Club representatives made the pledge after last week’s story sparked widespread debate across the Internet.

With active fan numbers at Victory well down on previous years, examples of why the club’s active fans are so disillusioned include:

  • Having to seek permission from the club for all pre-game displays
  • Denial by the club of large-scale tifos
  • And Victory officials not bringing out the fans’ flags, banners, drums and megaphones.

They also claim supporter items have been confiscated before games while fans have been evicted for handing out flyers that they say officials claim will incite violence.

And alarmingly at recent home games some supporters allege heavy handed security have attacked Victory fans in the stadium.

“It shouldn't be this difficult to support our club each week; however we are constantly faced with many obstacles. All we ask is for the abusing our very existence to stop,” Adam Tennenini from the Blue and White Brigade, told au.fourfourtwo.com 

In response, Melbourne Victory club representative Trent Jacobs told au.fourfourtwo.com in a brief statement: “We are aware of issues with our supporter groups, but will be working through those direct with them.”

There was no explanation as to what this meant exactly but the club's action will come under scrutiny as the club moves into the A-League finals and Asian Champions League over the coming months.

And the issue is certain to lead to a feisty football fan forum on February 16 at Melbourne’s Town Hall.

Run by the group Footy Fans Down Under it follows on from a Sydney fan forum last month. The forum will feature A-League boss Lyall Gorman and Victory Managing Director Richard Wilson among others.

Since our first story, au.fourfourtwo.com has been inundated with emails from disillusioned active other Victory fans.

One wrote of his concern saying the club’s active supporters – the largest in the country and responsible for some of the most vibrant atmospheres in the sport's history in Australia  – have diminished due to a complete lack of understanding by police and the club about what it means to be an active fan.

“Banners, musical instruments, megaphones, and other perfectly legal devices used by supporters all over the world to generate an atmosphere for their club," he wrote.

"The fact the club and the FFA refer to them as concessions highlights a deep misunderstanding of the fans and of football culture in general.

“Does this one symbolic flare warrant the senseless beating I witness of a fan being evicted as I sat in my seat at AAMI Park? A man who I know has brought his children to games before. I mean, so much for a family atmosphere?

“You have hamstrung your best asset as a club, its fans. The fans in Season Two set Melbourne Victory apart from any other sporting organisation in this city. It was one of the main reasons to attend a match and to a lesser extent this day, still is.

“The club obviously recognises this because imagery of the North Terrace is used on promotional material. It is used on television and the chants sung by the North Terrace are placed on radio advertising.

“Last night [against Newcastle Jets] the North Terrace was bare. It was a sombre atmosphere, an atmosphere created by the club and their lack of understanding and support of their most dedicated of fans, and by the lack of foresight regarding the implementation of Home End Memberships.

"If you continue to treat your fans like thugs, criminals or a mob, then that is what you will get, a mob."

The fan added: “It boils down to the old adage, treat others how you want to be treated.”