Police have issued a warning to football fans attending the Hyundai A-League final this weekend – behave badly and you’ll be ejected from the ground.
Around 30,000 Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC fans are expected to pack into AAMI Park for the match.
Commander Brett Guerin said police would not tolerate a repeat of the anti-social behaviour which marred last week’s semi-final at Etihad Stadium.
“A number of active supporters set off flares and threw glass and chairs at fellow patrons last week which, at the end of the day, is nothing short of a disgrace,” Cmdr Guerin said.
“Let me put this as clearly as I can – if you set off a flare or throw an object you will be arrested and charged.
“It is a strictly one ticket, one seat. If you stand on a seat or block an aisle you will be ejected.
“We will have roughly the same number of officers inside AAMI Park as we would at an AFL Grand Final at the MCG.
“We need to do this because although the majority of soccer fans do the right thing every week, a persistent problematic minority can spoil everyone else’s enjoyment through their selfish and illegal behaviour.
“Lighting flares, standing on seats and blocking aisles is not the way Victorian crowds enjoy their sport and it’s not going to be tolerated on Sunday.”
In addition to police inside the stadium, officers will be on duty at city venues to escort active supporters from both clubs into the ground, as well as patrolling the live site outside AAMI stadium.
Patrons who damage venue property or equipment can receive an on-the-spot fines of $289.
Being drunk, disorderly or behaving in an offensive manner can also result in a $722 on-the-spot fine.
Police will be joined by specialist units such as the Public Order Response Team and Mounted Branch before, during and after the game.