The Vietnam football governing body (VFF) will crack down on an alarming increase in football-related violence at stadiums in the national V-League football championship, VFF\'s vice chairman Nguyen Lan Trung said on Thursday.
 |
| Football fans light flares at Lach Tray Stadium in Hai Phong City. |
The vice chairman, said the federation was co-operating with police to arrest the ringleaders behind the recent riots at Hai Phong\'s Lach Tray Stadium.
"Fans are part of the game. Their fanatical support at stadium has made the game more attractive. However, we should recognise the difference between true football fans and hooligans," said Trung.
"The VFF and public security ministry have joined forces to identify the ringleaders among thousands of supporters."
At the match between Hai Phong and Khanh Hoa on Sunday, the northern city\'s police arranged 1,000 riot police to control 20,000 supporters, but fans still set off flares twice.
The incident cost the team a VND25 million (US$1,300) fine and will have to play at a neutral stadium tomorrow.
Following the uninterrupted stream of punishments, the VFF\'s Discipline Department has retained a ban on Hai Phong fans travelling to away games until the end of the season in October.
"I am making sure that the troublemakers are not members of the Hai Phong Fans\' Club. They come to the stadium to disturb the game by lighting flares or throwing the bricks, bottles or shoes on pitch," said a member of the Hai Phong Supporters\' Club Tran Ngoc Truong.
"We are a united fan group with 6,000 members, but none of us are involved in disrupting matches, home or away. I\'m very disappointed about the hooliganism, and it\'s put the team at a disadvantage. We\'re not allowed to support our team at our own ground following the VFF\'s punishment, despite it not being our fault".
He also added the authorities should take stronger action to wipe out hooliganism at football games.
Although the VFF\'s Disciplinary Department has fined the stadium organisers VND230 million ($12,000) for their poor job controlling rowdy spectators during six V-League matches, members of the crowd regularly light flares at home and away matches.
Last Sunday, two Hai Phong fans were seized by Hanoi Police for lighting a flare during a match at Hang Day Stadium.
One week earlier, Hanoi People\'s court sentenced eight Hai Phong fans to jail for their role in a riot at the match between Hai Phong and Hanoi\'s former Army team last year.
Two years ago, crowd violence broke out after the match between Hai Phong and Song Lam Nghe An at Vinh Stadium which resulted in the death of a Nghe An fan.
Duong Nghiep Khoi, deputy head of V-League\'s organising committee, said the ban on Hai Phong from playing at home was the most serious disciplinary action ever taken against a V-league team, and he hoped it would discourage fans from similarly inappropriate conduct.
Hai Phong would face losses of VND2 billion ($100,000) from ticket sales from each game played at a neutral venue.
"We can close the stadium in one year, but not all Hai Phong fans are hooligans. Most of them are just lovers of the game and we should allow them chance to continue watching matches," said Trung.
"Eliminating the hooligan fringe from football needs the joint co-operation of the VFF, police, local committees and stadium organisers."
