A-League pitch invasion: Disgruntled fans discussed plans on Original Style Melbourne Instagram page
It was the darkest day in Australian football – but just who are Original Style Melbourne, the hardcore fan group behind the ugly Melbourne Victory pitch invasion?
Disgruntled football supporters first aired plans for a mass pitch invasion six days ago on the Instagram page of Original Style Melbourne (OSM) - the fanatical Melbourne Victory supporter group that occupies the northern stand of AAMI Park.
As investigations continue into the devastating scenes of the Melbourne derby pitch invasion last Saturday, more questions are being asked about the followers of the rowdy fan group who congregate en masse for each Victory game.
The active supporter group OSM posted a statement to Instagram on Tuesday demanding answers from the club over chairman Anthony Di Pietro’s role in the APL decision to sell grand final rights to the NSW government, warning the planned walkout at the 20-minute mark of the game would “only be the beginning”.
But it was in the comments section where Saturday’s plot began to emerge as disgruntled fans, most from unverified accounts, commented that a walkout would not be a sufficient protest, suggesting instead to invade the pitch.
“I think it would be a better idea if we all pitch invade because when we just left the stadium last time it did nothing, pitch invading will do something,” urged a Western Sydney fan, who gained ample support from OSM followers for the suggestion with 44 comment likes.
“Mass peaceful pitch invasion,” another fan called for. “Pitch invasion at 20m (minutes)?” asked another.
So, what is OSM, who makes up the group and how do they function?
The politics are a bit more complex than you might expect.
The group of fervent fans situated behind the goals at Victory matches are predominantly ‘North End’ members.
North End memberships are available to purchase from the Melbourne Victory website for just $289 a year and are marketed as giving fans access to “a truly unrivalled match-day atmosphere … full of passion and excitement for the full 90 minutes”.
Overtime, self-anointed ‘active’ supporter groups have emerged and sit within that area, although not all of them are North End members.
Iterations of the active groups have included the North Terrace, the Blue White Brigade and, now, Original Style Melbourne (OSM). In the past few years, OSM has absorbed factions within the North End, establishing themselves as the chief group after the North Terrace disbanded in 2016 over its broken-down relationship with the club.
Though clubs can appoint active groups, OSM came to prominence naturally and have always maintained independence from the club.
OSM members are not necessarily former members of the Blue White Brigade or North Terrace.
Previously, they have criticised the governance of the club and offered to hold talks with officials on how to improve it.
The OSM community extends beyond just games, too, and even holds its own soccer tournaments.
Proceeds from player fees from the tournament are then redistributed into merchandise, food, drinks and “actions and productions for the season”.
OSM members typically congregate at the Cricketers Arms Hotel on Punt Rd pre-game before marching on to AAMI Park, with Victory notifying authorities whenever the group has a planned march as a precaution.
OSM boasts about its “domination in the stands” and how it “doesn’t f**k around” in social media posts, where it calls on fans to join them at pre-game pubs and in marches to games.
In the lead-up to the derby, OSM was vocal in its criticism of the APL’s decision to sell grand final hosting rights to the NSW government.
In protest, it called on both Victory and City fans to walk out of the stadium at the 20th minute of Saturday night’s match.
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However, fans from the active group instead threw flares onto the pitch and eventually invaded it after City keeper Tom Glover threw one back, before attacking him.
OSM put out a statement on Sunday, declaring it condemned the actions of “a minority of active fans” and took “full responsibility” for the disaster.
The statement included an apology to the “Victory fanbase, players and staff”, though made no mention of Glover, or the cameraman or referee, who sustained a cut to his eyebrow.
Originally published as A-League pitch invasion: Disgruntled fans discussed plans on Original Style Melbourne Instagram page
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