Decision by Fed Square not to show Socceroos game is a win for killjoys

May 6, 2026 — 17:00

The scenes rising in Federation Square during the last FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where thousands turned up in the early morning hours to cheer on the Socceroos as they raced to the round of 16, showed the rest of the world a side of Australia they don’t often see: us like that A real football country. We feel this. We understand.

The decision not to show Socceroos matches at next month’s World Cup, citing the behavior of a handful of troublemakers, shows a different side of our national character: We are also a nation of spoilsport. We don’t feel anything and we don’t understand.

Blur of glowing red flames in Federation Square after the Socceroos score in 2022.Luis Enrique Ascui

How else to interpret the move by the Melbourne Arts District, the body responsible for Federation Square, to deny us all our right to a dose of social enthusiasm because of a few bad apples?

If that’s not exactly it, what’s the point of Fed Square and other such public sites across the country?

A lot has happened in the past four years, so it’s easy to forget just how chilling the events of 2022 are. Images of people from all walks of life losing their heads, with a gorgeous red, bright sky hovering over them, went viral around the world after every goal was scored in Australia; Tony Armstrong (ABC) and Eli Mengem (SBS) were so caught up in the joy of the World Cup that every ounce of professionalism in their bodies had evaporated.

And we are glad about it. How often do we share moments like this these days? How nice is it to come together like this? Those who were there couldn’t speak highly enough of the atmosphere, and it was good enough that Fed Square shared it via its own social media channels at the time.

When we see similar things happening in other countries, our reaction is: “Wow, isn’t that nice?” But when this incident actually happens here, they are confused and don’t know how to deal with it. According to a bunch of so-called larrikins, we’re top notch when it comes to poop parties.

I was in Qatar, covering the World Cup for this imprint, and the “limbs” stunned not only reporters from other countries (who were even more stunned when I told them what a bad home time it was) but also Socceroos players.

I was in the mixed zone after Australia’s win over Tunisia when a colleague showed Jackson Irvine, a proud Melbourne boy, a video of what was happening on the pitch.

“For Christ’s sake,” Irvine said, on the verge of tears. “I wish I were there too.”

Jackson Irvine, Aziz Behich and Bailey Wright – three Socceroos from Victoria – at Federation Square in 2023.Getty Images

They all loved it. Coach Graham Arnold actually used the rise of the support, and Fed Square in particular, to motivate his players for the remainder of the campaign.

The following year crowds turned out again for the Matildas’ Women’s World Cup campaign and they loved it. Who wouldn’t? Objectively it was great.

Let’s be honest: no defending idiots who take things too far by throwing flares and bottles or otherwise playing tricks on the crowd. This is very dangerous and no one condones it.

So is collective punishment really the only answer here? Doesn’t the benefit of these collective experiences significantly outweigh the harm? Can’t we be better prepared for risk?

For those who live and breathe the game, it’s a painfully familiar story. We have seen the slow death of active support at A-League matches and how overzealous police and security are actually contributing to the problems they claim to be trying to solve.

Our institutional decision-makers don’t seem to know how to handle this “style” of support, and worse, they don’t seem remotely interested in trying to understand it. While some media outlets are capitalizing on the conflict, they are putting a light touch on serious misbehavior in other codes.

For football, no matter what, it is always the big stick.

It looks like other live sites will also be held – but it won’t be the same, at least not in Melbourne. Fed Square had a special place in the hearts of Socceroos and Matildas fans; it was the kind of cultural legacy that could create even more special excitement in the coming weeks, especially given the friendly time frame of the World Cup.