Soccer fans riot outside Melbourne pub ahead of A-League clash between Melbourne Victory and Western Sydney Wanderers.
MELBOURNE Victory and its Sydney rival have been charged with bringing the game into disrepute and may become the first professional soccer clubs stripped of premiership points because of the behaviour of their fans in a wild CBD brawl.
Football Federation Australia today announced it proposed to strip Victory and Western Sydney Wanderers of three competition points each and have given the teams until Tuesday to argue a case against the unprecedented action.
A-League chief Damien de Bohun said the unprecedented action was decided upon after briefings with Victoria Police and was and opportunity for "true fans" and those involved in the sport "to galvanise for the good of football".
"It's time to say enough is enough," he said.
"Today we are saying that maintaining the Hyundai A-League as a safe, family friendly environment is of paramount importance.
It's number one."
He warned more points would be deducted from the teams if fans continued to give the sport a bad name.
A flare is lit at a Victory home match.
"We have drawn a line in the sand, this is an unprecedented step in terms of sport in this country," he said.
"From our perspective we need to give people the opportunity to demonstrate that they are true football fans and it is now in the hands of the fans to behave appropriately."
It comes as Melbourne Victory's most fanatical supporters invoked a chant ban in protest at new rules designed to ensure crowd safety.
Hardcore Victory supporters who call themselves "North Terrace Melbourne'' are refusing to take their place at home games.
The collective has written to the A-League club with a list of gripes, including being told where they can sit and stand and the requirement to register personal details with venue management.
In a letter to members and Victory fans this week, the group of about 1500 supporters said it wanted to prove a point.
"Whilst the club continues to propose measures that stunt the growth of the North Terrace and controls who enters it, the North Terrace will continue to boycott the active area,'' it said.
The stand-off between the club and the collective of splinter supporter groups comes as Victoria Police investigates the brawl between Victory and Western Sydney Wanderers supporters in Melbourne on December 28.
Two Sydney men have been charged with multiple offences and police have not ruled out more arrests after fans wielded metal bars and pelted each other with rocks and chairs outside a CBD pub.
Flares were also lit at a game between the teams at AAMI Park that night.
Victory declined to officially comment on its rift with the supporter group but a club insider said fans needed to see sense.
"They want to be left alone but at the end of the day there needs to be some control,'' the source said.
Football Federation Australia spokesman Kyle Patterson yesterday said it had worked "very closely'' with Victory, stadium managers in Melbourne, Victoria Police and security contractors on a "wide range of safety and security issues''.
peter.rolfe@news.com.au
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