Another threat to football fan culture

[C-man]

Some of you may be aware of the debate that is engulfing German football at the moment. After a DFL paper entitled 'Safe Stadium Experience' ( ) was leaked, fans have organised and together participated in the twin 'Ich fühl' mich sicher!' (I feel safe) and 'Ohne Stimme 12:12 Keine Stimmung' (loosely translated as without voice: no atmosphere) campaigns over the last fortnight.

Amongst over things, the proposals of the German FA (DFB) and the politicians behind the sickmaking safe stadium experience concept are pushing for a cut in away allocations from 10% to 5%, and to eliminate standing places from away ends at first with the ultimate intention to eliminate standing completing. They also want to make full body searches mandatory.

Given that the DFL, DFB and politicians are meeting on 12/12, ALL fans in the top two tiers (and some even lower), have kept 'silent' for the first 12 minutes and 12 seconds of each game, with the idea being they show what football would be like without fan culture. The answer is Sunday League.

Follow the link for pictures and videos of the protests - some fairly impressive:http://www.12doppelp...nen/30-11-3-12/

On Saturday, I was at Union Berlin - who have, by the way, accused the German FA of blindly worshipping the Taylor Report(!) - and so got to experience the protests first hand. For the most part of the protest, it was like being at a boring, nondescript City game against a nothing outfit like Bristol City but bizarrely, Union's 4th minute goal was greeted with (near) silence, just thousands of waving hands. Video of the explosive end of the protest below:

The first round of protests have worked to an extent. The DFL have reacted and slightly adjusted their original proposal, which has angered the politicians who believe the original concept 'must be passed on 12 December'. Essentially a bunch of cretins sticking their oar in where they have no experience or no right to.

Anyway, if you have been (or are planning to go) to Germany for football, you may be interested in singing the below petition to help the chaps across the North Sea continue to fight for their fan rights, otherwise they may go the same way as we have.

https://www.ich-fueh...er.de/?lang=eng

Thanks!

[Dan]

Heard about this the other week, absolute joke, what is it with authorities and being absolute pricks? I'm absolutely convinced some of them have sneaked into their job via some utter miracle or some other brain-dead blurt handing it to them, but some seem to do whatever to go against what the fans like.

The German reaction shows exactly where we're going wrong though. You'd NEVER get that happen in England, literally never. A few fanbases may try something but not on mass, you'd never ever see us try anything and that is why we're walked all over and have the piss taken out of us by the authorities.

Hope to god they win. Hope to god fan unity teaches ours over here exactly what to do when you don't agree with the authorities.

[Kitchandro]

Well this isn't great timing. Bloody Germans, I was just starting to like them!

[Guest MattP]

German fans will do something about it, absolutely love them.

Our lot still queue up to throw £35 at Ken Bates on a Tuesday night whilst being treated like shit.

You can't make it up.

[purpleronnie]

It;ll never happen, not in Germany, the fact that clubs are run in a democratic way and all clubs are run by thier members who are fans and want to stand.

And apparantly the 16 resolutions have nothing anti standing:-

The resolutions (paraphrased)

1. The home club must employ a 'matchday organiser'

2. Clubs must make every effort to maintain a dialogue with fans to ensure, inter alia, a positive fan culture inside and outside stadia

3. The stadium must have a control room and video surveillance equipment with an override switch for the police to take control of the cameras.

4. Ditto in respect of cameras on the stadium complex outside of the ground itself

5. Recommendation that away club stewards help to steward away areas

6. Club's safety officer must be present at every game, plus clarification of other duties

7. For high risk games (as defined by para 32 of the 'Guidelines for Improving Stadium Safety') the matchday organiser must take part in the security briefings

8. Admission checks - added to the items to be looked for: objects intended to prevent determination of a person's identity

9. Clubs must now confirm to the DFL as well as the DFB that all stewards have had the proper training. Agencies must on request be able to confirm that their stewards have all done the DFB training

10. SLO duties - must take part in pre-season security meetings and as necessary in pre-match briefings. Must report any noteworthy incidents to DFL and DFB.

11. High risk games - reduced ticket quotas for away fans (sitting and standing) should be considered; increased admission controls should be considered. Any intention to implement such measures must be notified to the visiting club well in advance. 'Games under observation' - a new category, one down from a 'high risk game', to which the DFB may send an observer and the club must give the observer free access to all areas.

12. Suggestion to introduce a 'Stadium Experience' certificate, with star rankings of 3-5.

13. A 'Stadium Experience' committee should be set up to monitor and review the processes that have been initiated. Committee to include fan representatives from a variety of bodies.

14. Gives the DFB and the home club (for high risk games) the authority to reduce the away ticket allocation to below the otherwise prescribed 10%

15. Deferred to 2013

16. Re fines for breaches

And the DFB document also states:-

"A fixed and integral part of any positive stadium experience for the spectators at a football match is, however, of course, also experiencing a positive fan culture. This needs to be preserved and protected. This includes the standing areas in the stadia, the choreographed displays on the home and away ends, modest ticket prices, safe, modern stadium infrastructure and altogether fair interaction between all concerned before, during and after the game. In short, in fact, a safe, atmospheric, vibrant football stadium experience created by and enjoyed with all spectators, players and matchday staff.

In this respect, all concerned are aware that a large part of the positive atmosphere comes from the home and away ends, especially from the standing areas, and that it is through these that the special atmosphere is created and shaped in our stadia that fascinates all onlookers both inside and outside the grounds and that makes football associations, clubs and fans from other countries envious of what we have."

So theres little to worry about if your a german fan, but its still nice to see german fans uniting against possible changes.

[C-man]

I hope you are right Ronnie but the fans I spoke to on Saturday seem very worried and are concerned that the resolutions leave too much to the interpretation of the authorites.

[C-man]

DFL paper accepted.

[purpleronnie]

The MLS is where its at now.

[C-man]

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/1261400/fan-measures-in-germany-get-green-light?cc=5739#

Dr. Reinhard Rauball (President of Borussia Dortmund and the DFL): 'Our decisions will not jeopardize football culture in Germany. On the contrary, they will protect it.'

If ever there was corporate spiel...

[Voll Blau]

I hope I'm not being naive in hoping fan resistance will overpower this.

[Floating Fox]

Surprised they passed it after pretty much every clubs fans protested against it. At least they did they're part. Better than our fans who stand back and let the authorities ruin the game..