Australian football has reacted with a mixture of shock, anger and disbelief to the chaotic scenes that resulted in the abandonment of the Melbourne derby
Australian football has reacted with a mixture of shock, anger, sadness and disbelief to the chaotic and violent scenes that resulted in the abandonment of the A-League Men’s Melbourne derby on Saturday night.
City goalkeeper Thomas Glover was left bloodied after he was hit by a metal bucket allegedly thrown by a Victory fan as supporters stormed the pitch midway through the first half of the match at AAMI Park.The unprecedented incident left stakeholders in the game – from players and clubs to fans and administrators – wondering how this could happen so soon after the Socceroos’ successful World Cup run had engendered such optimism for the future of football.
The incident came after a day of protests at other A-League grounds, following the Australian Professional Leagues’ controversial decision to sell off the next three grand finals to Sydney. Walkouts had been planned by fans ahead of this weekend’s round, and earlier on Saturday at Newcastle and on the Central Coast supporters had made their protests by exiting at the 20-minute mark.
But things turned sour amid a tinderbox derby atmosphere in Melbourne when Glover threw a flare that landed on the pitch back into the stands occupied by Victory’s active support. The chaos that ensued led to calls for life bans for those responsible for the violence and questions about the future of the game in Australia.
That is an absolute disgrace from the Melbourne Victory fans. Not what football in this country needs and I hope whoever threw that bucket is banned from ever attending another A-league match.
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