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Adelaide Venue Management Corporation (AVM) has sacked its longstanding Chief Executive Anthony Kirchner over his introduction of a ban on Melbourne Victory fans attending the next A-League fixture against Adelaide United at Coopers Stadium

Kirchner, who has been Chief Executive at AVM for more than 18 years, was stood down in late August over his introduction of the ban - which was based on fears of Melbourne Victory fans’ “violent” behaviour.

However, following criticism of the ban by South Australian Premier Peter Malinauskas and South Australian Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis the ban was rapidly reversed.

Now, following an internal review by AVM, which manages Coopers Stadium, Kirchner has been sacked.

The AVM board said the review had prompted the decision to terminate Kirchner’s employment contract, with Adelaide Convention Centre General Manager Martin Radcliffe to continue as interim Chief Executive while a process to appoint Kirchner’s successor is undertaken.

In a statement, the AVM board advised “we thank him for his 18 years of events management service to the state and we wish him well for the future.”

An AVM spokesperson said the organisation was now having “very productive” discussions regarding the 2023/34 season with Adelaide United and the Australian Professional Leagues, noting that fans from all clubs would be welcome at Coopers Stadium.

The statement added “important input from SAPOL (South Australian Police) has also been sought as part of these discussions to ensure crowd safety and we will continue to work positively with all relevant stakeholders ahead of the season getting underway.

“The ability for all patrons and staff to be able to enjoy a fun and safe experience will always remain a priority.”

Last month, an announcement declaring that Melbourne Victory fans would not be sold tickets for next year’s match against Adelaide United due to “violent and riotous behaviour that has become synonymous with this fixture” briefly appeared on the venue’s website.

The ban was short-lived with AVM Chair Andrew Daniels quickly stepping in to claim the statement had been put up “in error’’.

Daniels was reported as saying “when it was realised that it (the ban on Melbourne Victory fans) had gone up it was as quickly as possible ... withdrawn.

“Things have happened that shouldn’t have happened and certainly, on behalf of the organisation, (I) put my hand up for that and apologise for it.”

However, this was refuted by Kirchner in the days following the clumsy messaging, who wrote in an email “there was no error or backflip from AVM management, I authorised the statement to be issued in my capacity as AVM CEO.

“The AVM Board was aware of my intended position on this matter and Chair Andrew Daniels had requested that AVM management show leadership on this issue. This was minuted accordingly.

“As AVM CEO, the safety of all concerned is my first priority, but I also have very specific responsibilities under the WHS Act whereby I can be personally fined hundreds of thousands of dollars or jailed for up to ten years if I’m found to be negligent.

“These penalties shall now fall at the feet of those who made the decision to overturn my decision should a serious safety incident occur. It’s only a matter of time.”

In January 2022, Melbourne Victory was fined $5,000 over homophobic abuse from fans directed at Adelaide United defender Josh Cavallo during a league fixture at Melbourne's AAMI Park.

Image: Anthony Kirchner had been AVM Chief Executive for 18 years. Credit: AVM.

Was it right for AVM to sack Anthony Kirchner? We welcome your comments below or by email to leisure@ausleisure.com.au

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