Evicted fan Rory Carroll has denied drinking beer at the A-League semi-final after NSW police accused him of wanting a 'greater variety of beer' prior to his ejection from Netstrata Jubilee Stadium.
Sydney FC supporter Carroll released a statement to the media on Monday saying he was only drinking soft drink as he was in charge of three children - after Assistant Commissioner of the NSW police Mark Walton said in a press conference that the ejected fan was trying to get access to full strength beer.
"I reject [the NSW police accusation] out of hand," Carroll's statement said.
"For a start, I was not drinking alcohol but Coca Cola, not the least because I was i charge of three young children.
"Second, if they really thought I was drinking alcohol, why didn't they ask me to undertake a drink driving test when I left the stadium with the children?
"They didn't because they knew I wasn't drinking."
According to his version of events, Carroll says he was removed from the Kogarah venue by police and security after being denied access to a nearby disabled toilet for his daughter who has special needs.
However, Assistant Commissoner Walton disputed Carroll's story in a press conference, explaining that the Sky Blue supporter wasn't with his daughter when the incident occurred and that he was just trying to access a different bar to purchase beer.
"I am confident from the advice I have been provided that at the time that conflict occurred, he was not with his daughter, he was with an older male," Walton said.
"There was no expectation of that man with his daughter to enter the area for its toilet facilities.
"Some information I have that was recorded [in security guard notes] was that he was trying to enter that grandstand area where there was a greater variety of beer available than there was in the outer grandstand area where he was seated.
“He did not have his daughter with him at the time he came to the conflict with security.”
