Melbourne Victory has been penalized by Football Australia (FA) with an A-League record fine of 450,000 Australian dollars ($380,000) and the prospect of a 10-point loss for a violent pitch invasion during the derby match against Melbourne City in December that left a goalkeeper hurt.
As Victory supporters swarmed the Melbourne Rectangular Stadium pitch, City goalkeeper Tom Glover was struck in the face by a metal bucket full of sand, leaving him bleeding and forcing the game to be abandoned.
Additionally harmed were a television cameraman and the referee.
For the balance of this season and the following three, any instance of “severe fan misconduct” will automatically result in the suspension of the 10-point deduction.
Additionally, Victory will not be given assigned seating for the remainder of the season at away games in the section of the stadium where the fans invaded the field.
FA estimated that these penalties will cost the team an additional $100,000 ($69,000).
The 22nd minute of the match, which is when the fans invaded the field, will be replayed in April. City will still be up 1-0 at that point.
The sights, according to FA Chief Executive James Johnson, were the “worst” the Australian game has witnessed since the A-League era began in 2004.
He declared in a statement on Tuesday that “the field of play is holy” and “the safety of our players and match officials is important.” “Those people crossed the line when they broke the rules, caused damage, and verbally and physically abused players and officials.
The Melbourne Victory punishments, according to the club, are “a essential step to guarantee we create an environment where we place football first, and our community can enjoy matches.”
17 fans who were recognized as being part in the incident have already received suspensions, some for life.
Later, Victory issued a statement announcing that the team would not challenge the sanctions.
The statement added, “Melbourne Victory will comply with all fines imposed by the FA in its final finding and is working with the pertinent parties to ensure that its matches coming forward will be held in a safe atmosphere for players, fans, and everyone concerned.”
