On a recent road trip to see the Tampa Bay Rowdies play, Ralph’s Mob members were harassed by New York Cosmos fans. When the members of the Rowdies’ independent supporter group voiced their concerns to the league office, the response from commissioner Bill Peterson was, “Go watch another league.”
According to Charlie Cole, a member of Ralph’s Mob, on the group’s trip to see the Rowdies play the Cosmos on Sept. 29, several fans of the Cosmos entered their section, attempted to steal banners and personal belongings and tried to start fights.
Cole added that a minor scuffle happened between a Rowdies supporter and a Cosmos supporter in another section.
“Despite knowing a large number of away fans would be at the game, and knowing that there has been trouble with theft and hooliganism in the past when there has been large numbers of away fans, the New York Cosmos failed to provide any security whatsoever for the visiting fan section,” Cole wrote in a message to the Crow’s Nest.
No arrests were made after the incident.
It was only after repeated attempts to contact the league and get an answer that Ralph’s Mob sent a message to the commissioner on Twitter through a private account.
And that’s when Peterson’s response came.
The tweet, which was later deleted, was sent on Oct. 3 from the Peterson’s official account. The league had no comment on the matter.
“This is an internal matter that the league will not be discussing with media, as is the league policy for such incidents,” Michael Preston, the director of public relations for the North American Soccer League, wrote in an email.
The Borough Boys, the supporter group for the Cosmos, claim the fans involved in the incident were not members of their group. The Borough Boys had no comment on the incident.
A phone call to the Cosmos’ front office was not returned.
“It’s a very good example of why some security for away supporter sections is an absolute necessity,” Cole said.
Earlier in the season, Ralph’s Mob was involved in a similar incident on a trip to see the Rowdies play the Atlanta Silverbacks. Like the incident in New York, no arrests were made.
Last weekend when Ralph’s Mob made the trip to Fort Lauderdale for the Rowdies-Strikers match, the group hung banners mocking the commissioner and his declaration. The supporter groups of the Strikers also joined in on the protest.
Peterson was named the new commissioner of the NASL on Nov. 27, 2012. He replaced the league’s original commissioner David Downs. Prior to working for the NASL, Peterson was the senior vice-president AEG Sports and the managing director of the Home Depot Center, now known as the StubHub Center, in Carson, Calif.
With AEG Sports he oversaw the management of Major League Soccer clubs and the development of soccer-specific stadiums.
Hooliganism has historically been a problem in soccer with its height in the 1970s in Great Britain. Through efforts by FIFA, the international governing body for soccer, and domestic organizations soccer matches are safer.
Featured image contributed by Thomas Boyd.
