The glory days

Squadron is flying too low
Dec. 8, 2008, 9:55 p.m.

SOME soccer-loving parents attending Newcastle Jets games have been known to take great pains to keep their children as far as possible from the seats occupied by the "Squadron", the famously rowdy Jets' supporters group.

For some time an impression has been forming that elements of the Squadron are incapable of controlling themselves.

This idea may stem from the 2007 incident in which Newcastle supporters pelted a visiting Sydney player with cups, bottles and cans. The Jets were lucky to escape sanctions as a result.

And despite an appeal for sense from Jets owner Con Constantine, the Squadron greeted former Newcastle player Mark Bridge with a torrent of booing and abuse when he visited earlier in the year with his new club, Sydney FC.

Bridge and Sydney expected the reception and shrugged it off as best they could, but the Squadron appears to be fixated with its dislike for Bridge and he was targeted again on Sunday night.

The swearing and offensive chanting directed at Bridge plumbed new depths of immaturity, leaving many to wonder if the Squadron has really lost the plot altogether. It's one thing to try to emulate British soccer fans and their thunderous chanting, but the Jets supporters appear to be operating at times with very little wit. The result is plain rubbish that can't do their team or their game any good.

Maybe it's no coincidence that the Jets are bottom of the heap in this year's competition. The quality of barracking in Newcastle on Sunday night must be perilously close to rock bottom in its own not-very-demanding league.

The loyalty and enthusiasm of the Squadron can't be questioned and it would be a shame if they became too tame in their support for the Newcastle side.

But Sunday night's effort was simply atrocious and it won't be surprising if more people decide not to spend hard-earned money taking their families to watch the Jets play because they don't want to be exposed to such low-grade offensive behaviour.

The Jets have condemned the behaviour and Squadron spokesmen have argued that the rubbish is coming from a minority in the group. If so, it's time the majority straightened them out or kicked them out.

http://www.theherald.com.au/story/49...lying-too-low/

THE conduct of Newcastle Jets supporters is again under scrutiny after a spectator was ejected from EnergyAustralia Stadium on Wednesday night for throwing a bottle onto the pitch during the Asian Champions League match against Nagoya Grampus.

The bottle appeared to have been aimed at Nagoya players after an on-field dispute with their Newcastle rivals late in the second half.

There were other reports yesterday that a coin was thrown and Japanese players were taunted with racist chants. (lol, the coin was actually thrown by a Turkish du on exchange at my high school for a month or two. Big TV pointed him out to the seccos straight away, and he was gone within a minute. I think he had to go back to Turkey after that)

Jets chief executive John Tsatsimas said spectators had helped security guards identify the person responsible for throwing the bottle, who was escorted from the ground.

Tsatsimas said the Jets had obtained the offender's name and it was "being dealt with by the police".

The offender also faces an indefinite ban from attending matches.

"There was one ejection, and that was dealt with as soon as possible," Tsatsimas said yesterday.

"The point I would like to make is that The Squadron handled it well.

"They were very supportive and the leaders helped keep control of the people in their areas, and they should be commended for that as well." Johnny T Best bloke

Tsatsimas said such behaviour was unacceptable.

"You don't shy away from that it was one incident too many," Tsatsimas said.

"But, having said that, it's been dealt with and probably serves notice that we're not going to be tolerant of anti-social behaviour."

A Football Federation Australia spokesman said he had been unaware of the bottle-throwing incident but would refer it to Asian Football Confederation officials.

Jets supporters have attracted unwanted publicity in the past few years for several incidents, although the club has so far avoided any official censure. (hang on a minute, I thought all of the Squadron's problems only cropped up in the last year or two??)

In November 2007, Football Federation Australia requested an investigation by the Jets after Newcastle supporters hurled plastic cups, plastic bottles and aluminium cans at Sydney FC midfielder Ufuk Talay as he attempted to take a corner kick.

Two months later, police reported incidents of antisocial behaviour after an F3 derby at Bluetongue Stadium, and Jets fans were criticised after for allegedly throwing a coin at Mariners player John Hutchinson. (this was surely our finest hour)

Last December, former Newcastle player Mark Bridge was booed every time he touched the ball and greeted by The Squadron with chants of, "F--- off Bridgey, I hope you die" and "Bridgey's a fat c---".

Meanwhile, it is understood Jets management have paid about one third of the unpaid superannuation and bonuses they owe to players, dating back to the start of the financial year.

They have been given another week to pay the balance believed to be around $60,000 or the Professional Footballers Association will take the matter to FFA for arbitration.

The issue was first made public five weeks ago when The Herald reported that Jets players were owed close to $100,000 in unpaid entitlements, a situation the PFA described as "unacceptable".