An investigation is underway following allegations of players in Victoria’s top football league being racially vilified by some spectators at a match in Melbourne.
As reported by ABC News on Friday, two spectators at the game between Preston Lions FC and Heidelberg United FC said they heard fans in the Preston supporter area making “monkey” noises or a “monkey-type” chant at a match last week, seemingly directed at opposing players of African descent.
Among those players was Heidelberg United forward Bul Juach, who migrated to Australia at the age of 12 from South Sudan.
His celebration of the victory in front of the home crowd was met with a chorus of boos, and while the alleged vilification can’t be heard in the match broadcast, spectators told ABC News it was clearly audible from within the stand.
The match, played last Friday, was part of Victoria’s National Premier League competition, which is the second highest tier of soccer in the country (below the A-League) and Victoria’s highest-ranked league. Hundreds of people were in attendance.
The ABC understands at least two people contacted Preston Lions FC, the home team, to report the alleged abuse of Heidelberg players after the game.
Preston FC told the publication it was aware of the matter and it had referred the matter to Football Victoria and Victoria Police, and Football Victoria confirmed it is investigating the incident.
Earlier this week, Preston FC also released a statement saying it was “concerned to learn of anti-social behaviour” at the recent home game.
It said it was committed to implementing Football Victoria’s Spectator Code of Behaviour, which explicitly bans “the incitement of hatred or violence or partaking in indecent or racist chanting”.
“The club will continue to follow and implement the FV Spectator Code of Behaviour, Conduct and Entry. We are a part of Football Victoria’s inclusion charter and would like to emphasise to all our supporters and the football community that our sport is about fairness, equality and respect,” the club said on Wednesday.
“Any individual or group found to be in breach of these codes will face serious disciplinary action including being banned from the club.”
It added it will soon be releasing a phone number for spectators to immediately report anti-social behaviour during future games.
A Victoria Police spokesperson told PEDESTRIAN.TV it is aware of an incident at a soccer match in the Melbourne suburb of Reservoir on June 6.
“No official report has been made at this time,” they said.
Speaking to ABC News, Heidelberg United general manager Chris Pavlidis said he was surprised and disappointed to hear the reports. He confirmed he had not heard any complaints other than “stock-standard jeering”.
“If anything like that was brought to our attention we would have followed up with [football authorities] immediately,” he said.
“None of the boys have approached us with a complaint.”
A spectator, who said he was a regular attendee at Preston games, told the publication chants and booing can be common at high-level games. However, this was different.
“When you step over the line into this overt racism, and specifically targeting Black players, which it clearly was, it’s just utterly and clearly unacceptable,” he told ABC News.
PEDESTRIAN.TV has reached out to Football Victoria and the two soccer clubs for comment.
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