A-League pitch invasion: soccer fans banned, Melbourne Victory sanctioned

More lifetime or extended bans could be imposed on soccer hooligans as the investigation into the AAMI Park pitch invasion continues.

Fans storm the pitch in protest during the round eight A-League Men's match between Melbourne City and Melbourne Victory. Picture: Getty Images.

More lifetime or extended bans could be imposed on soccer hooligans as the investigation into the AAMI Park pitch invasion continues.

Melbourne Victory on Tuesday was slapped with a record $550,000 in sanctions from Football Australia over the shocking riot from last month.

So far, 17 people have been banned, including three for life.

Football Australia will continue to punish the pitch invaders as it works with Victoria Police to identify and sanction other offenders.

Authorities last week released more pictures of the mob, with the governing body and police pushing ahead with the probe, which could continue into February and March.

On December 17, about 150 spectators stormed on to the ground during an A-League derby between Victory and Melbourne City.

Play was abandoned after City goalkeeper Tom Glover, referee Alex King and a television cameraman were among those assaulted.

The pitch invasion was described by some as Australian football’s darkest day. Picture: Tracey Nearmy.

The Herald Sun first revealed the identity of “Bucket Man”, Alex Agelopoulos, who was charged with assaulting Glover with a metal bucket full of sand, causing a deep cut to his face.

He was one of the three fans to be banned for life from watching and participating in soccer games.

On Tuesday, Football Australia chief executive James Johnson announced further punishments for those involved in what has been described Australian soccer’s darkest day. “We are also very aware that this is not the first time we’ve had an issue with Melbourne Victory,” he said.

“The sanctions we have issued against Melbourne Victory are the heaviest in the A-League era.

“These sanctions are reflective of our desire to remove this behaviour and those that perpetuate it from our game.”

The $550,000 sanction for bringing the game into disrepute comprises $450,000 in fines and another $100,000 in lost revenue through restrictions on fans.

The club will be required to tarp off the first three rows of seats behind the goal at home games and rows A to J at Bay 38 of AAMI Park’s northern end for the rest of the season and the finals. Any tickets already sold in these areas will be cancelled and reallocated or refunded.

Melbourne Victory will also not be able to sell any match- day tickets in the areas usually set up as “active supporter bays”, with these missed sales expected to make up the $100,000 loss.

As well, there will be no allocated club support seating for away games.

The club has avoided being docked points, but has a suspended 10-point deduction that will be triggered every time there is a serious misconduct issue. It will continue until the end of the men’s 2025-26 season.

17 soccer fans received bans, three of which were for life. Picture: vic police

It has also been revealed the abandoned match will resume from the 22nd minute in a replay in April.

Mr Johnson said Football Australia had considered deducting points from Victory but wanted to protect the integrity of the competition.

He argued that doing so would not have been a deterrent for badly behaved fans, with responsibility now on the spectators to ensure they did not ruin their team’s chances.

Mr Johnson said the scenes at AAMI Park had shocked Australian and international soccer and should never have happened.

“The field of play is a sacred place. It’s the workplace of our players and our match officials and this needs to be paramount in football,” he said.

“Those individuals that illegally entered the field of play caused damage and verbally and physically assaulted players and officials.

“They crossed the line and that is completely unacceptable in Australian football.”

Football Australia will set up a task force, which will include feedback from venues and police, to improve safety at games. This includes tackling the smuggling in of flares, improved security and policing, and a review of active supporter tickets and marches.

Melbourne Victory will not be allowed active supporters in the 2023-24 season unless it works with authorities to show that bad behaviour has been reined in.

In a statement, the club said it would obey the new rules to make match days safer. It has also committed to disband existing men’s active supporter groups.