Melbourne Victory has copped a hefty financial penalty due to crowd violence at last month’s A-League Men’s derby with Melbourne city.
The Victory suffered a loss of $550,000, comprising $450,000 in fines and damages and $100,000 in lost revenue due to the sporting sanctions.
They will also face a 10-point deduction from now until the end of the 2025-26 men’s season, with any similar violent incidents from the fans likely to invoke its application.
The country’s leading sports league Football Australia ruled that the match be resumed in April, from the 22nd minute—when a fan threw a metal bucket of sand at Melbourne City goalkeeper Tom Glover’s head, instead of awarding City a walkover. City will retain their 1-0 lead from the abandoned match.
“Deducting points [immediately] was considered,” FA chief executive James Johnson told a Sydney media conference.
“What we decided is that what is important is the integrity of our competition.”
“We felt that if we were to implement a points deduction now, it wasn’t the most effective way of deterring the fans.”
“If a spectator runs onto the pitch and there’s an assault, there will be an automatic 10-point deduction, and if that were to occur, that will destroy Melbourne Victory’s [season].”
The FA boss made clear that his organisation will dish out tough punishments towards any further misbehaviour.
Seventeen People Fined Over Pitch Breach
Football Australia has already issued 17 individual stadium bans to people who entered the field of play.“In [the] future, you’re going to see, as a regulator, be able to use other mechanisms, such as club licensing rules or transfer system sanctions as well,” Johnson said.
Dec. 17 evening’s violent pitch invasion at the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium, known as AAMI Park, forced the abandonment of the A-League Men derby.
Two Melbourne Victory fans who rushed the AAMI Park pitch, including one who allegedly hit Melbourne City goalkeeper Tom Glover with a metal bucket, have received life bans from Football Australia. Glover suffered a concussion and facial laceration.
A television cameraman was hurt after being struck by a flare while two security guards were also injured.
Football Australia said the 23-year-old “Bucket Man,” who has already been charged by Victoria Police with violent disorder and discharging a missile, among other offences, had been found guilty of “entering the field of play without authorisation and using an item (bucket) with the intent to cause damage or harm.”
A 19-year-old man had been charged by police in relation to a separate alleged assault on Glover, as well as an alleged assault on a security guard.
He has been found guilty by Football Australia “of entering the field of play without authorisation and engaging in conduct that did or was likely to cause harm or endanger others.”
“The actions of these two, and others who are of interest to us, are completely unacceptable, and those people and their behaviours will never be welcome in our game,” Football Australia chief executive James Johnson said in a statement, indicating there would be more bans to come.
AAP contributed to this article.
