Melbourne Victory and Western Sydney Wanderers are facing the loss of A-League competition points unless fans of both teams can refrain from the type of violent exchanges that were seen in Melbourne on 28 December, Football Federation Australia (FFA) has warned.
The governing body announced on Friday it has charged both clubs with "bringing the game into disrepute by way of the misconduct of their supporters" after a series of ugly clashes marred their Round 12 clash.
Vision of the clash between supporters on Burke Street before the match:
Each club has been given until 5pm Tuesday 7 January to challenge FFA's decision.
The proposed sanction is the loss of three competition points, suspended until the end of the 2013-2014 season, and contingent on the behaviour of the fan groups.
FFA stressed that additional sanctions would apply in the event of further misconduct.
“The loss of points that have been won fairly on the pitch is a harsh penalty, but it’s in equal measure to the enormous damage caused by the type of anti-social behaviour seen in Melbourne last Saturday,” FFA chief executive David Gallop said.
“The troublemakers are hurting the club they claim to support. They need to understand that the consequences of their reckless conduct will be felt on the A-League competition table if trouble persists.
“I have great sympathy for the overwhelming majority of fans who like me are sickened by the misconduct of a few, but it’s time to make the consequences clear to everyone.
“We want a safe, enjoyable and family-friendly environment in the A-League. That’s why we are taking this action. We are absolutely determined to rid the game of the type of behaviour was saw in Melbourne last Saturday.”
The disciplinary action undertaken by FFA is based on extensive briefings and detailed reports on the 28 December incidents from Victoria Police, stadium managers and FFA’s security advisers.
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