By Jesse Hogan
April 18, 2005 - 3:24PM

Supporters watch on as flares are thrown at Bob Jane Stadium last night.
Photo: Stefan Gorgievski

Police are furious after ethnic-based soccer violence flared again last night during a Victorian Premier League soccer clash between South Melbourne and Preston Lions at Bob Jane Stadium.

Four officers received minor injuries in the melee.

One person was arrested for assaulting an officer, with police studying video footage to try and make more arrests.

Even before play began, 9000 supporters of South Melbourne - which has a mainly Greek fan base - and the predominantly Macedonian Preston Lions were segregated at opposite ends of the stadium, separated by water-filled barriers.

Forty-five police and 40 security staff confiscated inflammatory banners and amid chanting and rising tension, delaying kick-off by 15 minutes.

A goal from ex-South Melbourne player Steve Manceski was enough for Preston to claim victory against its higher-rated opponent, but the result triggered violence in the stands.

At least a dozen flares were thrown onto the pitch after the match, while about 100 supporters of both clubs invaded the pitch after breaking down a fence.

The rival supporters also threw coins and darts at each other.

Mounted police were used to disperse the crowd.

One supporter threw a wheelie bin at a police horse.

Acting Superintendent Chris Duthie, who was working at the match, said the behaviour of some fans was "very disappointing".

"The police could do little else than try and control the crowd," he said. "If we had have gone in and made numerous arrests we would have lost our personnel," he said.

"If it hadn't have been for the police horses, I think we would have lost the day."

A match between South Melbourne and Melbourne Knights in the now-defunct National Soccer League in February last year was also marred by crowd violence.

Supporters, most of whom supported the Knights, ripped up chairs at Bob Jane Stadium and marched down Clarendon Street in droves after the match, damaging many shops along the way.

South Melbourne president George Donikian said it was likely future matches between the two clubs - which had not faced each other in 12 years - would be played away from fans.

Acting Superintendent Duthie said extra officers were rostered on as violence was expected. He said he had met representatives of both clubs before the match but was unhappy with the result.

"I wasn't satisfied with the fact that there was no guarantees they could control the behaviour of their own fans."

He also dismissed suggestions they were unprepared for the violence, saying security officers had been checking patrons' bags while police had been using metal detectors as well.

"If you have 200 people that want to riot, it's difficult to have any number of police or security in order to overcome it."

Acting Superintendent Duthie will be meeting further with the clubs this week to determine how their will minimise violence in future fixtures between the two clubs. He forecast an alcohol ban at Bob Jane Stadium.

"There probably won't be (alcohol available) in the future, because I'm also the licensing inspector for that area."

He also said arrangements would have to be made to ensure rival supporters were not using the same toilets, as happened yesterday.

The clubs face fines of up to $10,000 over the flare-throwing.

Officials from Football Federation Victoria, which runs the Victorian Premier League, will meet to decide on punishment for the clubs.

Victorian Soccer Federation chief Tony Pignata told ABC radio the two clubs could be banned from competition.

- with AAP

Dude, while a tend to agree on the ethnic club stuff, posting an article from 2005? Really?

Dude, while a tend to agree on the ethnic club stuff, posting an article from 2005? Really?

People who whing about NOT letting in NSL clubs are just as bad as people who whing about LETTING in NSL clubs.

-PB

People who whing about NOT letting in NSL clubs are just as bad as people who whing about LETTING in NSL clubs.

-PB

NSL clubs were let in...

Perth Glory, Adelaide United, NZ Knights and Newcastle Jets are all from the NSL.

Well Halleluiah for the balance then which I know doesn't sit with you well!

But are not ethnically associated with a community from a foreign nation.

Some people have forgotten history and look at it all as if it were always rosy.

People who whing about NOT letting in NSL clubs are just as bad as people who whing about LETTING in NSL clubs.

-PB

Yep, it wasn't about letting the NSL in, it was about not letting racially inclusive clubs in. Football is for everyone.

At my school in the late 90's, the majority of the classes were ethnic and most of us loved football. However despite going to various NSL games, nearly none of us (except a few Greeks) felt like they belonged to a club, so we just followed the EPL instead. When the A-League came along, many of my old friends became Melbourne Victory members, be it Chinese, Chilean, Indian, Cambodian, Phillipino, Italian, German, English, skip, none of it matters! We all Melbournian and we love football.

When victory played Roar before the game outside the stadium I was asked by about 6 to 7 Victory supporters to take a photo of the group which I obliged. These guys were of Asian origin and I thought to myself well you never saw that at an NSL game. I have been proud to see all walks of life and nationalities attend football in Australia, not a selected few that catered mostly for their own.

I only see ex-nsl whinging and a-league supporters replying, not the other way around. This is an a-league website.

Its a Football Website, not just A-League.

-PB

Its a Football Website, not just A-League.

-PB

Have you ever read Four Four Two?
Have you noticed how many sub-forums there are?
Have you noticed how this sub-form is called AUSTRALIAN FOOTBALL?

I only see ex-nsl whinging and a-league supporters replying, not the other way around. This is an a-league website.

It would be inconceivable that football should risk the inclusion of ethnic community based clubs into the A-League.

There is talk of meetings, blending the new with the old, all lovey dovey pie in the sky stuff that would have some credit if the ethnic clubs ever attempted to relinguish their mono ethnic community comes first and foremost attitude. SM Hellas almost imploded when that was suggested.

From time to time, you still hear of unrest in the state's premier and state leagues, obviously not as serious as it once was, but how could it be with an average of 200 spectators per game.

There is a real risk that violence and unruly behaviour would return to the game if ethnic clubs were permitted to return. The SM Hellas president once said that we may have to ban these clubs so why should there be a difference now if it was unacceptable merely a few years ago?

So we don't forget the past and make hasty decisions, below is just one of many incidents recorded during the latter years of the defunct NSL.

Soccer violence at Melbourne game

PM Archive - Monday, 7 May , 2001 00:00:00

Reporter: David Mark

MARK COLVIN: Australian soccer is in crisis again, and crowd violence is to blame. Last night's semi-final between the Melbourne Knights and Perth Glory - in Melbourne - ended in violence when Knights' supporters attacked some of the Perth players and a coach as they were leaving the ground.

Perth's coach Bernd Stange was injured. A security guard was knocked unconscious and a female Soccer Australia official was also attacked.

Last night's violence is just the latest in a long history of trouble involving Melbourne Knights fans. But Soccer Australia is attempting to play down the significance of another chapter of crowd violence.

David Mark reports.

DAVID MARK: Last night's match ended in a nil all draw, but it was events after the match that caused today's controversy.

It's alleged Melbourne's striker, Bobby Despotovski, made an offensive hand gesture to some of the Melbourne fans which incited the crowd.

Melbourne Knights general manager, Robert Herzic.

ROBERT HERZIC: What transpired was I think they were trying to get at a player in particular - and that one is Bobby Despotovski - for finger gestures that he was making to them during the course of the game, and in particular while he was being escorted from the changing rooms to the buses.

DAVID MARK: The alleged gesture was said to be offensive to the Croatian fans who make up a large percentage of the Knight supporter base.

Stephen Kamansz is the general manager of the National Soccer League.

STEPHEN KAMANSZ: We understand that some of the players and the coach were leaving the changing room after the game. They were set upon by a small group of allegedly Melbourne Knights supporters, and that at least one player and the coach were assaulted, and that a security guard was assaulted also. Beyond that, I, I really don't know.

DAVID MARK: The chairman of Perth Glory, Nick Tana, believes Despotovski has denied the allegations, but says the club will carry out its own investigation.

NICK TANA: My understanding is he spoke on radio. I, as I've said, I am not certain, but that is what . I've been told by third hand party. I haven't spoken to the player in regards to whether or not he did or did not make any gesture. No.

DAVID MARK: But you will be seeking to do so?

NICK TANNA: Definitely.

DAVID MARK: The National Soccer League will conduct an investigation into the matter which it hopes to complete by Wednesday.

The inquiry could result in disciplinary action being taken against either the Melbourne Knights or Despotovski.

UNIDENTIFIED: Now, as the chairman has said, I'm, I'm conducting an investigation. I hope to be in a position by tomorrow - it may be Wednesday - to provide all the information to the Board. What happens from there is a matter for the Board.

DAVID MARK: But at this stage Soccer Australia's Board won't be meeting until Saturday night - the same night of the rematch between Perth Glory and the Melbourne Knights. And so any disciplinary action most likely wouldn't take place until after the match.

Regardless of the outcome of the inquiry, it does seem that this event is a return to the ethnic violence that has beset Australian soccer in the past.

Many of the clubs in the National Soccer League were set up by various ethnic groups. The clubs' national allegiances have led to problems in the past, with supporters fighting each other, mirroring tensions in other parts of the world.

In the 90s Soccer Australia attempted to stamp out the problem by renaming the clubs. Thus Melbourne Croatia became the Knights, and South Melbourne Hellas dropped their Greek reference.

Even so, about half of the clubs in the NSL retained their ethnic supporter base. And as the weekend's incident shows, even clean skins - like the five-year-old Perth Glory, with no ethnic affiliations - can be involved in alleged racial incidents.

But Soccer Australia chairman, Tony Labozetta, says the incident isn't a return to the violence of the past.

TONY LABOZETTA: I think that we've gone away from that. As I've said this was an isolated case, and I cannot imagine - in my wildest dreams - that any such repercussions will happen again.

DAVID MARK: As part of the NSL's restructure, does Soccer Australia need to make sure that the clubs move further away from their allegiances with certain ethnic groups?

TONY LABOZETTA: I think it's always been said that a lot of the clubs are predominantly started from the ethnic background, but I think we've gone beyond that. I think that clubs today are well aware of their responsibilities, their need to broaden their base.

What is important is that what they have got should be their sort of foundation, but they need to branch out and they need to go beyond that. And I'm sure that most clubs are very, very clearly doing that at the moment, and we're here to support them in making sure that that happens