Melbourne Victory fans have been barred from attending A-League games at a stadium in Adelaide due to “violent and riotous behaviour”.
A statement released by Adelaide Venue Management (AVM) announced that Melbourne Victory fans will be locked out from grabbing seats to the March 9 clash against Adelaide United at Coopers Stadium, per ABC News.
The statement mentions that only Adelaide United and people who hold a South Australian postcode will be allowed to attend the game — however, it’s not reported if residents from other states, like Western Australia or New South Wales, were also barred from going.
AVM highlighted that previous behaviour from Melbourne Victory fans was the reason for the decision, as well as mentioning crowd issues between Adelaide United and Melbourne Victory last season.
“The first, held in November 2022, had Melbourne Victory supporters present and was plagued with the usual violent and riotous behaviour that has become synonymous with this fixture, resulting in unacceptable risk to many in attendance,” the statement reads, per ABC News.
“It is important to acknowledge that Melbourne Victory supporters are not solely responsible for the violent behaviour and safety issues at these matches.”
The AVM also noted that the decision could be reversed if the Australian Professional Leagues addressed the safety concerns as well as begin implementing “improved safety measures”.
In December of last year, fans of both Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City stormed a pitch during an A-League game at AAMI Park. Things got extremely rowdy, with flares being thrown and violent behaviour from fans who were walking onto the pitch.
Melbourne City goalkeeper Tom Glover was then reportedly concussed after he was hit with a metal bin by the pitch invaders.
It was also reported that referee Alex King was injured and that a flare had hit a Channel 10 camera person, per The Guardian.
Recently, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews condemned the behaviour of football fans at Federation Square during the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup after multiple flares were set off during the Matildas semi-final match against England.
As a result, Federation Square was pulled from being a live site for the rest of the WWC.
Image Source: Getty Images / Darrian Traynor
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