Football Australia (FA) has slapped another eight Melbourne Victory fans with bans over the violent Isuzu UTE A-League Derby pitch invasion as the club brace for heavy sanctions.
A total of 10 people have now been banned from attending or participating in football for various lengths of time after 150 spectators stormed the AAMI Park pitch on Saturday night, forcing the abandonment of the match between Victory and local rivals Melbourne City.
City goalkeeper Tom Glover, referee Alex King, a TV cameraman and two security guards were all injured in the melee.
Eight fans on Thursday received bans spanning between five and 20 years, after two men were banned for life on Tuesday.
Two men received 20-year bans, another was barred for 15 years, and four men and one woman each received a five-year ban.
Offences across the eight people related to entering the pitch, conduct that either harmed or could harm or endanger others, causing damage to the venue or throwing a projectile/missile “in a dangerous manner”.
The fans are banned from attending all Football Australia-sanctioned football matches, including A-Leagues, Australia Cup, NPL and national team games.
They also can no longer register as football participants.
Football Australia intends to provide an update on Victory’s sanctions on Friday.
Victory submitted a response to FA’s show cause notice on Wednesday, with the club set to face points deductions, heavy fines and the prospect of playing home games behind closed doors.
“Football Australia has taken swift and decisive action against those who have brought our game into disrepute by their conduct during the Melbourne derby, and we will continue to do so as part of our ongoing investigation,” Football Australia CEO James Johnson said.
“Football is the beautiful game, it brings together people like no other sport can, and we will not let the actions of these non-football fans cast a dark cloud over the game we love.”
Johnson confirmed four people already on FA’s banned list were “actively prevented” from attending the game, while acknowledging more needed to be done to enforce stadium exclusions.
Four men allegedly responsible for attacks on Glover, the cameraman and security guards have already been charged by Victoria Police.
Another nine people, aged between 17 and 28, are facing a range of charges including criminal damage and disrupting a match.
A total of 36 people have so far been identified by police.
About $150,000 worth of damage was caused to AAMI Park during the pitch invasion and about 80 flares or fireworks were set off, police say.
