Fan Ejected From AAMI Park

[esssee]

Hi guys,

Just posting to raise awareness of the fact that Storm Fan, Jamie Koo, was ejected from AAMI Park on the weekend for unfurling Anti News Ltd banners.

See more about this at:

http://www.theage.com.au/rugby-league/l ... 13avm.html

and

http://www.madfan.com.au/

Might I suggest that we all call the club and voice our protest at such treatment.

Thanks.

[esssee]

I just spoke to Fiona Kelly from the Storm, who says that they are looking into the matter, and that either The Storm or the Melbourne and Olympic Park Trust will issue a statement regarding the matter.

I can understand Jamie being asked to take them down if they were covering signage (if he was asked), but the footage available shows that this was never asked of him.

[coupy73]

Saw this going on at the game but didn't know what it was about but saw the ammii park security with a sheet under his arm. There was another guy a couple of rows back getting pretty vocal also.

[glennb]

Security at this place is a joke.  We got stopped Saturday night and told we could not bring our signs in because the sticks could be used as a weapon.  When we told him, that we have bought them in to every game this season got very upset and said it is in the rules of entry to the staduim and we could not bring them in.  I asked him to show me and copy of the rules and prove to me that what he was saying was right.  He could not do this, so I took the banners in. 

We are family and we have taken these signs to Olympic Park for years.  These signs have also been in Eithad Stadium,  Me Staduim Perth and Homebush for four grand finals and there has never been a problem.

[JAMIE]

It was me.

Watch the videos on madfan.com.au and make up your own minds. Anyone who thinks that News Ltd are beneficial for our club need their head checked. They treat us supporters as well as the players with pure and utter contempt. Hartigan rabbits on about freedom of speech, and then endorses acts like this.
As I said - Make your own minds up, but those who are with me on this, please join madfan.com.au and have your say.

Thanks
Jamie Koo

[J-Storm]

I can see why anything that is anti-NEWS Ltd, anti-NRL etc being asked to not be taken in as it's not necessary. What has happened with this club in relation to the Salary Cap scandal is history now & people need to take that on board & move on. Being abusive etc towards the NRL or NEWS isn't going to change the ramifications of the past few years...

In relation to Glenn, that's ridiculous seriously. Anything taken in that actually adds to the atmosphere of the game & that has been done for a long time by supporters of the club/team should be allowed to continue to be done. Good work for sticking to your guns Glenn 

[StormFront]

Whilst I agree with your message I dont agree with the manor in which you put it across.

You went for sensationalism and you got it.. you got coverage for your cause but at
what cost to all Storm Supporters.

We all know that signage can not cover advertising... which your sign was.

My fear is that by continuing in this manor all signs will be banned, a tradition which has
been very strong at all Storm home and away games. We pride ourselves on our passion,
our run through banner and support from the crowd towards the team....

I hate News Limited - whilst you have a campaign against them keep in mind
the impact your actions have on all Storm Supporters...

Lets move forward and work toward an independent NRL, and Storm out of News Ltd hands.

There is no doubt you are passionate, but I feel misguided in your efforts.
You could do so much more that would have a positive impact for the club.

[BigG]

You have to remember also that we are just tenants at the ground, Melbourne Storm or News Ltd don't make the rules at the Stadium its's the stadium management company who enforce the rules. The Storm add to fight on our behalf to keep the cow bells if you remember.

[glennb]

Yes,we are just tenants, amd we have to live with the rules.  But it is the MOPT: the Melbourne and Olympic Park Trust.  All the stadiums have the same terms and conditions.  I have checked out the webstie.  I have never had any trouble over the last six years bringing the signs into Olympic Park and I never had any trouble  bringing them into Aami Park before Saturday night.

Depending on have many children we have with, depends on how many signs we bring in.  One week we had six and a flag and there was no problem.  This week we only had two and they get upset.  The poles are not exceeding the length stated in the terms and conditions, because I also check it before I cut the poles.  They we just being painful Saturday night.

The club sells flags with wooden poles in them at the merchanise booth, can they not be used as weapons also. 

Also, Saturday night the group of Cronulla supports was blowing one of the plastic horns from the World Cup.  That is a musical insturament and is banned from all sporting ground in Melbourne.  I watched this guy all night and not one security guard came up to him.  Not to mention the brown bags with $ signs on them, they were waving.

I have emailed the MOPT and Melbourne Storm and told them that the secuirty at Aami Park is wrong and something needs to be done. 

[absentee]

Here's something I don't quite understand about the "it's covering the advertising" thing.  The signage along the top deck is the exact same thing over and over again - right across the length of the stadium.  Okay, I realise that AAMI has paid big money for naming rights - but really?

[Cowbell-Mark]

It was me.

Watch the videos on madfan.com.au and make up your own minds. Anyone who thinks that News Ltd are beneficial for our club need their head checked. They treat us supporters as well as the players with pure and utter contempt. Hartigan rabbits on about freedom of speech, and then endorses acts like this.
As I said - Make your own minds up, but those who are with me on this, please join madfan.com.au and have your say.

Thanks
Jamie Koo

Mate you did the right thing, I've had similar experiences with my cowbell and refused to let them take it. It doesn't stop me from taking it to games either. Security at this place are a bunch of dimwits 

[The Eagle]

Jamie i applaud you for your efforts to support your club and making it clear your supporting
your club and not the conglomerate types than pay its bills

i wish you well

[JAMIE]

Alright this will be my last response, and people can choose to either accept it, or as some have already done, disagree.

I have supported Rugby League my entire life, and as I have seen every single Storm season I have come to realise and learn certain things along the way. Things that follow on from previous years watching the game before the Melbourne Storm were born.

Whilst I've always felt uneasy about our club being owned by News Ltd, I came to accept it as there seemed to be little problem with the arrangement. Since this whole salary cap scandal broke out, the true colours of this organisation really began to shine.

The people responsible for the whole rorting were in fact News Ltd appointed employees. Let's not forget that Brian Waldron was employed by them along with the others who have since been named as being involved. Yet, News Ltd in their own way of thinking decided to publicly disown these people even though they were the one's paying their wages. So basically, the organisation has attempted, and to a degree successfully come out of the whole situation smelling of roses.

And it's quite clear that News Ltd were forced into backing the NRL, as they are of course half owners. This meant that our club was the victim, and the club that would be used as an example. Indeed, News Ltd employees did rort the system, but who has really paid the price? It's the players, supporters, coaching staff and finally the sacked independent directors. So why haven't News Ltd themselves accepted responsibility? It's because that's the way this organisation operates. And in handing down such severe penalties, no full investigation had actually taken place. That was left for the Delloites report, which again, news Ltd only chose to release bits and pieces. Does that mean the missing 33 pages contained evidence that senior News Ltd officials knew exactly what was happening? Of course it does. Matt Hansen, who was the acting CEO who was handed this from Brian Waldron, claimed he had gone to News Ltd officials with all of this information. So why the, is there no record of this taking place? News Ltd has suggested that Matt Hansen has been untruthful, but really - what's in it for him to implicate this organisation?

The Delloites report which was actually sanctioned by News Ltd cleared the players and the four independent directors, but not the 2 News ltd appointed directors. Was this maybe in the missing 33 pages? And as it happened, the Independent directors launched legal action for a fair and transparent process, and an independent investigation into the whole salary cap saga. Yet before it could get wheels, they are sacked. Given the reasons that the rorting happened under their watch, and that they didn't co operate with the News Ltd sanctioned Delloites report. What must also be noted is the fact that neither did the players. Both sets of people were correctly following legal advice. So the independent directors are sacked, after refusing to stand down. Yet the 2 News ltd appointed directors remain. In fact one, Frank Stanton, is actually promoted to acting CEO. Stating that the independent directors should have been aware of the rorting, News Ltd basically exonerated their own 2. What really makes things interesting is the fact that the very person who should've been aware of the whole situation was indeed, Craig Watt, their own employee.

So the court case falls back to us everyday supporters who were basically digging deep into our own pockets. Until lawyers representing the half News Ltd owned NRL sent us all a very clear warning of financial doom if we in fact were unsuccessful. So they basically were willing to destroy their own supporters, even more than they'd done already by imposing these penalties. And I ask you all, how can anyone sleep at night and accept that? The one's punished the most, were people who had no knowledge of anything that was happening.

Now onto Saturday night.

Let me say from the outset that this isn't the first time we have taken banners to our games. The first banners we took were actually at Etihad Stadium. Obviously we found no issue there. We had banners at out first home game at AAMI Park, and again, met with no issue. It was the third home game that we ran into our first bit of trouble. We had hung a banner that read: GALLOP + THE NRL = THE REAL CHEATS. We were told to remove it due to the fact it was hanging over the corporate area, which we then rectified by folding it over. About 10 minutes later we were told to remove the banner completely because it was offensive. Whilst we were rather upset, we complied because the banner did indeed mention GALLOP. The next banners we hung were actually 2 of the same banners that were hung on Saturday night. The first said: News Enriched While Storm's Left To Die. And the other clearly said: REINSTATE DR MOODIE. What must be understood here is that no one came and asked us to remove these, and they stayed hung until we left to go home after the players had completed their victory lap. In fact most of the players were sticking their thumbs up agreeing with what the banners said.

Then we get to Saturday night, and the first banner is hung at the start of the game saying: News Enriched While Storm's Left To Die. That lasted all of 5 minutes before ground security came and removed it, not giving any reason at all. With 25 minutes to go in the second half, the REINSTATE DR MOODIE banner is hung to rapturous applause. This was up about 5 minutes again before supporters from the bottom level called for it so they could parade it around. Almost immediately I hung my final banner which said: WE SUPPORT OUR PLAYERS, COACH & STAFF. NOT NEWS LTD. Again 5 minutes elapsed before ground security came and asked me to remove it stating it was blocking advertising. This is the point I'd like to emphasize as StormFront posted earlier I should've known I wasn't allowed to block advertising. This had never been mentioned at any stage throughout the season, and if you actually look closely, the so called advertising as you call it, is actually a Welcome to AAMI Park message. What I must emphasize here is the fact that at no time throughout the season had blocking of advertising been mentioned.

So I was told to remove my final banner. In the process of doing this I'm told by the guard that I have to also leave the venue. I was absolutely shocked to say the least, as were the many people sitting around and near me. I was told by the guard that the Police were waiting for me, and that I had to leave immediately. I told the guard that if the Police were present I wanted to hear it from them, not him. The guard told the Police there had been 3 incidents as they walked down to evict me. This angered me a great deal; however I kept very calm, as I had a 3 year old child with me. I explained to the Police officer that there had actually only been 2 incidents. The Police then asked the guard if he was sure there'd been 3, and he said yes he was sure. Members of the crown started calling him a liar as did I. To avoid further incident, I left with the Police as hundreds of supporters from both top and bottom levels hurled abuse at the Police, but more so the security guard.

I carried my 3 year old nephew and followed the Police down the stairs to the front entrance where I was met by even more supporters attempting to stop me from being evicted. I actually felt really bad for the Police officers because I know they were only doing what they were told by the control room as they told me. A few even offered me support for our cause against News Ltd as they were Storm supporters themselves.

So I stood at the front entrance watching the game on the screen, still cheering the boys on even though I was really upset. I was then confronted by more Police saying that the control room wanted me completely out of the venue. Again, I cooperated and left, and headed down to the footpath along Swan Street and watched the game on the screens through the window of The Bench dining facility. This time, an AAMI park security guard approached me and asked me to move, to which I refused. I pointed out that I was standing on the footpath, and that if he wanted to move me, he'd need to get more people, because I'd had enough and wasn't moving. It was the footpath after all. He left, and I didn't see him or any other security or Police again for the final 5 minutes of the game. I waited outside for the rest of my family, and in that time the support from my fellow Storm supporters who'd seen everything unfold was awesome, it certainly made me feel a lot better.

13 years a member of this club and I've never once had a brush with the law or ever been even nearly been evicted. This just goes to show that News Ltd will do whatever it takes to silence us members; however I can speak for myself, and the hundreds, if not thousands who've contacted me on facebook and via phone, saying that they're even more committed now after seeing everything happen.

What'd I'd finally like to stress to people is that I don't want to been seen as a hero or a martyr. I want to emphasize that I'm only a normal everyday bloke, who just happens to love Rugby League, and more importantly, love the Melbourne Storm club. Loving this fantastic club, with its awesome players and absolutely fantastic supporters, I can't stand by and watch News Ltd do to our club, what they did to the game of Rugby league 15 years ago. And I find it very funny that John Hartigan rabbits on in the media about freedom of speech, yet he condones acts likes this, that clearly contradict his very argument in the first place.

Please everyone, I urge you all. Keep loving the club in your own way, but please don't put your heads in the sand as to what's happening to the very thing we all love so much.

Yours truly
Jamie KOO

[Bourbon Rat]

This time, an AAMI park security guard approached me and asked me to move, to which I refused. I pointed out that I was standing on the footpath, and that if he wanted to move me

Having been a licenced security guard I would have definitely asked for this blokes number & informed him that both he & the firm running security would be hearing from someone,as he had just commited an act of public harassment.

The people running security at AAMI Park have spent so much time dealing with soccer hoons that they have lost track of what - when - where their boundaries as guards are.

If your reading this Storm admin I SUGGEST YOU RECTIFY THIS PROBLEM ASAP !
Since as the 'event tenant' you will also be legally liable.

[thunder]

Whilst I agree with your message I dont agree with the manor in which you put it across.

You went for sensationalism and you got it.. you got coverage for your cause but at
what cost to all Storm Supporters.

We all know that signage can not cover advertising... which your sign was.

My fear is that by continuing in this manor all signs will be banned, a tradition which has
been very strong at all Storm home and away games. We pride ourselves on our passion,
our run through banner and support from the crowd towards the team....

I hate News Limited - whilst you have a campaign against them keep in mind
the impact your actions have on all Storm Supporters...

Lets move forward and work toward an independent NRL, and Storm out of News Ltd hands.

There is no doubt you are passionate, but I feel misguided in your efforts.
You could do so much more that would have a positive impact for the club.

That's exactly what he's trying to do in his own way.

I abhore censorship of any kind and my belief is that you are misguided in thinking Jamie is not doing the right thing.

We Storm fans, let those weak bastards at News and the NRL get away with murder. We did not nearly do enough to voice our disgust and opinions re this matter. We sat there and swallowed the bullshit we were fed and accepted it as a matter of fact. Pathetic, weak and really ignorant.

I tell you what, try doing what they did to the Storm to a European football club! They would neber get away with it unless all was honestly transparent.

Jamie I applaud your efforts and am ashamed that all Storm fans don't agree with you. You are truly my hero!