Football Federation Australia will fully cooperate with a New South Wales police investigation into crowd disturbances involving A-League side Western Sydney Wanderers' fans on Saturday night but said that the club itself will not be punished. During the first half of the Wanderers' 2-1 defeat to Perth Glory at Pirtek Stadium, "a flare was ignited by a member of the club's active fan group, the Red and Black Bloc." Stadium security and police rushed into the section to find the culprit and "became involved in physical confrontations with fans" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 4/26). ... Thirty-five police officers "were hurt and 41 fans arrested in a violent Belgrade derby" between Serbian clubs Red Star and Partizan on Saturday. The Serbian Interior Ministry said, "Police reacted professionally and efficiently, quelling a conflict started by fans which could have led to calling the game off and other serious consequences" (REUTERS, 4/26). ... Bulgarian club CSKA Sofia has been fined 37,500 levs ($20,829) "after fans displayed a banner showing a swastika during this week's 1-0 home league defeat by city rivals Lokomotiv." CSKA's Portuguese winger Tony Silva said that "he was the victim of racial abuse from his own supporters in Monday's game" (REUTERS, 4/24). ... Fans of League Two side Hartlepool United "have been warned by anti-discrimination body Kick It Out over plans to dress up as reggae icon Bob Marley for their last match of the season against Carlisle United." Several hundred fans of the fourth tier team "are set to travel to Brunton Park on May 2 in full fancy dress -- something which has become an annual tradition" in recent years at the club. Kick It Out, however, has called for any supporter who "blacks up" to be refused entry to the ground (REUTERS, 4/24). ... Suriname pledged to support Dutch FA (KNVB) President Michael van Praag in next month's FIFA presidential election, "becoming the first national association to publicly promise their vote to the Dutchman." Van Praag: "I am delighted that John Krishnadath, the president of the Suriname Football Association, has expressed his support for me." Van Praag's website carried a copy of a report by the Dutch national news agency ANP in which Krishnadath criticized the CONCACAF Congress earlier this month, "where Blatter was given a public display of support" (REUTERS, 4/26).
ALLEGED COVER-UP IN AFC: A senior exec of the Asian Football Confederation allegedly requested in '12 a subordinate to "tamper with or hide documents related to inquiries by independent auditors and FIFA into management of the group" by ousted former AFC President Mohammed Bin Hammam. The official who reportedly requested the tampering or hiding of
documents bearing his name or signature, AFC General Secretary Dato'
Alex Soosay, "subsequently alleged in a police report" on Aug. 17, 2012,
that Bin Hammam embezzled some $10M. Soosay this week "vehemently denied the alleged cover up in a telephone conversation." He said, "If there was something, wouldn’t they have investigated me? This is
just a smear [campaign] against me. There is no such thing. Where is this coming from and why now?" In a written and
signed statement dated July 26, 2012 and a video statement taped the
same day by FIFA security officer Michael John Pride, AFC Finance
Dir Bryan Kuan Wee Hoong claimed that Soosay "made his request
during a 30-minute conversation" that took place three days earlier on
July 23 (HURRIYET DAILY NEWS, 4/26).
