A massive invasion of the pitch during an Australian A-League match on Saturday forced a halt to the action.
Crosstown rivals Melbourne City hosted Melbourne Victory and squared off as an already contentious crowd looked on. City led 1-0 when the game had to be suspended.
Fans from both sides flocked to AAMI Park with a pre-planned protest for the 20th minute of the match.
The groups were upset with the Australian Professional Leagues’ decision to sell the Grand Final matches to Sydney. These matches are the last matches of the A-League season.
Goalkeeper in the center of the scene
Flares thrown onto the pitch were already a problem during the early stages of the match; however, incidents increased on 20 minutes. City goalkeeper Tom Glover picked up a flare which landed near him and hurled it back into the away Victory crowd. This triggered a massive rush of fans onto the pitch.
Many Victory fans stormed the field and ran towards Glover. As the stewards tried to stop the chaos, the goalkeeper was hit on the head with a metal bucket.
The referee for the match, Alex King, was also reportedly hit on the head with a bucket. However, ESPN has stated that his injuries are minor. A cameraman was also injured during the incident.
Filled with sand, the bucket was meant to help put out the flares. Glover was then seen walking off the field with a bloody face. The goalie required stitches and suffered a possible concussion.
Visiting club condemns actions
After the terrible scenes, Victory made an official statement denouncing the fans’ decision. “Tonight Melbourne Victory Football Club is devastated. The Club unequivocally condemns the actions of the fans at Saturday night’s match against Melbourne City at AAMI Park,” the statement read.
“The Club would like to formally apologize to Tom Glover, the match official, Alex King and the camera operator, as well as all the players, officials and those who witnessed the appalling behaviour.”
“This conduct will not be tolerated and the Club, together with AAMI Park and Victoria Police, will undertake a full investigation into the incident.”
It was the first time in A-League history that a match had to be abandoned due to fan violence. Local police have said that there have been no arrests yet, but obviously an investigation is still ongoing.
Photo credit: IMAGO/Icon Sportswire
