Female kids’ football coach is allegedly knocked out by player’s father who is accused of attacking her from behind
- A youth football coach would have been ‘knocked out’
- The incident happened during an under-10s tournament
- Auckland United have condemned the incident
A female youth football coach was allegedly knocked unconscious by a spectator who allegedly ‘attacked her from behind’ during a junior tournament at Keith Hay Park in Auckland.
Police told the New Zealand Herald they are investigating the incident and are investigating after the Ellerslie AFC coach required hospital treatment.
According to reports from the New Zealand heraldthe spectator, believed to be the parent of a Papakura City FC player, had ‘made threatening gestures’ during the Under 10 semi-final.
Some of those signs allegedly featured a ‘throat-slitting motion’ made towards Ellerslie spectators.
The attack is said to have occurred while the Ellerslie coach was on her way to the bathroom after her side was struck. The final of the tournament was subsequently postponed by approximately 30 minutes as emergency services visited the coach.
A female youth football coach was reportedly knocked unconscious by an opposition supporter
The incident took place at Auckland’s Keith Hay Park on Sunday during a youth football tournament
Auckland United, hosts of the tournament, said they had a “zero tolerance policy” towards such behavior and were “deeply disappointed by the incident”.
“We are aware of an incident following a match on Sunday afternoon where an ambulance was called due to an altercation between two members of visiting clubs,” the football club said in a statement to the New Zealand Herald.
‘We have a zero-tolerance policy towards bad side behavior and are deeply disappointed by this incident. Auckland United prides itself on creating a safe and supportive environment for everyone, and incidents of this nature have no place in sport.
“No Auckland United staff witnessed the incident firsthand, and as police are involved, we will refrain from further comment while the investigation is ongoing.”
Laura Menzies, CEO of Northern Region Football (NRF), described the incident as ‘shocking’ and added that ‘everyone should feel safe’ at football events.
The park is located just south-east of Auckland city center and the event is organized by Auckland United
“We have contacted the three clubs involved to provide support while the incident is investigated by police,” Menzies said.
Papakura FC issued a statement to the New Zealand Herald, saying: ‘We were deeply saddened to learn of the alleged events that occurred after one of our Junior Girls teams attended a festival this weekend. Our condolences go out to everyone involved.
‘Papakura City FC does not tolerate behavior that does not belong in the sport. As the incident is currently under investigation by law enforcement, we are awaiting reports with complete and accurate information before beginning our own internal process.”
The coach is said to be recovering at home, with Ellerslie telling the outlet that they are emotionally supporting both the football coach and her team.