Wanderers CEO calls for FFA to speed up ban review

Western Sydney Wanderers chief executive John Tsatsimas says February is too far away for the Football Federation Australia's planned to speed up its review of banned fan appeals.

Wanderers supporters from the Red and Black Bloc are seen holding a banner.

Western Sydney Wanderers supporters from the Red and Black Bloc are seen holding a banner. Source: AAP

Western Sydney Wanderers CEO John Tsatsimas is calling on Football Federation Australia to speed up its banned fan appeals review, saying February is too far away.

Speaking on Sky Sports Radio's program The Big Sports Breakfast on Friday, Mr Tsatsimas said while he was encouraged by FFA's acknowledgment that reform needs to take place, the February cut off date was not going to solve the immediate issue of fans boycotting matches.

"What we do need is to have that process expedited," Tsatsimas said.

"We encourage the FFA to bring that process forward and not wait till February for it to take place."
On Thursday, the FFA admitted it "got it wrong" when what began as a backlash against the naming of 198 banned A-League supporters in the Sunday Telegraph a fortnight ago morphed into a huge movement against the treatment of active fans by the FFA.

The situation worsened when Gallop failed to appease fans at a press conference where his performance and failure to really grasp the issue and how strongly fans felt about it was widely criticised.

Supporters also reacted badly to the FFA insisting that those seeking to have a ban overturned must prove their innocence.

Gallop simply said the FFA would "fine-tune" the way fans could
challenge bans and urged them to use their "positive energy" to grow the game.

The plan failed, with active supporter groups saying they would boycott A-League matches around the country.

Central Coast active supporters boycotted their match on Thursday, when they hosted Melbourne City.

The fans infamously left their seats empty with a banner indicating they had instead `gone to the pub.'

The Wanderers' active supporter group the Red and Black Bloc (RBB) said via Facebook they would boycott their club's games indefinitely until FFA changed their procedures and looked to mend their relationship with scores of unhappy fans.

"Waiting until February ... is completely unacceptable," the RBB stated.

Mr Tsatsimas says the game is not the same without the fans and hopes there will be a resolution soon.

"We respect our fans, we love our fans and our club is not the same without our fans," he said.


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Source: AAP



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