Taskforce promise not kept after soccer's darkest day
A taskforce Football Australia promised to set up to tackle anti-social fan behaviour following the Melbourne derby pitch invasion has still yet to be established, more than two years after the sport's governing body publicly promised to do so.
FA hit Melbourne Victory with record sanctions including a total of $550,000 in fines in January 2023 after fans ran onto the AAMI Park pitch in the December 17 2022 derby clash with Melbourne City.
The violent scenes were described by FA chief executive James Johnson as "the worst witnessed in Australian football during the A-League era" after City goalkeeper Tom Glover was hit with a bucket and referee Alex King was attacked.
Several Victory supporters involved in the violence, who let off flares or damaged advertising hoardings, were issued with stadium bans after the pitch invasion.
Johnson said at the time that the newly-formed taskforce would ensure Australia was a world leader in stadium security.
It's understood FA's taskforce was due to be established by June 2024 and relayed its recommendations to clubs last year.
Those recommendations ought to have been implemented ahead of the current A-League season (2024-25) with the aim of cracking down on anti-social behaviour and ensuring stadiums were safe.
But more than two years on, several A-League clubs, the Australian Professional Leagues (APL) and the players' union, Professional Footballers Australia, have yet to see the taskforce's complete findings.
And in the time since FA promised to set up its taskforce there have been several spotfires across both the A-League Men and A-League Women.
In the ALM last weekend, Auckland FC fans were shown setting off flares in celebration, with Western Sydney, the Victory and Sydney FC fans all having done similar over the last 12 months.
Elsewhere over the last year, both Brisbane Roar and Wanderers supporters have staged walkouts following alleged heavy-handed treatment by police.
In the ALW, there have also been two separate incidents of players being targeted by supporters with either racial or homophobic abuse.
In a statement FA defended its record on fan-related issues since the Melbourne derby.
"Football Australia takes the safety and security of all fans, players, and officials seriously," a spokesman said.
"While the security taskforce was established to provide additional insight into future frameworks, we have not waited to take action.
"Over the past two years, we have met with key stakeholders and implemented a range of measures to enhance crowd management and stadium security, working closely with the APL, law enforcement, and venue operators.
"These efforts reflect our ongoing commitment to ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience for all football fans."
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