The conduct of Preston Lions fans has once again sparked outrage. Last Sunday, approximately 500 supporters of the Preston side made the trip to Oakleigh to watch their team face the local Cannons in the NPL quarter-finals.
Given the history of this fixture and the various socio-political elements surrounding the match, both clubs had reached an agreement regarding the banners and flags that fans of both teams were permitted to bring into the ground.
The display of national symbols was explicitly prohibited. In fact, before the match kicked off, officials from Football Victoria were seen asking Cannons supporters to remove a Greek flag that had appeared in the newly built grandstand at Jack Edwards Reserve.
However, it seems the rules only applied to one side—Oakleigh Cannons.
As evidenced by photos obtained by Neos Kosmos, Lions fans disregarded the guidelines provided in the lead-up to the match, causing damage, displaying their national symbols, and littering the areas they occupied with stickers containing racist content.
The question now looms: what will the governing body, Football Victoria, do to address behaviours like those displayed by Preston Lions supporters? Likely, nothing.
