Ellerslie FC coach hospitalised after allegedly being struck by parent in junior Auckland football tournament

A junior football tournament in Auckland allegedly ended in an assault. Photo / 123RF

A female football coach was allegedly knocked unconscious by an opposition fan while walking to the bathroom during a junior tournament in Auckland on Sunday.

Northern Region Football (NRF) chief executive Laura Menzies described it as “shocking” and completely out of place at what was meant to be a “fun girls’ tournament”.

The Ellerslie FC coach was reportedly attacked from behind by a man believed to be the parent of a Papakura City FC player, shortly after her under-10 girls’ team had beaten Papakura in a semifinal match. The alleged assault took place at Keith Hay Park and left the coach needing hospital treatment.

Police told the Herald they have commenced an investigation into the incident and are making inquiries.

Eye witnesses say the man had been making threatening gestures, including throat-slitting motions, at Ellerslie spectators throughout the game. The attack allegedly occurred as the coach was on her way to the bathroom.

The violent outburst delayed the tournament’s final by 30 minutes as emergency services responded to the scene. The coach has since returned home and is recovering.

Menzies said no one condoned this behaviour and that “everyone should feel safe” at football events.

“We’ve reached out to the three clubs involved to offer support while the incident is under police investigation.”

Papakura City FC released a statement to the Herald expressing their sympathies to all involved.

“We were deeply saddened to hear of the alleged events that occurred after one of our Junior Girls teams attended a festival over the weekend. Our sympathies go out to all involved.

“Papakura City FC does not condone behaviour that has no place in sports. As the incident is under police investigation, we are waiting for reports with the full and accurate information before we begin our own internal process.”

Ellerslie FC confirmed they are supporting the coach and her team emotionally.

Auckland United, the tournament host, said in a statement that no staff members witnessed the incident, but reiterated their zero-tolerance policy towards poor sideline behaviour.

“We are aware of an incident after a game on Sunday afternoon that involved an ambulance being called due to an altercation between two members of visiting clubs. We maintain a zero-tolerance policy against poor sideline behaviour and are deeply disappointed by this incident. Auckland United prides itself in creating a safe and supportive environment for all, and incidents of this nature have no place in sport.

“No Auckland United staff witnessed the incident first-hand, and as the police are involved, we will refrain from further comment while the investigation is ongoing.”

Bonnie Jansen is a multimedia journalist in the NZME sports team. She’s a football commentator and co-host of the Football Fever podcast and was part of the Te Rito cadetship scheme before becoming a fulltime journalist.