Police have charged 32 people with a number of offences, including discharging a missile

CHAOS 

Police charge 32 people for A-League pitch invasion that left former Tottenham star with concussion after Melbourne derby turned ugly

Police in Australia have charged 32 people after a pitch invasion caused the A-League derby between Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City to be abandoned.

The chaotic scenes also saw City goalkeeper, and former Tottenham man, Tom Glover hit with a metal bucket – with the glovesman left bleeding and concussed.

Around 150 supporters stormed onto the AAMI Park pitch, kicking down advertising boards and hanging off the goal posts, with referee Alex King, a TV camera operator and two security guards also left injured in the fray.

The derby clash was called off after just 20 minutes of action as a result.

Around $150,000 worth of damage is said to have been caused to the stadium and pitch, with around 80 flares or fireworks set off while poles and bottles were thrown at officers on the field.

Glover was spotted in training and back in action again after Christmas after completing concussion protocols, but sporting a bandage on the side of his head where the metal bucket, filled with sand, opened a nasty wound.

Police have announced they have charged 32 people with a number of offences, including discharging a missile, assault, violent disorder, criminal damage and riotous behaviour.

They are now searching for 11 others they believe to be guilty of serious offences, including one man who flew back to Europe after the game who has already received a ten-year ban from attending A-League matches.

Melbourne Victory have been hit with the strongest sanctions in Australian football history over the chaos, with the club blocked from selling tickets to home games and their fans banned from attending away games until January 15.

Further punishments could include points deductions and fines, with ten of the pitch invaders so far receiving bans from Football Australia.

Fans stormed the pitch as a part of a protest against the A-League’s decision to hold their next three grand finals in Sydney.

Such a decision was part of a $10million deal with the New South Wales government, with both the men’s and women’s finals set to take place there.

Previous seasons have seen teams earn the privilege of hosting such an event, with the new decision seemingly going against tradition.

Both sets of fans from City and Victory revealed before the match that they would walk out in the 20th minute.

Newcastle Jets fans did the same protest the night before in their fixture against Brisbane Roar, with Australian football fans clearly unhappy with the decision that has been made by their top flight league.

Fans invaded the pitch resulting in a cancelled A-League match between Melbourne City and Melbourne Victory at AAMI Park on December 17.

A bleeding Glover of Melbourne City is escorted from the pitch by team mates after fans stormed the pitch.

Fans kicked down advertising boards and left a player, the referee and a TV cameraman injured as they stormed the pitch.

A video appeared to show Glover throw a flare back into the stands where Melbourne Victory fans were sitting and within seconds they had flooded onto the pitch to get him.

Glover was spotted back in action on December 27 with a bandage on the side of his head from the attack.

A message on the scoreboard confirmed the match was abandoned due to the ugly scenes at the Melbourne derby.