A-League chief Damien de Bohun says his organisation makes no apologies for adopting a hardline zero-tolerance attitude towards anti-social behaviour at games.
Football Federation Australia (FFA) and NSW Police on Friday announced a cooperative approach that will lead to bans and criminal charges applied to spectators who break laws and the FFA Spectator Code of Conduct.
The announcement follows incidents at pre-season games between Sydney FC and Macarthur Rams at Campbelltown Stadium on August 14 and Sydney United and Western Sydney Wanderers at Edensor Park on August 22.
At Campbelltown, a six-year-old boy was assaulted and a 31-year-old man allegedly threw a flare into a group of people and police alleged a brawl erupted during which a man was kicked in the head.
At Edensor Park, a person threw a firecracker into the crowd and around 50 to 60 people tried to stop police and became aggressive towards them when they attempted to speak with possible suspects.
A female police officer suffered an elbow injury in a scuffle at the Edensor Park game.
NSW Police assistant commissioner Denis Clifford said five people had been charged in relation to the incidents and he anticipated further charges arising from the incident at Edensor Park.
“I would say part of today is to say to the members of the public, and in particular the football fans, that we and the FFA are fair dinkum about identifying and getting rid of these people out and away from the game,” Clifford said.
One man has already received a five-year ban from attending games.
“We’re working closely with the NSW Police and drawing a line in the sand and this behaviour won’t be tolerated,” de Bohun said.
“Anyone that wants to cross that line will be removed from football matches, it’s that simple.”
He welcomed the increased support of NSW Police in dealing with anti-social behaviour at games.
“We have adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards those that jeopardise the enjoyment of others,” de Bohun said.
“We make no apologies for adopting a hardline approach to criminal or disruptive behaviour at our events.”
He said some of the actions that could lead to bans included assaults and the throwing of flares and firecrackers
De Bohun accepted banned people might try to get into games outside NSW, but said his organisation would share information with interstate police.
“If anything like that happens we do have stronger bans,” De Bohun said.
“If they are found to going to grounds where they have been banned and obviously if they misbehave, then they can be rest assured they won’t be coming back into a football ground ever.”
Clifford conceded a banned person could try to change their appearance, but added “true fans” had in the past proven to be the police’s greatest allies in identifying known troublemakers.
“They are the ones who I’m sure will assist us in enforcing these bans, because they don’t want these people at the game,” Clifford said.
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