Several Melbourne Victory fans cry foul after copping bans for alleged antisocial behaviour

Multiple members of Melbourne Victory’s active supporter group have been slapped with bans for allegedly setting off flares and shouting homophobic slurs at an NPL match last month.

Several Melbourne Victory fans have been sanctioned by Football Australia after alleged incidents at a match in Shepparton.

Members of Melbourne Victory’s active supporter group have cried foul over a series of bans handed out to several fans for alleged homophobic slurs and “two flares being lit” .

The A-League club’s official supporter group the “North Terrace” announced last week that Football Australia issued two-year bans to a “core group” of members — which it says was for alleged offensive language and flares being let off.

It’s understood the alleged incidents, which involved homophobic slurs occurred at an NPL match — Australia’s second-tier — between Victory and Green Gully in Shepparton several weeks ago.

Investigations into the alleged matters are still ongoing.

In the days following the match the club’s managing director Caroline Carnegie said the alleged behaviour was “not reflective of our values and is completely unacceptable”.

“During our NPL Round 8 fixture in Shepparton, extreme antisocial behaviour was displayed, including homophobic slurs,” she said.

“There is no place at Melbourne Victory for individuals who show a clear disregard for supporting our teams, the culture we have worked hard to build, or the inclusive environment we are committed to fostering.”

Flares being let off after a goal was scored between Melbourne Victory and Green Gully in their NPL match in Shepparton.

Statement from the North Terrace on its social media

But in a post shared on social media the North Terrace criticised the bans, claiming there was “no evidence provided”.

“Because of the absence of evidence, every person received an identical banning notice,” the group posted.

“This is not in line with impartial governance of football in Australia.

“The North Terrace has been an institution at Melbourne Victory for 20 years and is the largest supporter group in Australia by a wide margin.

“Decisions made, will have serious effects.”

An image of flares being lit at the NPL match in Shepparton has been shared online.

A formal appeals process — introduced by FA in 2015 — is in place for any fans to fight sanctions imposed.

The bans were revealed by the group on social media hours before the club’s crucial A-League Men’s clash against league leader Auckland FC at AAMI Park, which drew a crowd of more than 13,000 people.

The North Terrace as a whole has not been banned from matches, with fans still able to gather in the bays behind the goals at the northern end of AAMI Park.

Despite being lauded as one of the loudest fan groups in the league, it is not the first time members of the North Terrace have been sanctioned by the game’s governing bodies.

Following violent pitch invasions in the December 2022 local derby against Melbourne City the club restricted access to seats behind the north-end goals and was prohibited from having dedicated bays at away matches.

Several lifetime bans were also issued to supporters afterwards.

Football Australia was contacted for comment.