From the Archives, 1978: Record fine after umpire bashed in soccer clash

First published in The Age on April 13, 1978

Bashing: $5000 fine

Alexander ‘exiled’ for one match

Fitzroy Alexander soccer club was fined $5000 by the Philips League management committee yesterday.

Umpire David Yelland lays in hospital after the attack.Credit: The Age Archives

It was also ordered to play its next home match —against Sydney Olympic on April 30 — outside Victoria.

The sanctions follow the bashing of referee David Yelland and crowd misbehaviour at Middle Park last Saturday when Fitzroy played West Adelaide.

The management committee deliberated for more than three hours before handing down its decision.

The $5000 fine is the heaviest imposed on an Australian soccer club.

In addition, gate receipts from Fitzroy’s match against Sydney Olympic will be held in trust until the end of the season.

David Yelland back at his Rosanna home fills in a match report.Credit: The Age Archives

Should there be any further breach of Philips League rules, the money will be forfeited, and Fitzroy will play the remainder of its home games outside Victoria. The club was further directed to give the Victorian police every co-operation to bring to justice the culprits in the affair in which Mr Yelland’s jaw was broken.

Film from the Philips Top Soccer television programme showed Mr Yelland being punched and kicked as he left the field.

But this was not the incident which put Mr Yelland in hospital. He was later attacked in the dressing room.

The film also showed a spectator swinging a punch at Martyn Crook, the West Adelaide goalkeeper.

Announcing the decision, Philips League manager John Frank said the committee had viewed the referee and linesmen’s written reports, the inspector’s report and eyewitness accounts.

The committee’s full decision was that the club had failed in its duties to protect the referee and linesmen to have the prescribed number of police and sufficient club officials on duty and, most seriously, to prevent spectators from entering the referee’s change room.

With the ‘exiling’ of the Sydney Olympic match, Fitzroy’s next four games are now away from home and the club is certain to lose heavily financially.

It will not play in Melbourne again until May 14.

Ironically, the previous case of bad behaviour by a Philips League club was last year when West Adelaide was fined $500 and placed on a $2000 bond following ugly incidents in a match against St. George.

On that occasion angry spectators mobbed the referee and linesman and St. George defender George Harris was ‘king hit’. He also ended up in hospital.

Fitzroy was represented at yesterday’s inquiry by its chairman, Jim Mangopoulos, a Melbourne solicitor and former first team player.

The committee was made up of Charlie Caruso (chairman), Tony Kovac, Sam Papasavas, Alex Pongrass and Frank Lowy.

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