Fans need to sort the fans out..it's the only way.

There was violence at the game, Melbourne v Sydney on Saturday, so I'm told by my daughter who was at the game (she's eight), oh and every media outlet in the country.

My daughter was scared..she said she'll come back if there are no more "punch ups" as she called it.

Friggin great. That's me days at the football numbered isn't it.



She is eight and walked out of the game with her mother and some friends having sat on the third level at the Telstra Dome.

We had all enjoyed the game, the crowd noise, the whole bit.

I'd nipped into the Press Conference after the game, and agreed to meet them outside.

But will I be back with my daughter? Not if she doesn't feel safe or want to go.

She's already been to the Uruguay game, the World Cup qualifier. She didn't feel scared in amongst all that passion and noise that night. Not even as Aussies and Uruguayan fans mingled outside the ground before kick-off.

I had. Not because there was any trouble. But because I'd watched Celtic and Rangers fans before games, during games and after games. I knew what could happen. Only this time I had my daughter with me.

I moved away quickly that night.

I didn't need to. Not that special tense night.

But now she may not be back!

Thanks to some stupid mindless fans intent on abusing, slagging each other off, taunting and then surprise, surprise, when the chance arises handbags occur...I know it wasn't bad, not Celtic Rangers bad, or even Italian bad, it wasn't even NSL or one day cricket bad.

But it doesn't look good for the game. Does it?

It's still hard to get media coverage for football in this country and suddenly we get loads....all negative.

but for my daughter the sight of teenagers running, and the police shouting after them was concerning, very concerning.

The so-called trouble, I'm not sure it was significant, but the trend is worrying to me.

Like a fight at school, everyone runs don't they...towards it. That's what it seemed.

It wasn't good, and of course it gave every media and anti-football fan a chance to stir the pot.

Our own fault?

Probably.

FFA need to deduct points to both clubs involved. Watch the fans sort this out quick smart then.

The fans need to sort out, point out the flare throwers out in the stadiums, the bottle throwers, and do you really need to visit the oppositions pub in a large group for an abusive song singing contest.

Go by all means, but go in Aussie friendship. If you are going to taunt and abuse don't be surprised when someone takes it the wrong way and the media show the worst side of the game to everyone else.

Is that too much to ask of football fans in this country?

The FFA can help. It seems they will from their Press Release below but the fans could sort it themselves, and should in the name of football.

Why put the fans so intent on heckling and abusing each other next to each other at the stadium.

Why allow Newcastle fans to take cans and bottle into the ground or buy them in the ground so they can throw them at the players as they did the other week against Sydney?

I could go on, but why bother. The fan groups need to self-police. Blaming the police. I've heard it all before. I don't care about the police.

I care about the game. Fans provoking each other. It's always the other sides fault.

What are the true fans in the fan groups going to do about it?