Australian vowels and slam bans at World Cup screening.
Footballers, fans and officials in Australia have criticized the ban on World Cup match screenings at Federation Square in Melbourne due to poor fan behavior during Australian matches in previous tournaments.
Hundreds of thousands of fans have gathered in the heart of Melbourne’s central business district to watch Australia’s matches on the square since the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
Video of fans celebrating wildly went viral during the 2022 tournament in Qatar as Australia advanced to the round of 16
The venue’s management said on Wednesday that the public square will not show World Cup matches on the big screen for the first time in at least two decades.
However, a number of incidents soured the festivities, with fans injured by flares and projectiles.
Fans stormed the barricades during the 2023 Women’s World Cup semi-final between Australia and England, prompting management to cancel plans to screen the subsequent third-place Matildas play-off match on the square.
“After careful consideration, we have made the decision not to show the World Cup on the big screen at Fed Square this year,” Katrina Sedgwick, director and CEO of Melbourne Arts Precinct, said in a statement.
“This is due to the behavior of a small number of people at previous screenings, which was simply unacceptable and detrimental to Fed Square.”
The decision sparked an angry response from Australian footballers, officials and a fan group, who said the majority of well-behaved supporters were being left to pay by a small minority.
“Melbourne is one of Australia’s sporting and multicultural capitals, and this decision goes against that tradition,” said Football Australia CEO Martin Kugeler.
Football Australia said they were extremely disappointed and urged the Melbourne Arts Precinct to reverse its decision.
“Federation Square has created some of the most memorable moments in Australian sporting history, dating back to the Socceroos’ historic 2006 FIFA World Cup matches and the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
