Professional soccer club Incheon United has decided to ban 124 fans from its home stadium indefinitely as a last resort for throwing water bottles onto the field. However, since it is impossible to check and admit every spectator at every game, the club has left the door open for the fans to complete 100 hours of volunteer service.

Incheon announced on the 23rd that “124 spectators who self-reported throwing water bottles immediately after the end of the K League 1 12th round home match against FC Seoul at the Incheon Football Stadium will be banned from home games indefinitely.” The move comes a week after the KFA held its eighth punishment committee 안전카지노사이트 and handed down a 20 million won fine and a five-game home ban.

Incheon home fans began throwing water bottles into the stadium after opposing goalkeeper Baek Jong-beom roared at the stands with his arms open after a 1-2 loss to Seoul in the Gyeongin derby on Nov. 11. More bottles were thrown at Incheon players despite their intervention, and Seoul captain Ki Sung-yong was dangerously close to collapsing under the onslaught.

In the wake of the public outcry, Incheon opened a voluntary report two days later, with 124 people responding in seven days. The club’s board of directors, legal experts, and Incheon city officials held their own disciplinary committee on the 22nd and agreed on an “indefinite ban”. However, the discipline will be lifted if the player completes 100 hours of volunteer work designated by the club, such as cleaning the stadium, inspecting spectators’ belongings, and participating in club campaigns. The club also decided to ask the self-reporters to voluntarily raise money to pay the federation’s sanctions.

Additional measures will be added, including the right to seek damages, but it will be difficult to remove more than 120 spectators from every game. “Before the home game on the 25th, we will call the 124 people who self-reported and inform them of the disciplinary measures and collect their pledges,” said an Incheon official, explaining that “it is impossible to verify the identities of all spectators, so we opened the way for volunteers.”

The club has also increased the number of home games it will close to six, including five K League 1 matches and one Korea Cup match, more than the federation’s punishment. Incheon will play without fans at home until July 5, including the Korea Cup Round of 16 match against Gimcheon Commerce on June 19. The stadium has also tightened its rules on merchandise, requiring fans to remove bottle caps from plastic bottles at the gate and declare large flags and banners in advance.

Meanwhile, Seoul said it will not appeal the 7 million won ($7,000) sanction imposed on Baek Jong-beom. The KFA’s punishment committee disciplined Baek Jong-bum for “unsportsmanlike conduct” on Nov. 16 for provoking an Incheon home fan. Seoul appealed the decision as soon as it came out, saying it was unfair, and fans started raising money.

A Seoul club official said, “Baek Jong-beom conveyed his desire to focus on the game. We decided that it was the role of the club to follow the player’s will,” said a Seoul club official, adding, ‘We will use the money collected in consultation with the Suho Shin (Seoul supporters) to put it to good use.’