Season 14/15 - October

England: Fan charged after alleged fight following Chesterfield and Sheffield match - 06/10/2014

Source : http://www.derbyshiretimes.co.uk

A Spireites’ fan has been charged with a public order offence after an alleged fight with a Sheffield United supporter.

The alleged incident took place after Chesterfield beat the Blades 3-2 at the Proact Stadium on Saturday.

Steven Hill, 27, of Chiltern Court, Chesterfield, was arrested in Sheffield Road in the town.

It is alleged he was involved in an altercation with another man who left the scene shortly afterwards.

The accused is due to appear at Chesterfield magistrates’ court on Tuesday, October 21.

England: Final eight Bristol Rovers hooligans dealt with for 'shameful' scenes when club relegated - 06/10/2014

Source : http://www.bristolpost.co.uk

FOR Bristol Rovers fans, May 3 was a day they won't forget – for all the wrong reasons. Not only was the club relegated from the Football League for the first time in 94 years, but hundreds of angry fans invaded the pitch and became violent in scenes that "brought shame on the city".

And now the final eight of the 29 football hooligans charged for the violence that ensued that day have been sentenced at Bristol Magistrates' Court, with six being sent to prison and two being given suspended sentences.

District Judge Lynne Matthews, who presided over all of the cases, repeatedly emphasised how seriously she was taking all of the charges, saying those involved showed a gang mentality and left police officers and stewards at the club "fearing for their lives".

Sentencing, Ms Matthews said the violence shown by 31-year-old Christopher Eynon, of New Street, Exmouth, and 23-year-old Carl Lakey, of Romeny Avenue, Lockleaze, was the worst she had seen.

The pair assaulted match steward Thomas Hiscox, who was trying along with a small group of police officers and stewards to control hundreds of angry fans on the pitch, causing him two fractured teeth, a black eye and swelling to his face and neck.

In a victim impact statement Mr Hiscox said the attack had forced him to leave his position at the club, which he loved.

Mr Hiscox told the court his GP believes he is suffering from something similar to post-traumatic stress disorder, and was receiving dental treatment for two fractured teeth.

Lakey was also charged with a more minor assault on another steward, and was given 34 weeks in prison. Eynon was given 26 weeks. Both were banned from attending any regulated football matches for six years.

Ashley Gurney, 21, of Hayward Road, Barton Hill, was jailed for 25 weeks for an affray which saw him assault two police officers on the pitch at the Memorial Ground. Gurney had to be hit by police batons to stop him from being violent during his arrest.

Ms Matthews told him: "Can you for a moment imagine how that police officer felt, he felt he was going to be lynched by the crowd.

"There were hundreds on the pitch and only around 20 officers, and you were intent on violence."

Michael Whitbread, 30, of Swanmoor Crescent, Brentry, was jailed for 22 weeks for invading the pitch and affray after CCTV footage from the incident showed him to "kick out" at officers and walk around with clenched fists.

Lewis Blackwell, 23, of Sixth Avenue, Horfield, and Lee Jackman, 25, of Silverhill Road, Henbury, were jailed for eight weeks for invading the pitch and using threatening words or behaviour. Jackman was given a further three weeks for breaching the conditions of an existing community order.

Gurney, Whitbread, Blackwell and Jackman were also given Football Banning Orders for a period of six years.

Tony Hook, 26, of Long Handstones, Longwell Green, was spared jail after admitting pitch invasion, using threatening words and behaviour and assaulting a police officer. The court heard how Hook had taken his shirt off during the violence and it had caught a police officer in the eye. He was given 16 weeks in prison suspended for 12 months, and ordered to do 120 hours of unpaid work. He was given a five-year Football Banning Order.

Joshua Parker, 21, of Widcome, East Harptree, was given eight weeks in prison suspended for 12 months for invading the pitch and using threatening words and behaviour, and was told by Ms Matthews he only narrowly escaped prison because of his age and previous good character. He was banned from attending football matches for three years.

Ms Matthews said: "This was an incident of serious public disorder. The scenes were broadcast across the world and have brought shame on this city.

"There were children present and families will be put off going to matches in future because of this. You have come as close as you possibly can to prison."

Why Uefa and Bulgaria must act over ‘yes to racism’ banner - 07/10/2014

Source : http://www.theguardian.com

Last week Levski Sofia fans mocked the governing body with a banner saying ‘Say yes to racism’ but if the club, the Bulgarian FA and Uefa do not react then the problem will only get worse.

Ten days after supporters of Serbian Partizan Belgrade displayed a banner “Only Jews and Pussies” in the Europa League game with Tottenham, another disgraceful incident occurred 400km further to the east. In the Bulgarian capital Sofia supporters of Levski held up a banner saying “Say yes to racism” during their team’s dramatic 3-2 win against Ludogorets, rivals of Liverpool in the Champions League group stage.

Not only did they mock one of Uefa’s most famous anti-racism campaigns, but to make things worse they changed the logo of European football’s governing body. The map of the European continent was replaced by a pistol with the words “Uefa Mafia” around it.

The disciplinary body of the Bulgarian Football Union opened an investigation but a spokesman at Uefa told the Guardian on Friday that it was unaware of the incident. Possible sanctions from the Bulgarian federation vary from a fine of €19,000 to a couple of games behind closed doors. Levski’s next home game is on 25 October against rivals CSKA, which means that for the first time in its 66-year history Bulgaria’s best known football game could take place without any spectators there to witness it.

Officials from Levski have so far not commented publicly on the incident and that not only fails to solve the problem but actually becomes part of it. And as time goes on it will only exacerbate the matter.

The only official statement came from Levski Sofia National Fanclub whose members explained the incident as “idiotic behaviour from a few masked boys who don’t want to become part of our organisation”. Given the fact that some of the supporters are stewards during the home games and help police with the security issues their reaction towards the incident against Ludogorets could have been stronger.

This is not the first time Bulgarian football has been involved in such shameful scandals. Back in 2012 Levski played Bosnian FK Sarajevo in Sofia ,in the first leg of their Europa League second-round match, and supporters of The Blues displayed a banner “Ratko Mladic and Arkan have fucked you. Now it is our turn”. Uefa fined the Bulgarian club €30,000 and the incident almost led to a diplomatic scandal between the two countries.

Playing with history is often like playing with fire – it is dangerous and somebody will almost certainly get hurt. And mixing the massacre of Srebrenica, one of the greatest tragedies in recent history, which was led by general Ratko Mladic in which 8,000 Bosnians lost their lives, with football is not merely a display of bad taste. It is sick and pathetic and the only appropriate punishment for such inappropriate behaviour is a lifetime ban from attending football games.

A few weeks back, Ludogorets were told by Uefa to close a section of their stadium as a punishment for racist behaviour during their game against Steaua Bucharest. “A group of Ludogorets fans chanted anti-Roma slogans targeting Steaua supporters,” fans’ discrimination monitoring group Fare said.

Unfortunately, those kind of tough sanctions are yet to become a part of Bulgarian football. Part of the problem lies in the poor football infrastructure in the country. Although cameras are required by the regulations of the Bulgarian federation, some of the stadiums are still without them – making it impossible to identify the fans upon whom the sanctions should be imposed.

Even the national stadium, Vasil Levski, one of Bulgaria’s most modern football venues, has not been free of this type of incident. This is where Bulgaria played Denmark in a World Cup qualifier in October 2012 and made headlines for the wrong reasons after the Danish defender Patrick Mtiliga was subject to racist abuse from Bulgarian fans during the game.

Every time the left-back touched the ball there were monkey chants from the stands. A month later Fifa ordered Bulgaria to play its next home game behind closed doors and that was the first time football’s world governing body made such a decision based on racist remarks. If it is true that a football match could reflect the problems in one society, then there is a long road in front of Bulgaria as a nation.

A source at the Bulgarian FA said that the governing body held a meeting with representatives of the United orgnisation of football fanclubs in Bulgaria recently. The FA gave them handbooks from Fare in an attempt to educate fans and to avoid these incidents happening in the future.

The problem of racism is, however, not restricted to football. Two weeks before the unsavoury incident during the LevskivLudogorets game residents of a village near Sofia refused to let their sons and daughters go to school because 10 children of refugee families from Afghanistan and Somalia were due to attend the school. In the end the refugees were relocated to Sofia to start their education there.

It is fair to conclude that the message these Bulgarian children received from the incident was … say yes to racism. It simply is not good enough and there is much still to be done to stamp out these sinister events in society and on the terraces of Bulgarian football.

Jailed football hooligan Andy Frain joins Belfast flute band - 07/10/2014

Source : http://www.sundayworld.com

One of Britain’s most notorious football hooligans has joined a loyalist flute band in east Belfast, we can reveal.

Chelsea Headhunter, and far right fanatic, Andy ‘The Nightmare’ Frain is an ‘honorary’ member of the Tullycarnet Flute Band in east Belfast.

The 50-year-old, who was famously exposed by the Sunday World’s Donal McIntyre during an undercover BBC film, took part in a loyalist march in London on Saturday.

Our picture shows Frain posing with other loyalists after the ‘Lord Carson Memorial parade’.

The annual parade celebrates UVF founder Edward Carson and the Great war.

Frain was also pictured in Belfast on the Twelfth of July marching with the Tullycarnet Flute Band.

He made his trip to Belfast just a few months after being released from yet another spell in jail for football related violence.

As reported in the Sunday World last year Frain was sentenced to two years for orchestrating a massive bloody battle in Glasgow Central Station in which one man had his ear bitten off.

Frain was part of a loyalist mob consisting of Rangers and Chelsea hooligans which had organised by mobile phone a confrontation with a Hibernian hooligan firm who call themselves the Capital City Service mob.

He was sentenced to two years in jail but only served a fraction of that and was released earlier this year.

Loyalist sources say Frain, who has links to Combat 18 and the English Defence League, is a regular visitor to Belfast.

“He comes over quite a lot and gets treated like royalty,” said one source.

“He’s a celebrity hooligan and the loyalists love it because he’s been involved in all kinds of fights.

“He got to know the boys in Tullycarnet through Rangers. His Chelsea firm often team up with the Rangers Inter-City firm whenever there’s something big being organised.

“Frain is always saying he’d love to get involved in a fight with some republicans in Belfast.”
Frain posted pictures of himself marching up the Newtownards Road in July and is also seen posing with machine guns and UDA flags.

The brutal racist, who once unwittingly boasted of slashing the throat of an off-duty policeman while BBC covert cameras were recording his every move, led a group of 70 hooligans in a violent riot in front of children and their families in Glasgow in 2012.

Frain was jailed for orchestrating the riot through text messages between Rangers, Chelsea and Hibernian thugs.

Sixteen others got sentences totalling 41 years. Despite Frain claiming on facebook that he hoped his most recent stint in jail would be his last – he has continued trying to organise fights with other hooligans via the social networking site.

Leicester City - Burnley FC - 04/10/2014

Source : http://www.nuneaton-news.co.uk

Nuneaton pub brawl leaves man with serious injuries

A FAMILY is calling for more information about an assault which left a man in hospital.

Sandra Fegan is hoping that witnesses will come forward following an attack outside the Crown pub in Nuneaton which left her son being treated for bleeding on his brain.

Her son Robert Lindsay had been inside the pub in Bond Street on Saturday, after accidentally getting the wrong train home from a football match in Leicester.

The 25-year-old, who is from Burnley, was then punched in the face by an attacker outside of the pub and was taken to George Eliot Hospital.

Mrs Fegan said: "These last few days have been awful. I can't explain how it feels to find out your son has a bleed on his brain, not knowing if he was going to pull through or be left with any lasting damage. No parent should have to experience that."

The Burnley football supporter was with friends inside the pub while waiting for the next train home.

"He's a hard working, intelligent, lovely lad who went to watch his football team," added Mrs Fegan.

"He caught the wrong train home and while waiting for the next one ended up in a pub and he was punched in the face.

"Whoever has done this needs to be found. Someone must know something and prevent whoever is responsible for this from doing it again to someone else's son."

Warwickshire Police is appealing for witnesses to the incident which took place at around 9pm on Saturday, October 4.

A spokesperson for the force said: "Police were called to the scene at 9pm to violence outside the Crown pub between Burnley football fans and locals.

Belarus - Ukraine - 09/10/2014

Source : http://www.dailymail.co.uk

Belarus detains Ukrainian football fans for anti-Putin chants

Belarus police detained scores of Ukrainian and Belarussian football fans who shouted patriotic Ukrainian slogans and chanted abuse against Russian President Vladimir Putin at a match, a rights organisation and local media said on Friday.
Fans could be heard chanting an abusive anti-Putin refrain on a video clip before the Euro 2016 qualifier started, while witnesses said there were calls during the match of "Glory to the Heroes!" and "Glory to Ukraine!" -- stock Ukrainian rallying cries in Kiev's conflict against Russian-backed separatists.
Putin, who was in Minsk on Friday for a summit of leaders of the Commonwealth of Independent States, is a reviled figure in Kiev since Russia annexed Crimea in March and threw its support behind separatists fighting government forces in eastern Ukraine.
The Minsk-based human rights group Vesna-96 said about 40 people had been held. A Belarussian police spokesman, Konstantin Shalkevich, confirmed some supporters had been detained, but he would not say how many.
In Kiev, a Foreign Ministry spokesman, Evhen Perebiynis, said: "At the present time, we know that there were 15 Ukrainian citizens detained after the match. Three have been released, 12 are appearing in court. They are accused of sticking up posters."

Romania v Hungary: Bucharest embassy on alert during football weekend - 09/10/2014

Source : http://www.politics.hu + http://www.sport.ro

Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has ordered Hungary’s embassy in Bucharest to maintain full consular services this weekend due to Saturday’s Romania-Hungary football match, the ministry’s press chief said on Friday.

A hotline operated with the cooperation of the Romanian foreign ministry will also be available, and the measures are to ensure the safety of Hungarian fans, Judit Fulop told MTI.

Around 2,800 Hungarian fans are expected to travel to Bucharest for the European Championship league match.

Rennes - RC Lens - 04/10/2014

Source : http://www.ouest-france.fr

Troubles during the game Rennes - Lens

Police forces intervened Saturday during a football game played in Rennes.
During the afternoon, Saturday, some skirmishes started before the game, opposing Rennes and Lens supporters.
A fight opposed supporters from both sides in a car park but both sides disappeared when police arrived.

Reims - Bordeaux - 04/10/2014

Source : http://www.lunion.presse.fr

Two Bordeaux fans, aged 20 and 27, were arrested after they thrown bottles in direction of Reims fans.

France: Calais RC - CS Sedan - 05/10/2014

Source : http://www.lavoixdunord.fr

Calais pollicemen have arrested two Sedan, 31 and 25 years old.
First one thrown a firecracker and second one was violent with a steward.

Sankt Pauli - 1.FC Union Berlin - 05/10/2014

Source : http://www.mz-web.de

A fight broke out after the game, opposing supporters from both sides.
One policeman was wounded and transfered to the hospital.

Translation Underground Fans

Darmstadt 98 - Fortuna Düsseldorf - 04/10/2014

Source : http://www.bild.de



A fight erupted, opposing two rival factions from Fortuna fans.
Bushwhackers hooligans attacked Dissidenti ultras, due to politics.

Translation Underground Fans

Stuttgarter Kickers - Hansa Rostock - 04/10/2014

Source : http://www.stuttgarter-zeitung.de + http://www.tagblatt.de

Police intervened during the afternoon at the Plochingen train station to separate supporters from both sides who tried to confront.
The game took place in Reutlingen and not in Stuttgart.
A fight erupted close to the stadium but police quickly intervened.
Rostock police said 180 hooligans were present.
After the game, fights opposed Rostock supporters to a coalition from SSV Reutlingen, VfB Stuttgart and ST Gallen (Switzerland).
Five Rostock fans and one from Reutlingen were arrested.

Translation Underground Fans

Bulgaria - Croatia - 10/10/2014

Source : Mail

The night before the game, some croatians from Frankfurt (Germany) lost their banner...



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Source : Mail

Osijek


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Source : https://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com + http://news7.bg

Crowd trouble takes gloss off Croatia triumph in Bulgaria

The match was interrupted for a few minutes midway through the first half as rival supporters threw fireworks at each other and a number of flares were hurled from the stands.

Bulgarian Football Union president Borislav Mihaylov, who is also a UEFA executive committee member, said he would not be surprised if European soccer's governing body punished his team for the crowd disorder.




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Source : http://uk.reuters.com

Bulgaria coach Penev defends fans, flares and fireworks

Bulgaria coach Luboslav Penev has defended the display of pyrotechnics by fans during the Euro 2016 qualifier against Croatia on Friday that could trigger another punishment for the country's football authorities.

The match at the Vasil Levski national stadium was interrupted for a few minutes midway through the first half after rival supporters threw fireworks at each other and a number of flares were hurled from the stands.

"I like such crowd that supports passionately and with heart, we're not in a library," Penev told reporters after Croatia's 1-0 win in the qualifying Group H match.

"There should be no punishment, we've had enough of these bans."

In March 2013, Bulgaria beat Malta 6-0 in a world qualifier played behind closed doors after their fans had been found guilty by FIFA of racist behaviour in a game against Denmark in October 2012.

The Bulgarian Football Union (BFU) were also fined 40,000 euros (31,410 pounds) by European football's governing body UEFA for racist abuse by fans in their Euro 2012 qualifier against England in September, 2011.

Romania - Hungary - 11/10/2014

Source : http://www.dailymail.co.uk + http://www.sport.ro

There was an electric feel at the National Arena, with both teams' vociferous fans creating a deafening roar and letting off dozens of firecrackers and flares shortly before kick off.
Following their shock opening defeat, Hungary's players had decided to make it up to their fans by buying them 1,200 tickets to the match in Bucharest.
Tempers boiled over in the stadium throughout the eagerly-anticipated encounter, with fans warned by the stadium announcer about their behaviour on several occasions and riot police spraying tear gas to dampen crowd trouble.














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Source : http://www.agi.it

Police in Bucharest arrested 30 football fans before, during, and after the Euro 2016 qualifying match between Romania and Hungary on Saturday. The two sides threw smoke bombs, stones, and firecrackers at each other near the National Arena, where the match ended in a 1-1 draw under the protection of 12,000 policemen. Hungarian hooligans also destroyed the buses that brought them to the stadium after seeing their flag wrongly depicted on the fliers.

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Source : Mail

Disgyor

Sweden - Russia - 09/10/2014

Source : Mail

Police intervened before a pre-arranged fight between 25 hooligans from both countries (Hammarby vs Zenit)

FSV Zwickau - 1. FC Magdeburg - 11/10/2014

Source : http://www.bild.de

The game was stopped for 22 minutes after FCM supporters broke down an fence when locals scored.
Police took place in front of the stand.

Translation Underground Fans

Russia: free fight - 12/10/2014

Source : russian websites

Spartak Moscow vs Zenit Spb

Review School(Spartak) vs Моbile(Zenit),14х14, Zenit won

Sparta(Spartak) vs Review young Mobile(Zenit),11х11 Zenit won

Druzina(Spartak) vs Mobilization+ young League(Zenit),11х11 Spartak won

Poland: Karkonosze Jelenia Gora - Polonia Swidica - 11/10/2014

Source : https://www.12zawodnik.pl/

Serbia - Albania - 14/10/2014

Source : https://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com + http://www.dailymail.co.uk + b92.net + mondo.rs

Serbia v Albania suspended after ‘drone’ sparks brawl

It was always set to be an emotive clash, but Serbia’s Euro 2016 qualifier against Albania descended into chaos after a light aircraft dropped an Albanian flag on to the pitch, leading the match to be abandoned.
Late in the first half, the aircraft provocatively dangled an Albania flag over the pitch, with the offending item hitting the turf soon afterwards.
Players were pelted by objects from fans and the match was halted. Hilariously, stadium staff pumped out hits by American singer Cher in order to calm fans.
The match eventually restarted, but was called off in the second half.

Crowd violence on the rise in German football - 14/10/2014

Source : http://www.irishtimes.com

Violence at soccer stadiums in Germany’s top two divisions rose sharply in the 2013/14 season compared to the previous year, a police report has shown.
While finances and spectator numbers have been on an upward trend in the top two leagues, it has been accompanied by increases in arrests, criminal proceedings as well as injuries from violence at matches.
A total of 8,989 fans were arrested or detained last season, up 31 percent from the previous season, according to a report issued by the German police unit in charge of monitoring deployment in sport.
The number of criminal proceedings launched from incidents at matches was also up by 21 percent to 7,863, while the number of injured fans and police rose to 1,281, up from 788, partly due to a different surveying method.
Based on the previous method injuries were still up by more than 12 percent.
“Compared to 2012/13, safety-threatening or violent behaviour of so-called football fans has risen in total in both Bundesliga divisions,” the report said.
Equally worrying, the report said, was the increasing influence of ultra fan groups in club boards, though the report said most were peaceful and committed supporters.
However, it did note a 1.2 percent rise in the total number of estimated fans prepared for or seeking violence before, during and after games to a nationwide total of 10,542 individuals.
The figures will not please German football bosses, who have seen broadcasting rights, sponsorship and success on the pitch boom in the past several seasons.
The top Bundesliga division also has the world’s highest average attendances per game at more than 42,000 in 2013/14.

Argentina: Deportivo Roca - Cipolletti - 16/10/2014

Source : http://www.lmneuquen.com.ar

Scotland: CCTV images released as police hunt 11 Rangers fans over brawl in Derby - 17/10/2014

Source : http://news.stv.tv

The large-scale disturbance happened outside a bar on August 2 after the Ibrox side's pre-season match against Derby County.

Officers from Derbyshire Constabulary were called to Iron Gate, in Derby, after reports of a fight outside the Jorrocks pub involving a large group of fans.

When police arrived on the scene the group of brawling males fled and a major investigation was launched.

Detectives believe the men are from Glasgow and were from a group of Rangers supporters.

A statement from Derbyshire Constabulary read: "Police have released CCTV images of 11 men they want to speak to in connection with a brawl outside a city centre pub.

"The incident happened after the pre-season friendly match between Rangers and Derby County, which was played on Saturday, August 2.

"CCTV images of a group of men police want to speak to in connection with the incident have now been released.

"It is believed the men are from the Glasgow area of Scotland and are Rangers fans who travelled to Derby for the match. Do you recognise any of the people in the images?"

Levski Sofia fined less than £8,000 for ‘say yes to racism’ banner - 16/10/2014

Source : http://www.theguardian.com

Levski Sofia have been fined 19,000 levs (£7,750) after fans mocked one of the anti-racism campaigns launched by Uefa in a Bulgarian league match last month.

The Bulgarian Football Union (BFU) imposed the relatively small fine on Wednesday after several Levski supporters held up a banner stating “say yes to racism” and a doctored Uefa logo during their 3-2 league win over Ludogorets.

The ugly incident caused outrage in the Black Sea state. Bulgarian football authorities have long been criticised by anti-racism campaigners, local media and fans for not cracking down hard enough on discrimination in sport.

Levski, 26-times Bulgarian champions and one of the country’s two most popular clubs along with bitter city rivals CSKA, have a history of racism at their matches.

The BFU fined the club 37,500 levs (£15,340) after their supporters displayed a banner showing a swastika and another one marking what would have been Adolf Hitler’s birthday during their game at Litex Lovech in April 2013.

In 2012, Levski were fined €30,000 (£24,000) by Uefa for racist behaviour by fans during a Europa League match against Bosnia & Herzegovina’s Sarajevo.

Australia: Sydney FC - Western Sydney - 18/10/2014

Source : http://www.perthnow.com.au

Sydney fans clash after fiery A-League derby between Sydney FC and Western Sydney Wanderers

POLICE had their hands full controlling the football fan violence which poured out of the Allianz Stadium last night after the first Sydney derby of the new A-League season.

Shocked supporters at the A-League match between the Western Sydney Wanderers and Sydney FC watched as police and security guards controlled aggressive fans that turned on each other after the game.



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Source : http://www.theguardian.com

FFA to investigate Sydney derby pitch invasion

Football Federation Australia will on Monday investigate an incident at the Sydney derby in which more than 100 fans invaded the pitch with 10 minutes still left in the match.

Sections of the Sydney FC support sitting in the Sky Blue fan section, The Cove, jumped the fence after captain Alex Brosque scored the go-ahead goal in the 80th minute of their dramatic 3-2 victory over Western Sydney. Dozens of people converged on the Sydney players celebrating the goal, and one fan even ran halfway down the field to tap Wanderers skipper Nikolai Topor-Stanley on the rear-end.

The Sydney Cricket Ground Trust can fine pitch invaders up to $5,500 as well as ban them from the venue for 12 months. Conviction notices from the NSW Police can also be issued for invading the playing field.

Due to the number of fans who took to the pitch, police and security guards at the venue ushered people back over the fence instead of making arrests. But with the incident broadcast on television, the Trust and police can examine footage and may choose to take action if patrons can be identified.

FFA confirmed that they would examine the incident on Monday once reports have come in from ground staff at Allianz Stadium and the match officials in charge. Sydney FC have dismissed the incident as minor, but Wanderers coach Tony Popovic said the unauthorised access to the field posed a ssafety risk for players.

“Of course. You don’t want to see that,” said Popovic. “That’s why we have security at venues and you want to put a stop to that.” Sydney FC coach Graham Arnold suggested the pitch invasion was good for the game. “Look, that just shows you how much it meant to our fans to beat West Sydney,” he said.

The atmosphere at Allianz on Saturday was incredible, and the Sydney derby is now well and truly a showpiece event on the sporting calendar. The crowd of 41,213 was the largest-ever regular season crowd for any code at Allianz.

However, there were concerns for the A-League in terms of crowd and player safety. Before kick-off, Wanderers fans threw flares onto the field, which had to be extinguished by stadium staff. A small child was amongst the horde of fans who invaded the pitch, and security measures may need to be bumped up for future derby encounters.