By CAMERON LUCADOU-WELLS
DANDENONG Thunder soccer club will face the Football Federation Victoria tribunal after spectators fired six flares, including two rocket-propelled devices, at Sunday week’s Victorian Premier League grand final.
Two teenage girls received minor injuries from the rocket flares — one had a rocket brush her shoulder, the other sustained a burnt cheek.
YouTube footage shows a rocket fired from within the Thunder’s fans behind goals. The rocket damaged a sign on the top level near the wing and ignited among fans on ground level. Another rocket hit the grandstand’s roof and ricocheted among Thunder supporters.
The misbehaviour tarnished the club’s thrilling 2-1 premiership victory — its first — at AAMI Park.
CLICK HERE for our gallery of the VPL grand final.
‘Bozza’, a Melbourne Hearts fan at the game, tweeted that the act was “beyond stupid”: “I saw what was an incredibly dangerous and stupid act that quite easily could have led to a fatality.”
FFV spokesman Gordon Irving said it was holding a “football-related” inquiry, and believed police were running a separate investigation.
“The club will need to go to our independent tribunal. It’s very dangerous and that’s why we’re conducting an investigation.”
Last week, CCTV footage was being inspected by the venue’s staff and FFV officials to identify the offenders. The incidents came during a season of previously unblemished crowd behaviour at Thunder games this year, he said.
The club had been put on notice last year over a series of assaults, spitting incidents and referee abuse among crowds at its games. In May last year, the FFV penalised the club after its third serious incident in 14 months.
It handed down a $20,000 fine, loss of six points and two “lock-out” home games that were not open to fans.
Thunder treasurer Ronnie Mustafai said the club should not be held accountable by the FFV for “one silly supporter’s deed”.
“We’re not apologising for what happened. If we can, we will support AAMI Park, the police, the FFV to find out who it is, and deal with the individuals.”
See video of a rocket flare launched at the game at dandenongjournal.com.au.
