As approximately 130 Glory fans head over to Melbourne tomorrow ( Friday 19th October) for the annual Tour of Duty it appears that the administration of Melbourne Victory football club are running scared of the noise factor that will emanate from this fanatical group.

Glory fans will board planes heading to Melbourne commencing tomorrow for the seventh Tour of Duty knowing well that the challenge of competing against the home faction of supporters which is the largest in the league will be a test of their hardened vocal chords. It appears that the administration of the Melbourne Victory club want all the aces on their side and knowing full well that Glory fans never stop singing are determined to attempt to drown out the fans.A circular released this week by the club gave permission to allow a drum and megaphone into the ground to aid the chants by their supporters. Previously such items were banned, however perhaps it is no co-incidence that the Victory club have issued this new ruling at this time. Now there is absolutely nothing wrong with the new initiative by the Victory club except that when the Glory sought permission at the request of the traveling supporters to allow them to bring a bell into the ground to aid the noise factor and create more atmosphere, their request was refused stating only their supporters were allowed to bring items into the ground.Like the bell or hate the bell there are double standards here for which the Melbourne club should be criticized. It is a massive undertaking for 130 fans to travel to Melbourne to see their team and it fully supports the promotion of A league football in this country. Have we ever seen 130 fans from an away team visit members Equity. We saw 15 or so Adelaide fans the other week and occasionally we have seen a Sydney fan or two but a collective group has never been sighted.Therefore I think it would serve Victory well to be seen to be equitable and fair and promote the exchange of chants from rival supporters to raise the atmosphere in the ground.It should also be stated that a request was made formally by the Glory club once again on behalf of the traveling supporters to take the club’s large Glory shirt into the ground to wave at the commencement of the game. This was also refused on the basis that the Victory club could not be responsible for their fans setting flares onto the Glory flag which I presume would constitute an Occupational health and safety hazard.Do the rules around flares not exist at all A league grounds or has anything really changed in Melbourne, and once again they are a law to suit themselves.

The action by the Melbourne club will only serve to incite the traveling fans to sing and chant even louder for the boys on the weekend so basically Victory, you can stick your drum up yer arse.”