Indonesian football is in a grapple era due to lack of football club managerial system, so that it causes rights and obligations of many people getting involved in Indonesian football field are neglected. It is not only that football players’ fee is late to pay or is not given indeed, but also that club supporters have never got special attention from football club management that they support.

For instance, in Yogyakarta a football club as Mataram Indonesia Football Association (PSIM) rarely gets particular attention from its municipality. It turned the interest of Andy Fuller, Ph.D., an Australian author and researcher, to observe Indonesian football history, particularly Yogyakarta. Andy Fuller who is also a doctorate program student of Leiden University, the Netherlands, attempted to criticize football history in Indonesia, and then it was written on a book entitled “The Struggle for Soccer in Indonesia Fandom Archives, and Urban Identity”. “I did not work in writing the book by myself since my friend, Dimaz Maulan, helped me,” stated Andy Fuller in the book launching and discussion on Friday (26/12) in Multimedia Room of Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY).

On the book, Andy Fuller revealed his disappointment at a terrible management system in Yogyakarta football club. A lot of rights and obligations have been fulfilled yet, especially for the players like lack of financial support. Whereas, we know that supporters in Indonesia are staunch to the club they are proud of, but unfortunately the staunchness is not in line with what they get.

This circumstance becomes the issue appointed on this book, so that it would be a literature for supporters and players. “This book would emphasize the football history in Indonesia, particularly a football club of PSIM since it is a long-establishing football club in Yogykarta,” explained Dimaz Maulana.

The pro and con of a football club would be noticed by the management system. It would be clearly seen from the solidarity of a football team. “The badness of a football team could be witnessed when watching a game that many clutters ensue wherever, particularly to the supporters during the game,” uttered Andy Fuller.

Andy also mentioned that cultural values of Yogyakarta were in not only the tourism places but also the football clubs because it would be additional value for Yogyakarta itself. Moreover, Indonesian supporters were well-known for being untidy, and this grew his critic in order that the untidiness became a considered aspect so that football clubs in Yogyakarta could be better.

Supporters’ love to their admired club is not doubtful anymore. Indonesian supporters are familiar with their activeness unlike abroad. “Thus, I sometimes wonder that people love overseas football club, while Indonesian supporters contribute to assist the financial aspect of their football club. On the other hand, overseas football clubs have controlled by capitalists,” he explained.

Andy Fuller expounded that a football management team had better treat and respect supporters since they are the ones who could drive the football clubs established and collapse. Furthermore, each stadium should provide tight security, and the stadium betterment needs entire support from city government. (Icha)