In light of the recent announcement regarding the indefinite ceasing of active support by the North Terrace at Melbourne Victory matches it would be only fair that the reasons behind this decision are explained to our many supporters and critics alike.

In the wake of the Round 2 match against the City Football Group on Saturday October 15th the North Terrace leadership group, the North Terrace Collective, determined that the current situation for active support in the North End is untenable and unsustainable. In terms of the prevailing culture and standards of our own supporter base and our relationship with the Melbourne Victory Football Club not to mention the authorities including Victoria Police, stadium security and the FFA.

This difficult decision was a long time coming with the recently imposed minimum standard regime of allocated seating combined with fixed memberships – both which restrict freedom of movement and expression, leadership and growth within the terrace – being ultimate reason for the decision.

It is essentially a very bad deal.

Since 2005 the North Terrace has endeavored – against tremendous odds – to advance the cause of active support in Australian football and specifically provide an atmosphere and spectacle that our players and the general fan base truly appreciate.

In doing so over the past 11 years we have staunchly maintained our independence from the club & commercial interests alike;

provided an at times radical, always critical, voice in defence of our game and fellow supporters against sanitisation and exploitation.

We have consistently stood up for the rights and freedoms of active supporters.

In doing so we have also created a community that is very real, more real to us than the contrived football franchise that essentially brought us together.

We have shown remarkable solidarity and discipline in numerous meaningful actions that at least to some extent were appreciated by the wider football community.

Admittedly we have been occasionally controversial and divisive through our actions & acknowledge the concerns of our critics who feared the perceived negative impact of North Terrace fanaticism on the game and its future.

Despite being factional at its core our community is tight-knit, supportive and committed.

This is contrasted with many examples of repression and heavy handedness by the authorities.

Often in the guise of:• Excessive and counter-productive stadium bans and matchday restrictions imposed by the FFA and related third parties.• Disingenuous, frustrating and / or fruitless negotiations on the part of the Club resulting in a general dissolution of our own supporter culture within the Terrace.

This has led to widespread apathy and a loss of‘mentality’ that have sadly taken their toll on the North Terrace.

Many have commented that the North Terrace should persevere, push on and overcome these issues.

People need to keep in mind the amount of dedication, hard work and personal risk it has taken to keep the Terrace going over these years.

For someone to step up and be a leader in this scene, to try to influence others for better or worse, is a big ask, a huge responsibility.

The current restrictions imposed on the North Terrace,together with the unrealistic expectations of the club & possibly the wider fan base make effective leadership at best an unenviable task at worst an impossible one.

To the point that for members of an organised supportersgroup to attend matches it is no longer a thing of enjoyment as it should be.

For those that lead the Terrace the capos it has become a stressful burden (capos and other leaders are entrusted to take up these informal voluntary positions of leadership based on the respect good will and camaraderie of their peers not through a formal application process overseen by the Club).

Marches have been banned, group and message banners restricted, approved and paid-for tifos & choreographies refused and cancelled at the last minute flags and standards have been limited in distribution.

Not to mention provocative security and police who almost always chose the ‘take-down’ over a peaceful restorative solution & ongoingsurveillance and black listing by a private and unaccountable counter-terrorism consultancy firm with a vested interest in trouble at the football.

And finally restrictive memberships & theintroduction of a new seating regime that prevents friends being allowed to stand with friends and new participants ensuring that they cannot participatefreely in the North Terrace.

THE FUTURE
This is not a protest or a boycott or a strike.

For the North Terrace to continue as its traditional selfin this climate is a battle we cannot win.

In short, it’s over.

We would kindly request that fans who choose to continue with active support in the North End:
• No longer refer to the North End as the ‘North Terrace’
• No longer chant the name ‘North Terrace’ in any songs (E.g. ‘Horto Magico’)
• No longer wear North Terrace merchandise and cease thedistribution of stickers
• Do not attempt to resurrect the North Terrace by name or tradition.

We do not wish that our name be sullied by club appointed representatives that fail to uphold the tenet of independence that the North Terrace was founded upon.

Finally it would be most appropriate to thank our members,anything from 1,500 to 2,000 fans who over 11 years proudly considered themselves ‘North Terrace’ and supported the cause so brilliantly be it through voice, loyalty, dollar, talent or idea.

Many thanks also to those of the wider Melbourne Victory fans base the many men, women and children who appreciated and supported the North Terrace over the years.

Many thanks are also extended to the players anda handful of Melbourne Victory staff who supported the North Terrace over the years.

NT ’05 – OUR WAY

source - North Terrace Melbourne facebook page (5.00pm Wednesday November 2nd 2016)

http://forum.insidesport.com.au/FindPost2440601.aspx

Refunds on all merch they were selling now you are not apparently allowed to wear it?

collectors items.  KEEP THE BOX

Interesting that the statement has been edited:

From

FOLLOW-UP STATEMENT re North Terrace

to 

FOLLOW-UP STATEMENT FROM NOMADI / HORDA re North Terrace

I assuming there was a violin accompanying the post??

Tickets please!

What a bunch of soft cock sooks who think they are bigger then the club.

I pictured this.

Nomadi/horda are fucking idiots. this just reads like a child chucking a tantrum. also when did horda/nomadi become the nt?? t

wow:laugh:

"In doing so over the past 11 years we have staunchly maintained our independence from the club & commercial interests alike;
provided an at times radical, always critical, voice in defence of our game and fellow supporters against sanitisation and exploitation. 
We have consistently stood up for the rights and freedoms of active supporters. 
In doing so we have also created a community that is very real, more real to us than the contrived football franchise that essentially brought us together."

So Melbourne bro.. 

The irony in using the word 'contrived' must be completely lost on them. 

What a bunch of dooshes. Try copyright the word 'north ' and 'terrace ' dumb fks. God why are all active fan groups such self serving knobs? An official statement... WE DONT REALLY CARE if you sing dance rip flares fight swear take your shits off or button up the top of your pollo. In fact why aren't you wearing your team shirts you hard mofos? 90 minutes 90 wankers.

Jog on part time supporters!
Copped a 4-1 demolition and ran for the hills!!!!
Laughable 

The ironing in this.

You should buy it, the majority of people go to watch and enjoy football not listen to some plebs who think they are bigger than the game. The game is better out with these delusional, self centred egotistical losers.

Quick on the draw as usual. 

My only question is, did the terrace meet and vote to disband, or did these guys just decide to quit, and shut down the group with them? If they did, that's pretty pathetic.

Also that statement 'we are more real than the contrived franchise club' has to go down as one of the most up-yourself statements I have read

I didnt read it but I figured it would be a massive wank piece in the same vain as an RBB wank fest and the piece would mention words like solidarity and culture while at the same time criticising the "authorities" like FFA and police who seek to "divide us" because they are so important that the FFA and police must devote 100% of their resources to keeping them oppressed.

Was i right?

Don't see a problem with them pissing off. It should be celebrated and anyone that thinks the game will suffer indefinitely is deluded. Someone else will step in over time and they will be a distant memory. Atmosphere already appears to be getting better with each game and will continue to grow.

Can't wait to hear all the complaints and outcry from fans, FFA and media alike when the atmos is shithouse.

-PB

The club...and the league...will come crawling back????? To the North Terrace? 

Maybe they'll beg, ya reckon? "Please NT, we'll do anything, anything!"

Fark me. :D ..what a misplaced sense of self worth

They are actually quite different to the RBB

The North Terrace are the football fan equivalent of inner-city hipsters. They wear the right clothes, sing football-ultra sanctioned chants and claim to be against 'commercialisation' and 'selling-out', when in reality its all for show: They support a club which is the epitome of modern football, just like the rest of us. 

The RBB are just plain fucking stupid.  

"against tremendous odds.... remarkable solidarity... repression... personal risk"

This has to be one of the most pretentious, unintentionally hilarious things I've read. I can see why they've given up after all the tremendous hardships they've endured attending football games. 

The atmosphere at the Wellington game was excellent. Banners/flags would be nice add those and then it would be brilliant. Flares and the culture that encourages them is an unnecessary distraction. The game of football is played on the pitch by 22 men or women. If you go there for some other reason then you shouldn't be going there. 

The only thing I don't understand is that doesn't the north terrace literally refer to the metaphorical terrace (is standing area) at the northern end of the ground? It's the location of where people stand so unless they ban the whole end or stop people from standing there the words "north terrace" aren't going away. It's not like the cove/squadron/rbb etc which are distinct names for the groups.

Absolute try hard flogs with a sad inflated sense of self worth. 

Fuck them. The same bunch of NT morons came to Lakeside mid year and caused mayhem for absolutely no good reason. Video evidence clearly showed idiots from that group running onto the ground and on to the other side to taunt and fight anyone in their way. They had even advertised that particular game against South on their Facebook page. They used it as some sort of 'free hit'. Clearly a bunch of hard to handle, out of control, self centred, egotistical jerks. All genuine MV fans I know are glad to see the back of them. Make sure you close the door on your way out dickheads.

well said I agree this is coming from a passionate Victory member (South End active) I am glad to see the back of them so called morons.