Football Federation Australia on Wednesday promised five-year bans for fans who lit flares before and during the Socceroos' clash with Greece, which was marred by pre-match scuffles. Melbourne has a large Greek community and hundreds of fans marched from the city's "Little Athens" precinct towards Etihad Stadium, with mounted police moving in after flares were ignited.
At least one further flare was let off during the game, a friendly which Greece won 2-1 and police said they would prosecute anyone found to have "acted in complete disregard for the safety of other supporters". The FFA also took a hard line, vowing bans for the "few reckless individuals who ignited flares in city streets and behaved in an anti-social manner".
AFP