Throwdown fan tears
FAMILIES at Saturday night’s Throwdown were left shaken after an incident in the crowd.
Crosscourt has been told two men in Melbourne United fanwear were involved in an altercation with another man just before halftime of the clash with South East Melbourne Phoenix at John Cain Arena.
A witness who was at the game said after an “extremely-heated” verbal exchange, the two parties were initially separated, before the man removed one of the United fan’s hats and threw it behind the team’s bench.
Two men were ejected from the stadium and several children in the bay were left in tears.
“It was back and forth for a while until security came down to separate them,” one witness told Crosscourt.
“It was good timing, because it was getting testy.
“There were families around and it would have been scary for them.”
A Phoenix spokesman said that the club would reach out to affected members this week.
“It was disappointing to see some of our fans distresssed, especially the children,” the spokesman said.
“Venue security acted swiftly and the patrons were ejected quickly.”
Tensions on the court simmered throughout, with physical play and verbal stoushes in the 78-72 Phoenix
win — but it never got out of hand.
A United spokesman said the club was working with venue management and would take appropriate action, if necessary.
Incidents like this are extremely rare at NBL games, where clubs have worked hard to cultivate a family atmosphere.
Props to JCA security for acting quickly to avoid further escalation.