, who used to sit on Australia 2022's bid committee, wrote to me from Los Angeles this week after attending the LA Galaxy-FC Dallas game at the Home Depot Center.
"It was interesting to see so many women and girls at the match," she said. "I would estimate between 40 to 45 per cent were female.
"Andy Harper will attest to the fact that this has been one of my 'hobby horses' for about 14 years.
“I think we, as a code in Australia, do not do enough to attract women to the game or matches. (The simple fact is if you get a woman to a match, there is a multiplier effect as she will never attend alone)."
I can only agree.
The A-League, of course, doesn't have a draw card like LA Galaxy does David Beckham (most leagues would kill for their own) but perhaps this is why HAKOA has moved towards cracking down on swearing at home games, chief executive Edwin Lugt sending out a letter this week to season-pass members.
"HAKOA recently met with the Cove to discuss some of their chants and we hope to see a return to more family-friendly language," it says.
"However we have recently had reports from members of other bays about abusive and foul language outside of the Cove.
“Please remember that HAKOA appreciates fans and members of all ages come to our games, and we hope that we can all work together to improve the atmosphere while still remaining family friendly.
"We would also like to add that we welcome the attendance of fans of our opposition, and we encourage all HAKOA fans and members to treat them with the same courtesy you would like to be treated at their home venue."
Clearly the objective is to make matches the kind of experiences that young women, especially those with children, feel comfortable attending without having to listen to the profanities of a bunch of vocabulary-challenged yobs or be ogled like a piece of walking meat.
It happens all around the league.
But one Sydney supporter, Nicholas Zantiras, complained to me this morning: "Surely trying to intimidate the opposition and creating a great atmosphere should come first?
"I mean it's pretty much the boys upstairs sticking up for those who come to one game every two seasons rather than supporting their season ticket holders?
"In my view they should be trying to attract passionate supporters to the games, not kicking the passion out!
“Imagine telling every club in England to stop singing 'Who the f*** are Man United' because it has a swear word in it."
Just imagine.
Now I'm all for swearing. A well-used f-word can be devastating in the right context. SBS TV programmers let it loose late on a Friday night.
But surely fans are capable of creating a great atmosphere and intimidate the opposition without swearing? I don't see swearing as synonymous with being passionate.
If you want an example of passion and intimidation at a football match achieved without swearing, look at the fan organisation of just about any J-League club, Urawa Reds fans especially.
Theatre of immense power and delivered without cursing.
But this is a country where "Aussie Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi" is still considered by some to be a clever football chant.
Thankfully the tide is turning, Rory Gibson writing a great piece for the Courier-Mail this week calling for "the most boring, irritating, cringe-making chant in the history of crowd noise" to be put out to pasture.
C'mon Sydney. C'mon A-League. C'mon Australia. We're smarter than all this. Just because lager-swilling bozos on English Premier League terraces heckle and abuse players and coaches doesn't mean we should ape them.
We're Asian, aren't we? Let's start displaying some Asian-style respect to opponents, visiting fans and, above all, people who come to matches to watch the football and not be assailed with a symphony of foul language.
But this should apply to the players too. The club can't on one hand ask the fans to stop swearing while ground microphones pick up language too blue for little ears.
Who knows? Change the record a bit and more women might start coming to games as well.
