Western Sydney Wanderers chief executive John Tsatsimas has appealed to the A-League club’s fans to show their passion within the law.
The club accepted a $50,000 fine from Football Federation Australia (FFA) and a suspended point deduction for bringing the game into disrepute after fans lit flares against the Melbourne Victory (see report on page 25).
Tsatsimas told the media he was disappointed for the players and staff at the club, but even more so for “the great and fantastic membership base of 18,000 who have [been] nothing but great for this club”.
“I appeal to those who’ve conducted themselves questionably to comply and behave … as law-abiding citizens,” he said.
“Show your passion as any other true football fan would. Not as a hooligan.”
“We’re disappointed and we don’t want it happening again,” he added.
Western Sydney’s active fan group, the Red and Black Bloc (RBB), has been the focal point of criticism as one of the loudest groups in the league.
Show your passion as any other true football fan would. Not as a hooligan.
A club statement reiterated the Wanderers’ stance that their club is not the only one with fan issues but Tsatsimas said he applauded most of the vocal support group.