Wild brawl at Cremorne pub between soccer fans sparks investigation

Almost 20 A-League fans stormed a popular inner-Melbourne pub on Saturday afternoon but were forced to flee after a wild confrontation with rival supporters.

CCTV obtained by The Age reveals 17 men – all dressed in black hoodies and some with their faces concealed – marching into the pub in Swan Street, Cremorne, about 3.45pm. At least one man at the back of the group appears to be wearing merchandise from Melbourne City Football Club.

The violent incident occurred just over an hour before the start of an A-League game between Melbourne City and Western Sydney Wanderers at nearby AAMI Park.

Once inside the pub, the group was forced to make a hasty retreat when challenged by other patrons, CCTV footage appears to show.

Several men brawled near the hotel’s exit, with one hurling a bar stool and another receiving a cut to his face.

A police spokeswoman confirmed that one person was treated for injuries at the scene.

“Police are investigating following an affray at a licensed premise on Swan Street in Cremorne on 30 November. It’s believed around 20 people were involved in a physical altercation just after 3.30pm. The exact circumstances surrounding the incident are being investigated,” the spokeswoman said.

A source familiar with the police investigation but not authorised to speak publicly said a group of Melbourne City supporters were suspected of instigating the violence.

“The plan appears to have been to ambush the crew from Sydney, but it obviously didn’t work out too well. They should be pretty embarrassed with themselves, and it only hurts the game in Australia,” the source said.

However, another source close to Melbourne City but not authorised to speak on behalf of the club, denied its supporters had instigated the brawl.

“The club is confident that the group seen entering the venue were not affiliated with Melbourne City. The individual identified wearing City merchandise in the video is a club supporter marshal who is contracted by the club to facilitate pre-match activities and is clearly seen trying to defuse the situation,” the source said.

Melbourne City and Western Sydney Wanderers have been contacted for comment.

The brawl is the latest example of violence surrounding the A-League, which has suffered from a series of ugly altercations between hardcore fans over the years that have shifted attention from the game itself.

It also comes less than two years after about 150 Melbourne Victory fans stormed the pitch at AAMI Park during a derby game against Melbourne City in December 2022, when goalkeeper Tom Glover and referee Alex King were assaulted.

Melbourne Victory, one of the competition’s marquee clubs, was hit with fines of $450,000 and Football Australia issued more than 20 stadium bans to supporters who entered the field of play, while several fans were slapped with criminal charges following a protracted police investigation.

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