A-League referee Alex King warned Melbourne City goalkeeper Tommy Glover “let’s get out of here” only moments before they were surrounded by pitch invaders and the player was hit in the head by a bucket.
King, who on Sunday morning told league officials he had no significant injuries from the shocking scenes in Melbourne’s A-League Men derby at AAMI Park, will be free to officiate over the Christmas period if he feels capable.
The Queensland-born whistleblower was rushed from the field after trying to shield Glover from the rioting fans, who stormed the pitch when Glover threw a flare back into the stands and into an area occupied by Victory fans.
The flare had originally been thrown towards the City gloveman by a crowd member at the Victory end of the ground.
Glover was ushered from the field with blood pouring down his face after being struck by a bucket, which caused “severe lacerations”. King was covered in sand from the bucket, but narrowly missed the full force of the flying object.
Professional Football Referees Australia boss Paul Cetrangolo revealed King had wanted Glover to dash for the AAMI Park tunnel only seconds earlier, and tried to shield the City player from the onrushing fans.
Melbourne City goalkeeper Tommy Glover picks up a flare to remove it from the field.Credit:Getty
“When he saw what was happening, he actually told the goalkeeper, ‘Let’s get out of here’,” Cetrangolo told the Herald and The Age. “It was right at the time they were about to go, then they were just surrounded.
“He obviously saw what was happening. That was the communication to the goalkeeper about not just standing there, about getting out of there. Then it was obviously too late and all hell broke loose.
“He obviously was right in the middle of it, unfortunately. I’ve spoken with him [on Sunday] morning and he’s perfectly OK. There’s no lasting effects and nothing that required any major intervention from medicos.
Referee Alex King urges Tommy Glover to get off the pitch before the Melbourne City player was struck by a bucket.Credit:Network Ten
“Considering what happened and his proximity to the bucket and being hit in the head, he’s actually come out of it not too bad.”
Glover received stitches to his facial cut and will return to play through concussion protocols.
The match was abandoned due to player safety after the pitch invasion.
That was the communication to the goalkeeper about not just standing there, about getting out of there.
Referees boss Paul Centrangolo
Football Australia will hand a show cause notice to Melbourne Victory as well as sifting through a myriad of possible sanctions, including the potential of life bans, loss of competition points and heavy fines.
Cetrangolo said match officials were comfortable with the level of security at AAMI Park on Saturday night.
“We’d like to think it will be the first and last time that’s ever going to happen,” he said.
“There’s plenty of security on match day. I can’t really fault the security because of the speed they moved and what was expected.
“We don’t want to be like overseas where they end up having army and armed police around the ground to try to stop spectators. That’s not what we want.”
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