MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA (AP) – Football Australia has issued life-time bans to two Melbourne Victory supporters who rushed onto the field during an A-League game, including one who allegedly hit Melbourne City goalkeeper Tom Glover with a metal bucket.
Glover had a concussion and a facial laceration after being hit by the bucket wielded by a pitch invader and referee Alex King was also injured in the incident as about 150 people ran onto the field during last week’s Melbourne derby in Australia’s top-flight football competition.
Football Australia issued a statement yesterday saying it had conducted an investigation and had banned for life from all football-related activities a 23-year-old man who has already been charged by Victoria state police with violent disorder among a range of offences.
The investigation by football organisers found the man guilty of “entering the field of play without authorisation and using an item (bucket) with the intent to cause damage or harm”.
Football Australia said a 19-year-old man, who has also been charged by police, had received a life-time ban for “entering the field of play without authorisation and engaging in conduct that did or was likely to cause harm or endanger others”.
“The actions of these two, and others, are completely unacceptable and those people and their behaviours will never be welcome in our game,” Football Australia chief executive James Johnson said in a statement.
The two men were among three charged by police on Monday following the public release of images of the people wanted for questioning in the incident. All three were given bail and will appear at the Melbourne Magistrates Court in February.
