Ipswich police investigate after evacuating AFCON finals at Western Spirit Football Club, Goodna

Police are investigating reports of chaotic scenes and possible injuries during the sudden evacuation of a weekend football final south of Brisbane. WATCH THE VIDEO

Police are investigating after Polair was brought in to evacuate a crowd of 2000 people at a local football club during a weekend finals match.

A police spokesman confirmed officers were present to monitor patron behaviour at a community football event at Enid Street, Goodna yesterday, December 10.

Goodna’s Western Spirit Football Club was holding the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) finals matches, with the finale a men’s match between South Sudan and Democratic Republic of the Congo.

A large crowd of supporters could be seen flooding the field to celebrate after the AFCON final match at Goodna's Western Spirit Football Club on December 10. Picture: AFCON Live

The police spokesperson said there were a number of “minor disturbances” between patrons as the event concluded.

“Polair assisted with messaging seeking the assistance of patrons to leave the area as quickly as possible and in a safe manner,” they said.

Community members flocked to Facebook after the event, with a number of locals confused about the helicopter’s presence.

Reports circulated of chaotic scenes and traffic hold ups as people left the event, with some even saying there had been a gunman and possible injuries.

Large crowds of supporters flooded the field to celebrate shortly before the evacuation. Source: AFCON Live

The police spokesperson said they have no evidence to indicate there was any gunman involved, and that there were no arrests at this time.

“Police are continuing to conduct investigations to determine if any person was injured,” they said.

A spokesperson for Western Spirit Football Club said they were not aware of any major incidents.

“The police were fantastic in assisting us disperse the crowd in an orderly manner,” they said.

South Sudan supporters proudly celebrated their win. Source: AFCON Live

“I understand there were a few minor incidents which may be expected with a large excited crowd, but the vast majority were very well behaved and contributed to a fun, family atmosphere.“The final game was watched by over 2,000 spectators and was a great finale to the three-week long tournament.”

The spokesperson said it had been a tough few years for the club after 2022 floods destroyed the clubhouse, changing rooms and fields. “Holding AFCON allowed us to give back to other communities who also did it tough.”

“Western Spirit did not charge anything to host the six-day event … We are very much a community club.”

Originally published as Ipswich police investigate after evacuating AFCON finals at Western Spirit Football Club, Goodna