Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Monday, Jun 02, 2025

Australian football violence stains World Cup high

Australian football violence stains World Cup high

Australian football has been plunged into turmoil this week following violence at a derby match between two of its biggest clubs.
Melbourne City goalkeeper Thomas Glover was left with blood streaming down his face after he was allegedly struck with a metal bucket during a pitch invasion by fans on Saturday.

In a few chaotic moments, the warm glow cast by Australia's heroic World Cup campaign - in which the Socceroos reached the last 16 - had faded.

"It was just sickening. I was appalled," Francis Awaritefe, the chair of Professional Footballers Australia, told the BBC. "My heart sank because after the highs of the World Cup where the Australian team performed so well and brought the country together, it was just really sad."

What had started as a protest by fans against a decision to undo tradition and relocate to Sydney the grand finals of the national men's and women's competitions descended into an uncontrolled melee at AAMI Park as Melbourne Victory took on rivals Melbourne City. The match was abandoned and the inquest quickly began.

"What we all witnessed on Saturday night can only be described as horrific and conduct that is not consistent with the values of Australian football nor the expectations of our community," said James Johnson, the head of Football Australia, the governing body.

Both sets of fans had been hurling flares on to the pitch. The situation appeared to escalate when City 'keeper Glover picked a flare off the turf and threw it back into the stand where Victory's most fervent supporters had gathered.

It appeared to ignite the frenzy. Dozens of people poured on to the ground in a wave of disorder that has rarely, if ever, been seen at a football match in Australia. Two security guards and a TV camera operator were also injured, and referee Alex King was also struck by a bucket. Arrests have already been made and more could follow.

"The game cannot try to spin its way out of this," Mr Awaritefe says. "If there are fringe elements that are attaching themselves to the game, we need to roundly reject these people. Then we've got to use law enforcement to make sure that these people are weeded out."

Former Socceroo Craig Foster told Australian television that the sport's reputation had been stained.

"It's shameful and it's embarrassing, and it's a moment that comes after an incredible month for the game," he said.

"It's been on this huge high; literally hundreds of thousands of fans getting together at live sites all around the country and watching the Socceroos, and that togetherness and that unity was so beautiful. And then to see this ... it's kind of like going from heaven to hell for a moment."

The game is in damage control, but no-one knows what the longer-term consequences might be. Melbourne Victory is facing sanctions because of the behaviour of a minority of its fans. The club could be fined, stripped of competition points, or forced to play matches behind closed doors.

Football in Australia boasts unrivalled participation by girls, boys and adults, but at an elite level it lags behind the rugby codes, Australian Rules football and cricket.

Arguably, Australia has never really embraced its national football competition.

The A-League replaced the National Soccer League and kicked off its inaugural season in 2005. It has 12 teams - 11 from Australia and one from New Zealand.

It's played in the summer to avoid fixture clashes with most of the other heavyweights, but average attendances are well below 10,000. Saturday's scenes in Melbourne could stoke further disenchantment at the grassroots.

"The A-League has been on a downward spiral for a while. Prior to the World Cup the game was struggling here a bit even though it's the highest participation sport," explained Simon Cox, president of North Sydney United, a thriving amateur club with 1,700 members.

He told the BBC that the violence was a reminder of the bad old days when football in Australia was divided along ethnic lines drawn between migrant communities who'd imported their sporting hostilities from Europe.

"Not only does it bring back memories for those that followed the old National Soccer League and its tribalism - which triggered bouts of bad behaviour - it is behaviour we thought we'd gone past. But it seems to be rearing its ugly head again," Mr Cox said. "It's not going to encourage families to go along, which is what the A-League is desperate for."

But next year Australia has the chance to show the world its affinity and zest for the game.

In July and August 2023, it co-hosts the Women's World Cup with New Zealand.

Australia's Matildas - the national team that includes superstar Sam Kerr - and their supporters will be craving the sort of home-grown success enjoyed by England's Lionesses at this year's European Championships.

"The Matildas in terms of their image and women's football generally is massively on the up here," said Awaritefe, a former Socceroo.

"Hopefully that will help to bring the country together and to heal some of the wounds that we have suffered in the last few days because of the appalling behaviour of a few."
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
The Daily Debate: The Fall of the Dollar — Strategic Reset or Economic Self-Destruction?
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
Saudi-Spanish Business Forum Commences in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia and Spain Sign MoU to Boost SME Sectors
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
A Chinese company made solar tiles that look way nicer than regular panels!
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global Tech Magnet with U.S. Backing and Trump’s Visit
This was President's departure from Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince personally escorted him back to the airport.
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
Trump takes a blow torch to the neocons and interventionists while speaking to the Saudis
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
×