Singapore game scrapped after brawl
Reuters - Tuesday 24 May 2011, 04:49
SINGAPORE - Match officials scrapped an
S.League fixture on Monday night before it had even kicked off
as players staged a pitched battle during the warm-up.
Hougang Stadium became the scene of a brawl between hosts
Hougang United and reigning Singapore champions Etoile FC.
Local media reported that the scene resembled a gang fight,
with players chasing each other and some rushing onto the
terraces.
"We will conduct a full investigation to find out what
actually happened. This is something we do not want in our game
and, following investigations, any guilty parties, if there are,
will be severely dealt with," Singapore Football Association
(FAS) deputy director Ridzal Saat told Today newspaper.
"We do not condone any sort of violence, more so anything
that is pre-match."
The scrapping of Monday's match marked the first time since
the S.League was founded in 1996 that a match was abandoned
prior to kick-off due to disciplinary reason.