On the first day of last season I stood inside Parramatta Stadium listening to the sound of a phenomenon being born.  As I watched the RBB march in - loud, proud and overflowing with excitement - I felt privileged to witness what was undoubtedly one of the greatest moments in Australian football history.
 
Sure, the match wasn’t that absorbing, but it was the fans that night who were writing their own story; it was a tale of passion on a grand scale they’ve been sharing with us ever since.  The Grand Final was their greatest moment, one where they created an unforgettable atmosphere, their team’s fate in no way diminishing their spirit of rampant celebration.
 
On the Mariners first matchday this season they were there again : chanting, singing, flag waving, letting off a forbidden smokebomb and holding up a defiant sign about Victory fans. Facing such a massive display Mariners supporters were encouraged to shout that bit louder, the Yellow Army’s brass band rocked a bit harder (loved that darts theme !) and the players no doubt found the atmosphere inspiring.
 
It was a tense first half but when we finally scored after half-time the new  cannon went off and so did the crowd.  The Mitch and Marcos Show had just made its debut and you can bet that this duo will be delighting us all season. Meanwhile, the Wanderers bench looked awesome and as each member was unleashed the game changed until their late equaliser, a sure sign that this close rivalry will continue.
 
Considering our off-season loss of players, it was a pretty good way to begin anew, with Storm Roux and Justin Pasfield especially impressive (although I miss watching his excitable reactions on the bench ). It is fantastic to see such a dedicated member of the squad finally given his chance to shine and it looks like he’s relishing the spotlight. And what can I say about seeing Matty in a Mariners jersey again ?  When he was subbed on it was just as if he never left – although before the match he had a look on his face as if to say “who are these dodgy pirate mascots and what have they done with MARVIN??”
 
So a great night of football for both sets of fans: a big crowd and a big spectacle yet again from the RBB.  But like many groups of football fans there were a few loose cannons that let the side down (apart from the FFA-approved cannon on the palm tree-goalline which gets fired every time the Mariners score now...)
 
Up the road from Bluetongue, away from the police presence, a group of shirtless fans were having a full-on physical fight in the middle of the road, presumably too off their heads to notice the cars heading for them.  Nearby, another group of RBB boys offered their “services” to some Mariners’ girls in the crudest possible terms.
 
As someone who feels a sense of solidarity with the RBB I found it disappointing to witness these incidents.  Over the years I’ve attended more than 100 A-League games in three different states and never felt threatened by fan behaviour.  In fact, I was incensed last season to see some of the sensational reporting of the RBB in the mainstream media.
 
I was also pretty unhappy to hear the day before the season started that the FFA were banning large scale banners from matches that were deemed to be “at risk”.  Apparently some fan groups have agreed to this but other groups like The Cove expressed their disappointment at not being consulted. It appears the ban stems from the idea that a flare might set a banner on fire or that law breakers might hide their identity under a banner.
 
Call me a hooligan, but this ban seems a tiny bit ridiculous.
 
Large tifos are a fantastic part of the colour and spectacle of the A-League, the same colour and spectacle that is prominently used season after season to sell the game.  Even I have been part of such tifos, holding up a giant banner at the Grand Final in Brisbane (still don’t know what was on it). It was a fantastic experience and no fans were harmed or offended.
 
Some A-League tifos can also be extraordinarily moving : the tribute to the late founder of The Cove and the memorial to Victorian bushfire victims, for example. They can be creative, scathing, witty or simply displays of club pride but they never fail to add to the game.
 
 I realise the FFA needs to deal with the loose cannons among fan groups surely there’s a better way. Tifos are seen all around the world, including extremely well-behaved crowds in the J-League and K-League and their strategies could provide a model.
 
If fans “Power the Game” then surely they deserve to be included in the FFA’s crowd management discussions. Or perhaps we all need to accept that if you want a bit of fire then a little smoke's part of the deal. 
 
Anyway…..I’m off to create a tifo saying “Bring Back Marvin”  Sure, he was a bit of a loose cannon (there was that incident with Roary the Lion….) but he really loved the team. These two new mascots (Captain Pugwash ?  Seaman Staines ?)  are just too sanitised to be real fans.