Sport like life has the power to lift you up, but also the ability to break you heart.
This weekend was one where this was very much the case.
On Saturday night while attending a Christmas party news started to filter through that the A-League fixture between Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City had been abandoned due to a pitch invasion by Victory fans.
Initially it was believed that rather than walk out of the stadium in protest to the Australian Premier Leagues announcement that the Grand Final will be hosted in Sydney for the next three years, rather than in the city of the team that finished highest on the league table, fans had invaded the pitch. Comments on social media were critical of Victory fans for having “sabotaged the protest.”
Then vision started to emerge in which we saw Melbourne City’s goalkeeper Tom Glover hit over the head with what looked like a metal bin. He was helped from the field of play with blood visible on his face. Then we head that the referee had also been attacked. These were scenes that were unprecedented in the A-League, and for those who remembered the underlying rivalries due to the national identities linked to the old National Soccer League sides, this felt like a flashback to a different era.
The feeling was that the game had on Saturday night due to the actions of a few plunged back to the depths from which had risen.
Then news started to come through that the Melbourne City goalkeeper had allegedly thrown the flare that had landed in his penalty area back into the crowd behind his goal from whence it had come. If true, this was foolish. What possessed such an action? Simply kick it off the pitch as is the norm on the rare occasions flares land on the pitch in overseas tournaments.
There are numerous questions that need to be answered as a result of this incident. the first is how did a flare manage to be smuggled into the venue? What is this obsession with flares at football events, as these were again in evidence at Federation Square in Melbourne when the World Cup matches were aired on a big screen. On those occasions they were said to have contributed to the atmosphere. Regrettably you cannot report these actions in this way, but then condone them at an A-League game. You are sending mixed messages to those hellbent on setting them off.
If the flare was indeed thrown back into the crowd, did it hit anyone? Usually the canister the houses the flare is extremely hot once it has been let off, so if it did touch a fan it could easily have scalded them. Should the goalkeeper face a sanction for his actions? If, once those who invaded the pitch are identified and interviewed where will it leave the powers that be if all state that it was this action that led to the pitch invasion? While the violence directed towards the goalkeeper cannot ever be condoned, unfortunately the facts are it only takes one trigger to turn a crowd into a mob.
The statement put forward by the A league has not been well thought through, and while trying to protect their product is more likely to cause them more embarrassment. It read, “The events that unfolded at the Melbourne Derby last night, demonstrated that a small minority of people with criminal intent hide within our game.They neither understand nor love our game. What they do understand is how to use our game as a platform for their anti-social and illegal objectives.This is a watershed moment for our game that demands a zero tolerance for the incidents that we witnessed last night and the kind of people that perpetrated them. Our Clubs will work deliberately and exhaustively, hand-in hand with law enforcement agencies, and with Football Australia – as the game’s regulator – to ensure that our game can never again be used as camouflage for criminals.” How can they be sure that the individuals concerned went to the match with “criminal intent?” Until you know the circumstances no matter how they look it is best to condemn the actions and leave it at that.
This morning Football Australia has issued Melbourne Victory a ‘show cause notice.’ They have until Wednesday this week to respond as to why ‘they should not face serious sanctions for bringing the game into disrepute through the conduct of its supporters, which may include financial penalties, loss of competition points and/or playing matches behind closed doors, or on neutral territory.’
There can be no doubt in the minds of most fans that the club should be sanctioned. After all they allowed someone to enter the ground with a flare which appears to have been the catalyst for the events that followed. Those who attacked the players and the referee also deserve whatever penalty comes their way. If as is alleged the Melbourne City goalkeeper did indeed throw the flare back into the crowd then he too should face severe sanctions too.
Sadly in situations such as this there are no winners. In Australia the sport is the thing that suffers most in a country where the media landscape is hellbent on pulling the sport apart at every opportunity. Following the Socceroos performances in Qatar, it made the whole episode all the more harder to take.
Following on from the events of Saturday night I was fortunate to be commentating the finals of the Perth African Nations Cup. This is a hugely successful event that shows the African community in a really positive light, as you witness noisy, supportive fans turning out in their numbers to get behind their teams.
As usual most of the games were played in the appropriate spirit. They were competitive, passionate, and in most cases there was a mutual respect despite the rivalry.
Sadly in the junior final between Liberia and Sudan we witnessed once again an unpleasant side to the game.
The game was tied up at 0-0 at half time. After the break Sudan scored twice in three minutes. It was the second of these goals that turned the game and caused Liberia a great deal of frustration. They believed that they had won a throw-in inside Sudan’s half. The referee believed it was a throw-in to Sudan. While Liberia protested, Sudan took the throw and burst forward and scored.
Liberia pulled a goal back, only to concede a penalty that was converted come the final five minutes. The final score 3-1 in favour of Sudan.
Come the medal presentation, the Liberia players were still blaming the referee as they dejectedly collected their runners-up medals. Then some of the players walked over to the bin and threw them away in front of the fans and the tournament organisers. The coaching staff, and all the players except for three young men left the field of play and headed to the changing rooms refusing to acknowledge Sudan as they went up to collect the cup and their medals.
Those three young men who went against the majority and stayed out there and applauded their opponents deserve all the credit they are given, as they showed the true spirit of competition, and what is more respect for the game.
If Coaches are indeed teachers, tasked with making young players better players and individuals, then the coach of Liberia has failed those he was responsible for. Equally, it was disappointing that some of the parents who were standing nearby as the players walked off did not encourage their sons to stay on the pitch and do the right thing.
Once again respect for the three players that stayed and showed their class as individuals. Hopefully they will have long and enjoyable careers playing the game, and continue to promote sportsmanship.
So come Sunday evening it was easy to feel disenchanted with football. However, there was the World Cup Final to watch. France looking to be only the third nation to win back-to -back World Cups, while Argentina with one of the greats, Lionel Messi looked to win the only prize that eluded him in his career in his fifth World Cup Finals.
Argentina took control of the match and found themselves 2-0 up, but France showed their spirit and resilience to fight back to 2-2 at the end of full time. It was one of those games where you felt sorry for whoever ended up losing, as both sides had given us a game to remember. A game you daren’t look away from, let alone dash to the bathroom!
Extra time came and the drama continued. Drama we should have expected after France’s 4-3 victory over Argentina in Russia on their way to becoming World Champions. Chances came at both ends with the game tied up at 3-3 and Mbappe became only the second player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final. Although unlike Geoff Hurst he was not to end up a winner. In the penalty shoot out. Argentina prevailed, it was one bridge too far for France after coming from behind twice. One felt for France, but you could not begrudge Argentina.
Just when you start to despair that a small minority are damaging the game, your faith is restored when you witness a game as wonderful and exciting as this World Cup final. It makes you realise that no matter what the game will always win in the end.
