Capital Football to come down on FC fans
BY LEE GASKIN, SOCCER
21 Sep, 2011 04:00 AM
Ugly crowd behaviour is set to cost Canberra FC plenty in the hip pocket, but also threatens the club's bid to be reinstated to the NSW premier league.
Capital Football has promised to ''come down very, very hard'' on the ACT men's premier league champions after off-field drama marred its 8-5 grand final victory against Canberra Olympic last Saturday night.
Up to a dozen flares were lit at Deakin Stadium in scenes reminiscent of European soccer with between 30 and 40 Canberra FC supporters involved.
There have also been allegations of Canberra FC supporters directing verbal abuse towards Capital Football officials and security staff.
Capital Football chief executive Heather Reid said it was imperative that the undesired small element of the 2000-strong crowd be stamped out.
''It was idiotic, vulgar, abusive, inappropriate behaviour that belongs somewhere else, it does not belong at our football games,'' Reid said. ''The verbal abuse that was levelled at me and other staff and security will not be tolerated.
''Those people will be put on notice that we do not want them in our sport.
''We're going to come down very, very hard on those people.''
Reid said the trouble wasn't unexpected after a Canberra FC fan had ignited a flare during its preliminary final win against Belconnen United the week before.
She said she had warned Canberra FC officials that while singing and chanting was acceptable, the lighting of flares would cross the line.
Capital Football employed three security staff from a private firm.
Canberra FC president Marko Vrkic disputed the number of flares that were lit and didn't have a problem with the way his club's supporters celebrated.
''Overseas it's different, it's normal atmosphere,'' Vrkic said. ''You can't control what's happening with 2000-3000 people.
''It's not nice, but you can't stop someone from drinking too much.''
Canberra FC has been the dominant force in ACT men's soccer for the past decade, winning 10 of the 11 past league titles.
That's led the club to consider a return to the NSW premier league in search of a higher standard of competition. And while Capital Football has supported that request, Reid said this latest incident could make it reconsider its position.
''Canberra FC aspire to play in the NSW premier league and this won't do them any favours,'' she said.
''We have supported that approach, but now we'd have to question it. A club called Canberra FC can't be our ambassador with behaviour like that.''
Vrkic reacted angrily to those comments.
''If they don't support us, they don't support football in Canberra,'' he said. ''They are totally wrong.''
Vrkic stressed there were no injuries stemming from the behaviour.
Capital Football is expected to issue Canberra FC with breach notices by the end of the week once its investigations are complete.
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/sport/football-soccer/capital-football-to-come-down-on-fc-fans/2298757.aspx?storypage=0