A violent fight involving spectators and a few players took place this weekend during a game of the Premier League Soccer of Quebec (PLSQ) in Dollard-des-Ormeaux.
The meeting opposed the clubs CS Mont-Royal Outremont and CS Saint-Laurent and took place in front of nearly 1,000 people. On the images obtained by TVA Nouvelles, we see that the brawl first broke out in the stands before spilling over onto the field, where a few players intervened, some to act as peacemakers and others to participate.
According to SPVM spokesperson Mariane Allaire Morin, several calls were made to 911 and the event was over when the police arrived. There were no injuries and no weapons were used. It would be assault, not assault with a weapon. The investigation is continuing.
“Unsightly”
The general manager of Soccer Quebec, Mathieu Chamberland, obviously became aware of the situation over the weekend and he is disappointed.
“I react in two ways. As a soccer fan, I find that sad, because it does not do justice to our sport. It taints all the work done by the volunteers.
“And in my role as a promoter of the sport, I find it unsightly, it has no place. We will speak with the organizations concerned and ensure that the message is recorded. »
Penalties
The PLSQ was quick to react and on Wednesday imposed a loss by forfeit on both teams. CS Mont-Royal Outremont was in the process of qualifying for the playoffs when the match was called off by the referee. The club’s season ended on this sad note instead.
Qualified for the playoffs of the semi-professional circuit, CS Saint-Laurent will have to play its semi-final match on another field and behind closed doors for security reasons.
“As a federation, we manage leagues, including the PLSQ. I was not challenged directly, but I am satisfied with the reactive side of the league, ”explained Mathieu Chamberland.
Sadly ironically, it was on the same pitch that a grandfather assaulted a 17-year-old referee last May.
Followed
“We must not stop at the imposition of a sanction, that’s what we do afterwards,” insisted Mathieu Chamberland.
You should know that these two clubs operate a franchise in the PLSQ, but also have a section for young players.
“We will continue to ask questions and watch the operations of the two clubs at the end of the season to see if there have been other incidents. »
“When that happens, it’s once too many. What we can see this year is that there are events happening and we have to deal with them. We must be proactive in the regulation. »
Security
“We see a lot of enthusiasm for the league, specifies the general manager. We must ask ourselves how we ensure the safety of players and spectators.
“These are great games, it’s local talent and we want families to attend. »
Mathieu Chamberland indicated that the federation would continue to develop its security policy.
“We have a policy on violence and we will have to update it. We will also discuss with our different clubs to see how we can ensure security during matches where there are a lot of spectators. »