Jewish leaders, FA slam fan behaviour
The NSW Jewish Board of Deputies has condemned the “reprehensible” behaviour of a section of Sydney United 58 fans who chanted songs with fascist links and appeared to display Nazi salutes during the Australia Cup final.
Darren Bark
Football Australia has launched an investigation into the behaviour of Sydney United 58 fans.
The organisation also condemned the booing of the Welcome To Country at CommBank Stadium, while the NSW Board of Jewish Deputies described supporters’ conduct as “reprehensible”.
NPL NSW side United became the first non-A-League Men team to reach the tournament’s final but their achievement was overshadowed by the behaviour of a section of their supporters as they suffered a 2-0 loss to Macarthur FC in front of a 16,000-strong crowd – the second biggest in the competition’s history.
What should have been a celebration of United’s achievement and the club’s strong links to the Croatian community was overshadowed by the behaviour of a section of their supporters.
Some followers of United, formerly known as Sydney Croatia, sang Za Dom Spremni (for homeland – ready) – a chant used by the far-right Ustase movement in the 1930s and 1940s.
Images and videos circulated on social media also appeared to show fans carrying out fascist-style salutes.
“These vile symbols and salutes have no place in modern Australian society,” NSW Jewish Board of Deputies chief executive Darren Bark said.
“They represent the ultimate manifestation of evil – an evil which led to the murder of millions of innocent civilians during WWII, including six million Jews and thousands of Australian Diggers who lost their lives fighting against the Nazis during WWII.
“Reprehensible conduct such as this causes immense distress to the victims of Nazi crimes and their descendants, whilst undermining our cohesive multicultural society.”
Bark called on Football Australia to take “strong action” against the perpetrators.
One banner unveiled at CommBank Stadium bore a striking resemblance to the flag of Nazi Germany.
Largely red, it contained a white circle in the middle, with “EP” – an acronym for the club’s Edensor Park home – written in the circle in black typeface.
A section of United fans also chanted and booed during the welcome to country performed by Erin Wilkins, as well as the national anthem.
Former United player and Australia international Craig Foster tweeted his condemnation, describing the behaviour as a “horrific display of racist hate”.
Football Australia chief executive James Johnson telephoned Wilkins during the final to apologise on behalf of his organisation, which insisted the behaviour was restricted to a small section of supporters.
“Football Australia acknowledges that a very small minority of attendees engaged in behaviour that is not consistent with Football Australia’s values and wider community expectations,” the organisation said in a statement.
“Football Australia took steps during the match to address these isolated behaviours, including eight evictions.
“Football Australia will continue to gather information from the venue, clubs, and authorities on this matter, as anti-social behaviour has no place in our game.”
AAP
