Lion City Sailors, Tampines charged by FAS over post-game melee
The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) has moved swiftly to hand down charges to both the Lion City Sailors and Tampines Rovers on Monday (July 25) evening, just 24 hours after their Singapore Premier League match which saw a fracas break out at the end.
In response to queries, FAS director of competitions Aloysius Vetha told The Straits Times that they made the move after "viewing of the relevant footage and match reports".
Sailors head coach Kim Do-hoon and Tampines assistant coach Mustafic Fahrudin - who were involved in physical altercations - were each charged with violent conduct.
Both clubs were also charged for the conduct of their team, while the Sailors were also charged for the conduct of their spectators.
Vetha said that the parties have until 6pm tomorrow to provide any written responses, with a disciplinary committee (DC) hearing scheduled for Thursday.
"As the matter is now before the DC, no further comments will be made till the completion of the judicial process," he added.
Towards the end of the football match played at the Jalan Besar Stadium, Kim appeared to headbutt Fahrudin as a skirmish for the ball took place between players from both teams.
Fahrudin, a former Singapore midfielder, was seen clutching his face after the incident. Kim was shown a yellow card by referee Ahmad A'qashah before play resumed.
While matters appeared to cool down after the game as Kim and Fahrudin shook hands, tension soon built again with both sets of players and officials engaging in shoving matches both on the pitch and sidelines.
Fahrudin, 41, was then seen squaring up to Kim on the Sailors' bench, with eyewitnesses alleging he grabbed the 52-year-old former South Korea striker by the neck.
Sources told ST that Tampines officials lodged an incident report with the police on the alleged headbutting after they left Jalan Besar, and Sailors chairman Chew Chun-Liang said the club were "regretful" over the incidents.
Sailors supporters group The Crew wrote on Facebook that they "strictly do not condone the actions of fans involved" in an incident involving Tampines players heading down the stadium tunnel, especially as these players were "personally insulted".
The group also called for the club's supporters to refrain from similar actions and "aggression" in future games.
According to witnesses, a small number of Sailors supporters had hurled insults at Tampines players Boris Kopitovic and Irwan Shah as they made their way down the tunnel and toward the dressing room.
In previous cases of violent conduct involving local coaches and players, the FAS has meted out various punishments including fines as high as $10,000 and supensions ranging from several matches to as long as 15 months.
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