January 10 – Last month’s unprecedented violent pitch invasion that shamed the sport in Australia has led to Melbourne Victory being fined a total of A$450,000 ($310,410) and handed a suspended 10-point deduction.
The incident during the A-League derby against Melbourne City left City goalkeeper Tom Glover bloodied after being struck in the face by a metal bucket as Victory fans stormed pitch, resulting in the game being abandoned.
The points deduction will automatically be triggered by each and every incident of “serious supporter misconduct” over the remainder of this and the subsequent three seasons, said Football Australia.
The match will be replayed in April starting from the 22nd minute with City retaining the 1-0 lead they held when the fans invaded the pitch.
FA chief executive James Johnson said the scenes were the worst the Australian game has seen since the start of the A-League era in 2004.
“The field of play is sacred and the safety of our players and match officials is paramount,” he said in a statement.
“Those individuals that illegally entered the field of play, caused damage, and verbally and physically assaulted players and officials, crossed the line.
“The sanctions imposed on Melbourne Victory are a necessary step to ensure we create an environment where we place football first, and our community can enjoy matches.”
The FA have already handed out bans, some for life, to 17 fans identified as having been involved in the incident.
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