Goalkeeper struck in the face with a bin as referee abandons derby after pitch invasion

A goalkeeper was struck in the face with a bin as the referee abandons a local derby after a pitch invasion turns very ugly in Australia.

The Melbourne A-League derby was paused, before being cut short after just 20 minutes due to angry fans running on the pitch, throwing flares and attacked a goalkeeper with a metal bin in astonishing scenes.

Melbourne City had been beating their rivals Victory 1-0, only for a number of flares to be thrown on to the pitch from behind one of the goals.

Absolutely unacceptable ugly scenes at 20 minutes at the Melbourne Derby. Glover got smashed by a bin by some fuckwit. Terrible. Game paused. As if Aus football couldn’t get any worse rn #MCYvMVC pic.twitter.com/zN8CMMEFVe

— Evan Morgan Grahame (@Evan_M_G) December 17, 2022

The Melbourne City Vs Melbourne Victory @aleaguemen match has been abandoned due to player safety, after both players, officials and camera-operators were assaulted.

Our On-Air Statement by 10 Football’s Robbie Thomson is here. #MCYvMVC #MelbourneDerby pic.twitter.com/Vx1iLgzm4M

— 10 Football (@10FootballAU) December 17, 2022

Fans then ran on, proving too much for security staff to handle and the referee could only try and protect Melbourne City goalkeeper Tom Glover.

However, out of nowhere, a metal bucket is chucked at the shot-stopper, causing him to bleed from a face that had a huge slash like gash.

Substitutes and staff members also took to the pitch going towards the incident to help out their team-mates.

The referee and players ended up being ushered towards to the stadium tunnel keeping in mind their safety as more fans entered the pitch.

Tension had been growing during the week leading up to the derby fixture in Melbourne following the A-League’s call to stage the next three grand finals in Sydney.

Since 2005, clubs have earned the right to host the grand final based on performances, and a £5.5million deal was agreed between league chiefs and New South Wales state, which led to. huge backlash.

On Friday, Newcastle Jets supporters took to the exits during their side’s 1-0 defeat by Brisbane Roar, with a banner held up, reading: ‘Fans > $$’.

A walkout protest on the 20th minute had been planned for the derby game, but the scenes crossed the line, more serious and shocking than anyone had expected.

Thomas Glover, 24, received treatment in the dressing room due to the huge cut – as Melbourne City confirmed he also may have suffered a concussion.

Australia international Craig Goodwin also aimed condemnation on Monday, tweeting: ‘I do not support it. I am a player, but I am also a fan. Like many fans around the country, and like I said, I too am disappointed in this decision.’

Brisbane fans will also have a walkout on the 23rd of December, and we are yet to see what action local police take to ensure to make sure we don’t see a repeat of the Melbourne derby scenes in Queensland.

‘This decision not only is anti football but every thing it stands for and the manner in which it has been made and communicated shows that the suits simply do not care about us, the fans,’ supporter group The Den said.

‘For too long we have felt the our club has not respected us enough and was not acting in the fan’s best interests, and our chairman’s actions throughout this controversy confirms this.

‘Now the organisation as a whole has shown that they too do not have the fans a priority number 1.

‘The fans should always be 1st priority.

‘Football is not a business.

‘If not for the fans, then who is the A-Leagues for?’

Sad day for Melbourne #melbderby pic.twitter.com/zxnfNAQAZA

— SamFaff (@SamFaff) December 17, 2022

This is what fans online said with footage sowing a goalkeeper struck in the face with a bin as the referee abandons the Melbourne derby after that shocking pitch invasion…

@janecastles: This is so shameful, so awful. My 11yo son is at this game — first time he has gone to an A League game. Can’t imagine I will let him go again. The organisers clearly have not done a good enough job in recent years to have zero tolerance to violence and hooliganism.

@JAYFCX: Call me old fashioned, but I prefer when football didn’t even metal buckets being flung at goalkeepers heads. But that’s modern football for you.

@Kelz081: Welcome to the A League. Tempers were always gonna flare. APL you caused this, but to the fans who entered the arena, fuckwits. Glover throwin flare back 10 rows didn’t help either. 20min walk out protest would’ve been enough. Now there’s real blood on ya hands… #MCYvMVC

@fireballmudflap: Probably the worst thing I’ve seen in Australian sport

@JTLangdon_: Lost ours legs to stand on now

@Frank_theTank78: All caught on camera. Not the brightest sparks. Or the most courageous.

@gandgsportspod: And the referee too! The players or match/team officials don’t deserve this. It aint their fault! Darkest day in Australian sport

@mitreTurner: What a bunch of utter stupid cunts

@LukeGalle8: Standard active supporter group behaviour. Still using ‘passion’ to justify their actions!

@martincots1: My first A league match was a success anyway fuckin chaos 😂😂😂

@JackoHastings: What a 🤬🤬🤬🤬 joke. Can’t believe what I’ve just watched.

@LadiesALeague: what in the living FUCK

@toniturner__: Disgusting. The league is in shambles and the fans more so.

@TheAFCFranco: Fucking disgraceful. So embarrassing. After a great World Cup. Football in Australia is dead.

@PeterAS00: Feeling nothing but embarrassment and shame, both as a Victory fan and an A-League fan after seeing this. Brings so much unnecessary negative attention to the game we love and completely ruins it for those who do the right thing. Hope Glover is okay after he was hit. #MelbDerby

@DanMLato: I think we need to recognise the actions of Alex King here. He rushed in and put himself between Glover and the onrushing horde. He was calm, he did what he needed to do and more. #ALeague

@John_Michaels1: I swear these idiots just go to a-league games to stir up shit & cause trouble under the guise of “passion” or “active support”? Do they even like the game?

@DrSlimPickens: Fucking disgraceful, points deduction for both teams. Actually points deduction for all teams except Glory

@me_dc: Fuck being a referee, this guy goes to basically stand in protection of a player and cops it in the crossfire.

@HolmesMark7: What the fuck is this? This is doing your cause about the grand final no favours at all. Disgraceful and gutless.

@_chantellehyde_: this is absolutely disgusting and entirely against the message we have been trying to spread. victory fans had one job. use your voice, yes, but not like this. do not abuse the players as if they are the ones who made this decision.

@50SavesOfDeGea: Cant even get a coke lid into a football match and this lads carrying metal buckets in.

@senzu_bean: A giant collection of dipshits. It only took two weeks for the success at the World Cup to come crashing down. The AFL and NRL will be pissing themselves laughing.

@crow_data_sci: The aleague is undefeated… at defeating itself. Hope Glover is ok. Fucking embarrassing.

@Twiggyflow: There are fuckwits trying to blame the keeper for throwing a flare back at the crowd for making this situation worse… Seriously?

@jakethemarsbar: Fucking disgraceful. Support peaceful protests, this is horrific. Hope Glover is ok. Life bans need to be handed out.

@JoeyNicita: For f**ks sake this is an embarrassment. This whole saga is such a black mark on the sport