HEAVY PUNISHMENT

Melbourne Victory given suspended points deduction following pitch invasion

Any incident of "serious supporter misconduct" until the end of the 2025-26 season will trigger the deduction.

In Summary

•They were initially banned from selling tickets for home games until January 15 pending further investigations by Football Australia.

•The match will be replayed in April starting from the 22nd minute, with City retaining the 1-0 lead they held when the fans invaded the pitch.

Nathaniel Atkinson of Melbourne City battles Anthony Caceres of Sydney during a past match
Nathaniel Atkinson of Melbourne City battles Anthony Caceres of Sydney during a past match
Image: FILE

Melbourne Victory have been given a suspended 10-point deduction after crowd trouble during their A-League match with Melbourne City in December.

Any incident of "serious supporter misconduct" until the end of the 2025-26 season will trigger the deduction.

The game was abandoned after a pitch invasion during the first half.

Some fans ran onto the pitch, while referee Alex King and City goalkeeper Tom Glover suffered facial cuts after being hit by a metal bucket. Victory have also been fined 450,000 Australian dollars (£255,000).

The club have also been banned from selling tickets for the area of the ground from which the fans invaded the pitch. In addition, Victory fans will not be able to attend away games for the rest of the season, which is estimated will cost the club a further 100,000 Australian dollars (£57,000).

They were initially banned from selling tickets for home games until January 15 pending further investigations by Football Australia.

The match will be replayed in April starting from the 22nd minute, with City retaining the 1-0 lead they held when the fans invaded the pitch.

Football Australia chief executive James Johnson said the scenes were the "worst" the domestic game has seen since the A-League began in 2004.

"The field of play is sacred and the safety of our players and match officials is paramount," he said.

"Those individuals that illegally entered the field of play, caused damage, and verbally and physically assaulted players and officials, crossed the line.

"The sanctions imposed on Melbourne Victory are a necessary step to ensure we create an environment where we place football first, and our community can enjoy matches."

In a statement, Victory said they would "comply with all sanctions" and will work to ensure their matches going forward will be a "safe environment for players, fans and everyone involved".

Football Australia have already issued bans, some for life, to 17 fans identified as having been involved in the incident on December 17.