Goalkeeper Tom Glover of Melbourne City suffered a suspected concussion and a gash to his face after what appeared to be an assault on him by a Melbourne Victory fan occurred during the heinous and violent pitch invasion that forced the abandonment of the A-League Men derby at AAMI Park on Saturday night.
During the frantic and terrifying circumstances when Victory fans invaded the ground, Glover needed stitches for the cut, while officiating referee Alex King also had a cut to his right eyebrow, though a Football Australia official stated he was “more startled than harmed.”
The referee match day coach was also shoved into a fence, and security had to lead the officials to their cars.
Football Australia called the violence “shocking” and said that “such behavior has no place in Australian Football” in a news release.
Additionally, they stated that a thorough investigation will start right once and “severe punishments will be handed down.”
So soon after the Socceroos’ spectacular World Cup campaign, when Australian soccer was experiencing unheard-of highs, it has regrettably fallen back to the “bad old days,” reaching new lows in fan violence.
Both teams’ supporters threw flares onto the field, but when Glover fired two flares back into the Victory supporters’ section at the northern end, it caused a wild reaction. Around 100 Victory supporters stormed the field and surrounded Glover in a terrifying scene.
After that, a Victory supporter threw a metal bucket directly at Glover’s face, instantly severing the City goalkeeper’s face.
All the players and coaches were compelled to leave the field and technical area, marking a low point for Australian soccer. For his wounds, Glover required medical attention.
Some of the encroaching Victory supporters even leaped on the goals, perhaps in an effort to knock them down.
The game was officially abandoned due to player safety about 40 minutes after it was initially stopped, “in compliance with Law 5.3 of the Laws of the Game in order to protect the integrity of the match.”
In order to thank their supporters, City players—including World Cup champion Jamie Maclaren—returned to the field without their match attire.
As a result of the Australian Professional Leagues’ choice to award Sydney the right to host the A-League championship game for the following three years, tensions had been mounting all night.
Nobody could have predicted the despicable sights that took place, despite suggestions from both clubs’ fans that they would leave the stadium in protest of the APL decision at the 20th minute.
A Network Ten TV cameraman was struck in the back by a flare from the Victory fans section just prior to the Glover incident, which caused him to turn around and raise his arms in protest. He then fled his position, probably for his own safety.
Police had to act quickly in reaction to the tumultuous circumstances.
However, the City supporters at the southern end also acted badly.
Victory goalkeeper Paul Izzo caught one of the flares that City supporters hurled onto the field after their team had taken a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute and set it down behind the goals.
In reality, in the 20th minute, City supporters stopped the game by throwing a number of flares into the field, one of which burned a hole in the City goal.
Both sets of fans chanted “f*** the APL” before the game, filling the stadium.
Football Without Fans Is Nothing! and “When Money Tak$ Fans Will Walk” were among the banners that the City supporters waved. APL Off.”
Additionally, Victory supporters carried posters that stated, “APL Understands the Demands. The phrase “Football for the Fans” with eight dollar signs and “No More Lies”; “Are we enthusiasts of invisibility?”
The Victory end also put out a sign with the words “Look at Yourself” and a pig sporting the initials “APL” encircled by dollar notes.
Victory supporters had been intermittently setting off little fireworks into the air before to the halt.
The goodwill generated by the Socceroos’ World Cup campaign had been completely destroyed in a short of weeks, according to viewers, who demanded life bans for those who invaded the field.
Ray Gatt, a former soccer reporter, tweeted: “OMG. That is shameful. Just horrible. Players in no way should be subjected to what we just seen.
And our fall from grace is complete, remarked commentator Simon Hill. as though the World Cup never took place. Both heartbroken and furious.
“From great football to absolutely disgusting circumstances,” continued football commentator Daniel McBreen. Protest is acceptable, but NOT THIS! The thugs who attacked Alex King and Glover should be detained and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
Lachlan McKirdy of CODE Sports recalled: “Two weeks ago, the nation was waking up early to see the Socceroos play Argentina.
“Fans have now descended upon AAMI Park as a result of the game’s regulatory body’s poor judgment. scenes of athletes being abused are repulsive. Just terribly depressing.
“Extremely disappointing,” wrote Socceroo Craig Goodwin. Whatever has happened, this is not the appropriate response and simply reflects poorly on the game.
