“Football NSW has confirmed that there will be restricted entry for both clubs.”
This will be the 7th week in a row that Wanderers supporters are barred from attending their game either home or away.
The big news this week, is that the derby is scheduled to be played at 3pm at Wanderers Football Park in Blacktown. Everyone knows how big a derby is not only for the players, but for the clubs and spectators, and with the worlds longest football off-season for the A-League, fans are itching to watch their team in action.
“Permitted entry is extended only to club officials, parents/family members, committee members and club guests (sponsors).
Sydney FC are required to submit a list of its officials, player parents, committee members and Club Guests prior to the fixture with proof of identification required upon arrival for admission into the venue.”
Full news release can be found here: https://mens.nplnsw.com.au/2024/06/21/fixture-announcement-western-sydney-wanderers-fc-v-sydney-fc/
We have seen these types of restrictions before in NSW, most notably for matches that involved Sydney United and Bonnyrigg and more recently Sydney United and Rockdale.
Our understanding is that the restrictions are predominantly due to the flares and fireworks let off during the Wanderers match against Sydney Olympic on May 11th. In addition, a “pitch invasion” by fans after Blair Belter scored a winning free kick almost 4 minutes into stoppage time may also be playing a part in the bodies decision to sanction the club and supporters.
The free kick and aftermath was celebrated by the NSW NPL social media accounts as seen here: https://fb.watch/sQHg0VFW4M
To see the flare and firework display, the Suburban Ultras Australia page has a video uploaded here: https://www.facebook.com/SuburbanUltrasAustralia/videos/433993819379124/
It occurred 80 minutes in, the time the RBB does the Poznan and can be seen here:
The match was stopped for around 4 minutes.
Football NSW has not yet handed down any formal sanctions from what we can tell, or if they have, it has not been made public.
Perhaps Wanderers fans will be able to get back into the grounds before the season is over, perhaps not. We know the troubles of getting attendance at NPL matches, with most games being played in front of girl friends and uncles, but the Wanderers are one of the few clubs that manages to get decent numbers to their fixtures.
What are your thoughts on the situation? Let us know below in the comments!