xmlns:og='http://ogp.me/ns#' The Font of Noelage: June 2019

Tuesday 18 June 2019

Hear the barrackers a'shouting!


A great storm of protest has erupted at the great storm of protest expressed by footy barrackers on an almost non-stop basis at any game of footy. This loud, verbal protesting is directed at the opposition players or at the umpires. Sometimes it even includes booing. Oh, shock, horror!

I am talking about Australian Rules football, of course. Soccer barracker are usually too busy singing or chanting throughout their matches and rugby barrackers and players still call the match referee "Sir."

In Aussie Rules it has recently suggested that booing is not politically correct. Some have even said that even yelling out is socially offensive. What is a barracker to do? So bad has the Anti Barracking Chorus become that last weekend, Melbourne's Marvel Stadium employed an army of officials to patrol the seats on the lookout for any outbreak of excessive barracking. These official wore High Viz vests that had Behavioral Attitude Observer neatly printed on them.

The next day, many footy spectatators said they felt intimidated by these "Observers". In some cases they claimed that they were harrassed by them for indulging in what they felt was perfectly normal anti umpire, anti opponent jeering.

So bad was it, that the ex-Premier of Victoria, and current President of Hawthorn Football Club, Jeff Kennett, spoke out strongly that most of these swarthy observers looked as if they had never been to a footy match and did not understand the "culture", if culture is what footy barracking may be called.
Poor old Jeff was then roundly criticised for Racial Discrimination against people of middle eastern appearance. The President of the AFL said Jeff was way out of line for barracking for the barrackers.

Jeff apologised.

I always enjoyed going to the footy and barracking for my WAFL team, which was, and still is, East Perth, The Mighty Royals. Jousting with opposition barrackers was part of the fun. Below is a modified extract from a memoir I wrote in 2005, entitled "LEON, A backward glance at boyhood". 

In my story I wrote in the Third Person and referred to myself as LEON. A boy named NOEL looking backwards. Geddit?  In the story below I have written in the First Person. As for my boyhood, this incident occurred at Perth Oval in 1960s when I was in my mid twenties.

Over the years, I  enthusiastically barracked for East Perth as they enjoyed the good times and endured the hard times. Going to the football was almost a ritual. Apart from the excitement of the game, there was the thrill of joining in verbal combat with supporters from opposing sides. I always felt I was doing my bit to help the players on the field by getting the better of rival supporters off the field.

On one occasion in the mid 1960s, East Perth was playing Claremont and I was standing close to an attractive lady and her equally attractive daughter. Or maybe it was her younger sister?In an effort to impress, I began making what I fondly imagined were very witty comments about the opposing players, the umpire and various incidents on the field. I was pleased to notice that the women seemed impressed with my banter and smiled quite often at my remarks.

Half way through the first quarter a Claremont supporter positioned himself near me and began to loudly raise doubts about the ability and courage of the East Perth players. I quickly recognized that I was being challenged. Soon the Claremont man  and I were engaged in a verbal joust. I was a student of footy barracking behaviour. I quickly recognized that this gentleman was a "Responder.”  Responders are barrackers who usually wait for a comment to be made and then take the opportunity to make the same or similar comment...but this time ironically, and in support of their own side.

When I thought an East Perth player should have been paid a mark I would yell out,” Come on, umpire, he only has to hold it. He doesn’t have to hatch it!” Ah, yes! Rapier like wit.

A few minutes later, a Claremont player would hold on to the ball and be paid a mark, at which time Mr Responder would say, “Now, that WAS a mark”.

I would see a Claremont player get away with what looked like a throw and call out, “C'mon, Ump, yah big mug. It’s not basketball.”

Later, when an East Perth player was penalised for throwing, Mr Responder would gleefully retort in my direction, ”Now, that WAS throwing the ball!”

Just before half time I was incensed to see Phil Tierney, the champion East Perth forward, grabbed without the ball by the rugged Claremont ruckman, Allan Mycock. No free kick was given.

“What about holding on to Tierney?” I shouted at the umpire.

About a minutes later the situation was reversed and Mr Responder screamed out,” What about holding on to Mycock?” The two ladies burst out laughing. Mr Responder gasped in embarrassment at the realisation of what he had just yelled out. I took a deep drag on my cigarette, casually removed it from my lips, turned to Mr Responder and nonchalantly enquired, “Do you mind if I finish my cigarette first?”

Well, the two blonde ladies shrieked with laughter. I smiled the smug smile of the victor. Mr Responder did not return after half time and every time I caught the eyes of the two ladies they would burst out laughing all over again.

East Perth won that game. I walked back to Aberdeen Street wearing a winner’s grin, for I knew I had played a major role in the Royal’s great victory that day.
Ah, yes. Football barracking is truly part of our Aussie culture. Long may it remain so.