Homegame ban for Muangthong, Port to prevent more violence: Somyot
Football Association president Somyot Poompanmuang has defended the decision to ban Muangthong United and Port FC from playing home games pending an investigation into violent clashes between fans after their midweek League Cup encounter.
Trouble flared at the end of the semifinal second leg at Muangthong’s SCG Stadium on Wednesday evening. The game ended 1-1, earning the hosts a 3-2 aggregate victory and a berth in the final against Thai League rivals Buriram United next month.
Soon after the final whistle on Wednesday, rival sets of fans fought outside the ground, leaving a dozen injured before authorities stepped in to restore order.
The FA yesterday ordered three-time Thai League champions Muangthong and second-tier outfit Port to play their home fixtures “away” while its disciplinary committee probed the latest crowd violence to mar meetings between the two teams.
Somyot said the decision was necessary so as to prevent a repeat of such violent scenes.
“We all regret that fighting broke out between Muangthong and Port fans. No one wants it to happen. We are aware of simmering tensions among fans of the two clubs after the incident, evidenced by verbal exchanges on social media.
“Myself and the chairman of the disciplinary committee are all concerned about this. I think there is reason to believe that some people might try to instigate an incident if both clubs played at home. That would put them in more trouble.
“So we need to take the preventive measure of switching the two clubs’ home games the grounds of their visitors. We don’t want anyone to try to exploit the situation.”
However, Somyot opened the door for the two sides to play their home games on neutral turf.
“To ensure equal treatment to both sides, we are ready to allow them to host the game at neutral venues on condition they pay the expenses and accept their fans will not be permitted to attend.”
Animosity between the two sets of fans has been festering since a mass brawl erupted on the terraces during a 2010 King’s Trophy match, the traditional curtainraiser for the domestic season, which caused the game to be abandoned.
They came to blows again at the end of a Muangthong home game two years ago, when Port were in the top flight. That incident saw the two clubs deducted nine points and fined Bt300,000 each, while their fans were banned from attending the last three games of the season.
