A-League derby pitch invasion: Goalkeeper Tom Glover speaks for the first time, latest on United-Victory Boxing Day match
Western United is busy reassuring fans the clash with Melbourne Victory on Boxing Day will be safe to attend. But will it even go ahead with a crowd? Here’s the latest.
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Football bosses are planning extra security as Western United reassure fans their blockbuster Boxing Day clash with Melbourne Victory at AAMI Park will be safe to attend, while the clubs await Football Australia’s review into last Saturday’s horrendous scenes.
In what was shaping up to be the biggest regular season fixture of the United season, the public holiday derby is now on tenterhooks, while officials await a response from the show cause notice handed to Victory on Monday morning.
Victory has been given a 9am Wednesday deadline to persuade Football Australia that it shouldn’t face “serious sanctions” after its fans “brought the game into disrepute”.
The APL and United are both waiting for FA to decide on sanctions before moving on plans for the Boxing Day contest, with the APL confirming it will work with law enforcement as well as the venue to ramp up security, assuming the game goes ahead with a crowd.
United are yet to hear word from the governing body but are determined to reassure fans as soon as practical, with tickets for Victory supporters still available for sale for as little as $30 to sit in the designated away fans seating behind the goals.
Head coach John Aloisi on Sunday was hopeful the match would be a “big day” with a “big crowd”.
“I want to see a big crowd, and I know we’ll make sure that it’s very safe for everyone. Boxing Day is a big day in Australia for a number of reasons, and we want to make it a big event for our game,” Aloisi said after United’s win over Western Sydney.
“We want people to come, support our club, our team, but also the game in general.
“We shouldn’t allow a minority to dictate what’s going to happen with our football in this country. We’re in a great position in terms of how well we did in the world cup.
“This is a time that we should stay together and united and make sure people come and watch our football.
“I’m sure they’ll be doing everything possible to keep those people away.”
Injured keeper breaks silence after pitch invasion hell
Melbourne City goalkeeper Tom Glover has spoken for the first time since being attacked by pitch-invading Melbourne Victory fans, calling the incident “disappointing for Australian football”.
Speaking at training in his first session back from the fan-induced concussion, Glover had a large dressing across the right side of his face where he was struck.
He didn’t speak of his own recovery from the ordeal but lamented the position it now leaves the sport in.
“The incident is disappointing for Australian football itself,” he told Channel 9.
“The Socceroos were unbelievable and (we were) hopefully riding the wave of that, but a small minority kind of ruins it.
Glover tossed one of the flares thrown onto the pitch back into the crowd, drawing the ire of the fans who then invaded the pitch.
Football Australia has said it will issue “the strongest possible sanctions to the club and individuals involved” over the incident.
In a bizarre twist, Football Australia bosses have not ruled out sanctions for Glover.
“The moment that a flare entered the field is the moment ... that triggers the whole events,” Football Australia chief executive James Johnson said.
“We will be looking at it fairly and objectively and we’ll be moving swiftly on it.
“I don’t want to comment on the outcome ... we need to go through the process. We are looking at the facts. We’ll look at it objectively and we will make a decision that we believe is in the overall best interests of the game.”
VICTORY DEADLINE: TWO DAYS TO AVOID MASSIVE PENALTIES
Football Australia have issued a show cause notice to Melbourne Victory following Saturday night’s pitch invasion at the A-League’s Melbourne derby.
Victory have been given until 9am Wednesday to address “why they should not face serious sanctions for bringing the game into disrepute through the conduct of its supporters, which may include financial penalties, loss of competition points and/or playing matches behind closed doors, or on neutral territory,” in a statement released by the FA Monday morning.
FA CEO James Johnson said the incident tarnished the reputations of the club, the fans and the sport itself.
“What we all witnessed on Saturday night can only be described as horrific and conduct that is not consistent with the values of Australian football nor the expectations of our community,” he said.
“The offenders who entered the field of play on Saturday night, causing havoc and assaulting a player, official, and cameraman have no place in our game. They are not welcome, and we will do everything we can to identify them and impose the sanctions they deserve.
“As we made clear on Saturday evening following the abandonment of the match, we will move quickly to properly investigate this matter and where appropriate, issue the strongest possible sanctions to the club and individuals involved,” Johnson said.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Australian Professional Leagues Danny Townsend has spoken publicly for the first time since the violent pitch invasion, which left players and officials in hospital.
Wild scenes at AAMI Park on Saturday night saw more than 150 spectators storm the pitch with some lighting flares.
Melbourne City goalkeeper Tom Glover sustained a suspected concussion and a nasty gash to his face after being assaulted by a Victory fan with a metal bucket as all hell broke loose just 20 minutes into the match.
Glover required stitches for the cut and officiating referee Alex King also sustained a cut to his right eyebrow during the wild and scary scenes.
Fans from both clubs hurled flares onto the pitch, but when Glover threw two flares back into the Victory fans area at the northern end, it sparked a wild reaction.
Police have released vision of men they wish to speak with and the Football Association has vowed to hand down the most sever punishment possible.
The disgraceful scenes have been linked to the APL’s decision to sell off the A-League grand final to Sydney for the next three years with both Victory and City fans going public with their pre-match plans to walk out after 20 minutes in protest.
There were chants of “f**k the APL” around the stadium as well as giant banners expressing fan displeasure.
Then things got out of hand.
Townsend has confirmed some of the hooligans were already banned from the stadium and that the APL would work with police to ascertain how they gained entry.
“A group of individuals that used the Melbourne derby as a platform to demonstrate anti-social behaviour,” Townsend told Channel 7 on Monday morning.
“(It’s) not just an assault on a player or an official or a cameraman, it was an assault on a football family.
“When families are compromised you get behind them and support them and make them feel better and not dampen their enthusiasm for doing the things they love and for me it wasn’t a reflection of football.
“Law enforcement authorities are looking at that (already banned). We are unclear on that at the moment but we are supporting law enforcement, football Australia have a lot to do and we have to ensure this is the last time.”
Lifetime bans and criminal charges are on the table for some of those who sparked the mayhem as police continue to search for those responsible.
“We have to make examples of these people,” Townsend continued.
“If you make it clear that this is unacceptable in our sport and in society then we will stamp it out.”
Townsend said on Channel 9 that last week’s decision was a long time in the making and that Saturday night’s events had nothing to do with the other peaceful protests that had occurred across the competition prior.
“The consultation with the clubs was ongoing. It happened over 12 months.
“What happened on Saturday was completely different. It was not linked at all,” he said.
“The peaceful protests across the other clubs were absolutely a reflection of that decision, one we will work with those supporter groups over the next week to continue to heir and listen to them and — hear and listen to them and make the right decisions on behalf the game.”
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Originally published as A-League derby pitch invasion: Goalkeeper Tom Glover speaks for the first time, latest on United-Victory Boxing Day match
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