Support
Melbourne Victory has the largest supporter base in Australia and has consistently set record highs in membership and attendance.
In January 2011, the HORDA active group was suspected to have stolen a Melbourne Heart banner. In the following games, HORDA banners were banned, which led to great protest from the Northern Terrace active members. At the following games, there was an increase in police and security present at the active area. Fans that were perceived as being "too aggressive" were escorted from the terrace, and in some cases fined or banned from the terrace. This led to the fans' anger escalating as they protested against the police control. On 2 February 2011, the fans from the Northern Terrace organised a silent protest for the Melbourne Victory – Newcastle Jets match. They left the Northern Terrace empty, and had a banner saying "No fans no past no future – without us you are nothing", "NT United". The banner was later confiscated by the police.
In February 2011, Victoria Police said they were reluctant to cover Melbourne Victory games because of unacceptable behaviour by fans. Problems included violence, anti-social behaviour and the lighting of flares.
Read more about this topic: Melbourne Victory FC
Famous quotes containing the word support:
“An ordinary man will work every day for a year at shoveling dirt to support his body, or a family of bodies; but he is an extraordinary man who will work a whole day in a year for the support of his soul. Even the priests, men of God, so called, for the most part confess that they work for the support of the body.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“A clergyman, again, can hardly ever allow himself to look facts fairly in the face. It is his profession to support one side; it is impossible, therefore, for him to make an unbiased examination of the other.”
—Samuel Butler (1835–1902)
“War ... should only be declared by the authority of the people, whose toils and treasures are to support its burdens, instead of the government which is to reap its fruits.”
—James Madison (1751–1836)