Offside Set

GweedsOSS · Joined: 15 Oct 2006 Posts: 609 Location: Northcote

There have been plenty of very angry comments on the dark side about the request from Telstra Dome and the club not to stand on Level 3.

I find that request reasonable. It is a steep stand and I can imagine that if someones falls forward it may cause injuries. Not necessarily falling off the balcony (as the supporters are back form the edge) but still it can be nasty.

However this is the result of their pig-headeness and the misunderstanding of TD and the club in regards to supporters.

If they negotiated in good faith months ago, instead of not listening and double crossing the organised supporters we may have not reached this level of mistrust and anger and '**** you attitude' from them.

Also the fact to allow a megaphone now smack of opportunism. "If we let them play with the megaphone they may be good boys and all stay on Level 1".
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CLMV · Joined: 14 Oct 2006 Posts: 735

I agree that TD and the club handle the supporters badly.

TD just seems to have no sympathy and no interest in what the NT wants.

The club seems to be ambivalent, and so it often stays silent, and the supporters end up feeling like they get no support from the club.
(However, I do not really understand why supporters who do talk to and negotiate with the club don't let others know. I find it undemocratic.)

I agree that TD/ the club brought this angry response on themselves.
Though as usual, I think there is as much incompetence as malice.

I don't think the megaphone/drum issue, and the standing issue are quite as directly related as the statement made them look.

As far as my info goes, the club has been lobbying TD to allow the drum for quite a while, and was finally successful.
The mega had been allowed ages ago, but was personally to Tunna, so L1 needed one too now.

Meanwhile, TD and the cops had come out and said they were not prepared to continue with the standing - for safety reasons, and whatever other private reasons they might have.

So the drum thing was coming from the club at the same time as the standing thing was coming from the stadium.

I agree that the communication of all this was a cock-up - but I believe there was a fair bit of co-incidence involved.

CLMV · Joined: 14 Oct 2006 Posts: 735

Meanwhile, the protest seemed to go well on L3 on Sunday - very disciplined, so they should at least be happy about that.

And they seem to have got some attention from TD/club over it too.

Be interesting to see what happens next.

Daydream · Joined: 13 Oct 2006 Posts: 770

TechnicalArea · Posted: Mon Oct 22, 2007 4:50 pm Post subject:

CLMV · Joined: 14 Oct 2006 Posts: 735

So the protest on Sunday went very well.

It was disciplined, organised and unified.
And it is getting very good press.

Maybe the L3NT will get some success out of this. I'll be glad to have been proved the pessimist for once, if so.

CLMV · Joined: 14 Oct 2006 Posts: 735

Various L3NT people have argued that the fact that they did not get evicted last Sunday means TD is not genuine about the safety of standing on L3.

They have suggested that maybe the issue is jumping, not standing. Some have also suggested they might be willing to make sure there is no jumping.

That is an interesting idea.
The NT of last year would never have countenanced an agreement like that.
Then again, the NT of last year would not have been able to deliver on an agreement like that.
The unruly, chaotic L1 of last year is very different to the disciplined outfit on L3.
L3NT looks like an outfit that could make an agreement not to 'mosh' - and could deliver on it.

On the other hand, perhaps the analysis that TD does not genuinely care about standing is wrong.
It may be that they just did not have the resources to enforce it then, or someone decided it would be even more dangerous to try to enforce it.

CLMV · Joined: 14 Oct 2006 Posts: 735

The issue of standing at TD plumbed new depths last night when several active fans were ejected for standing - in the HOME END.

The very place where we were told it would be ok to stand. Instead, it seems some junior constable decided to act on a complaint from a patron, and chuck people out. FFS don't they bother to brief their staff at all?

And to make matters even more murky, some people who were standing on L3 were allowed to continue to stand, and one group who had failed to find space to stand on L1 were even given permission by a cop to stand.

Meanwhile, about 5 bays of gold seats were empty.

Incompetence.

If the club and TD are going to tell people to stand on L1, they should protect the standing area, and make it big enough.

Daydream · Joined: 13 Oct 2006 Posts: 770

Last nights incidents have opened a pandora's box for MVFC, i will be watching eagerly to see what their official response is.