Active supporter groups "are back and the boycott of A-League games has been lifted but the groups have placed Football Federation Australia on notice that they will be prepared to take action again if new banning procedures are not implemented by February," according to Ray Gatt of THE AUSTRALIAN. The national competition will "return to some normality" after a "peace deal was brokered between angry fans and FFA" following a four-and-a-half hour meeting. The active groups from all 10 clubs issued the same "carefully worded statement" Wednesday in which they "formally accepted the head body's proposals aimed at providing a fairer banning and appeals process for fans implicated in anti-social behaviour." But while the fans are "delighted they now have a fair and equitable system and can go back to actively supporting their clubs," they remain a little skeptical. Sydney FC's core fan group The Cove said in a statement, “Make no mistake, in the event that the FFA fails in meeting these commitments by February 19, 2016, The Cove will take all necessary steps to hold it accountable” (THE AUSTRALIAN, 12/11). In Sydney, Michael Lynch reported the active supporters from Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City will now attend the pre-Christmas derby at AAMI having "temporarily" suspended their boycott. The boycott has not "actually been all that stiff a test for either set of Victorian supporters as both City and Victory have not had any home games since the end of November" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 12/10). REUTERS' Nick Mulvenney reported the governing body agreed to "in-principle changes" to its system to allow fans to see evidence against them and to institute a separate appeals process after consultation with clubs and supporters groups. The protests "were triggered by the publication of a list of 198 fans banned from stadia around the country in Sydney's Sunday Telegraph" (REUTERS, 12/10).
PEACE TALKS: In Sydney, Dominic Bossi opined "no sooner than the three dozen participants entered the Four Seasons Hotel for peace talks, a sense of calm swept the room." FFA CEO Dave Gallop, a lawyer, is "known for being meticulous and was happy to spend almost half of the near 4-hour meeting going through the fine print of demands." So, too, "were the fans, who had a lawyer on hand to put forward the collective demands of all 10 supporter groups." They formed the draft of "what is to be the first introduction of a supporter grievance act." It was a "sign of the professionalism applied by sets of fans who previously had to be separated by police at games." They were "legalled, reasoned and productive," according to one insider present, and "despite the deep rivalry between the groups, there was not so much as a murmur of animosity muttered on Wednesday." Until 11:20pm, Gallop and A-League CEO Damien de Bohun "worked with the fans to construct an appeals process for banned spectators." They "established trust, and they vowed to allow fans to have a greater role in decision making, particularly when it comes to security measures." All "left buoyed, some so much so that they made a late pit stop at the pub before heading home" (SMH, 12/10).
