Over the last six seasons at the club’s various home grounds Victory’s active supporters the Blue and White Brigade have helped provide some unforgettable atmospheres at home games and away too.

Many say that the atmosphere created by these fans rivals that of big European leagues and have helped boost crowd numbers to record highs at Victory.

The club and the FFA have been keen to use these images to promote the code – particularly in this season’s “Fan Made” advertising campaign.

However the deteriorating relationship between club and active supporters has reached an all-time low, to the point where communication between the two has ceased for the first time in five seasons, say the fans.

Examples of why the fans are angry 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.

“Our action has nothing to do with ego or thinking that we are bigger than the club. The fact is that it shouldn't be this difficult to support our club each week; however we are constantly faced with many obstacles. All we ask for is a little transparency and for the abusing our very existence to stop,” says Adam Tennenini from the Blue and White Brigade.

“This current issue is not about drums and flags etc but more about the culture that exist within VicPol, stadium management, FFA and Melbourne Victory FC and their preconceived opinions of football supporters as trouble makers.”

A second source of frustration is the alleged behavior of over-zealous security on match day. As an example, Wednesday night’s clash with Newcastle Jets saw a heavy police presence despite – as most would have predicted - virtually no visiting fans attending Etihad stadium.

Victory fans say the riot squad was on duty despite what they had promised would be a passive protest against the club.

But far more alarmingly, a few days earlier at the Gold Coast game at AAMI Park, fans tell us of alleged violence against Victory supporters by security.

The club’s Facebook page has been inundated with fans venting their anger over these issues.

“All we want is to be able to be treated fairly as Melbourne Victory members  by VicPol and security and to express ourselves freely on game day through the use of large visual displays and message banners without being constantly threatened by the club,” added Tennenni.

“A member of VicPol was allowed to come in the Northern Terrace and throw at least five punches at a patron and Melbourne Victory member which resulted in what can only be described as anti-social behaviour by the police.

“It’s not acceptable. We feel sorry for the players at this time and hope this can be resolved before our ACL campaign begins next month”.

As another example of the frustration felt, this letter was sent to the club by one Victory supporter. He writes.

“Never in our brief but deep history has the divide between fans and the club been this large. What was once theheaviest and loudest supported club in the country has turned into a shadow of its former self. Which begs the question, how has it all led to this?

“I have been a member now since the third season and I want you to know as a club what you mean to me. In season one I was introduced to Melbourne Victory through a friend who decided to drag me along to what I understood at the time to be the ‘North Terrace’.

“Having an AFL background I had no idea what that could have meant but I quickly learned and within minutes I was converted to this great club, the atmosphere and the North Terrace.

“I never believed in my wildest dreams that a club could create such a dynamic atmosphere rivalled only by famous teams from overseas football leagues. It took five minutes of my first game to realise I would be here every week, why? Because the atmosphere and spectacle put on by the fans, the club and players on the pitch is an experience second to none.

“Five years on and the blue blood that pours through my veins is bleeding.

“The fans including myself are continuously bemused by the heavy handed tactics of police and security, the continuous lack of freedom amongst the terraces to voice an opinion and the utter refusal to let us do what we do best and that is support our boys on the park.

“I can’t understand why it is felt necessary that the police presence felt at yesterday’s game is deemed necessary especially after what occurred last Sunday. When I watch a father being kicked out and bashed for standing and watching a game, I saw this with my own two eyes, as I escorted his crying and shocked son to his mother. How can you justify such a stance?  

“Flares are not to be tolerated and fair enough but the majority of the NT do not endorse them or promote their use especially the core of the NT anyway. All we ask as fans is for our ‘tools of trade’, our flags, our banners, our overheads not be seen as a concession or a privilege but as a right. After all they are what have helped us achieve the status of the best supported club in the land.”

“ Melbourne Victory, the fans and the experience of match day is what converted me to football and converted me to spending and seeing our boys playing week in and week out and that includes most away games. I just hope now, when you need to the most, that you finally listen to the fans.”

We have emailed Melbourne Victory for a response to this story.