Abbeville Park: Parent of Whitford FC player charged after allegedly choking 11yo boy from Mindarie FC

A parent has been charged after he allegedly choked an 11-year-old boy during a junior soccer match in Perth’s north.

Police said the incident happened after an altercation broke out during a match at Abbeville Park in Mindarie between 11am and 1pm on Sunday.

It is alleged an 11-year-old Mindarie Football Club player was set upon by a parent of another player, from the visiting team Whitford City Football Club, during a dispute about a call made during an under-12s match.

A 46-year-old Watermans Bay man is accused of grabbing the young boy’s neck. However, the boy was not seriously hurt.

Following an investigation by Joondalup detectives, the man was charged with one count of of impeding another person’s normal breathing or blood circulation by applying pressure to the neck.

He is due to appear in the Joondalup Magistrates court on June 6.

In a statement posted online, Whitford City Football Club said the parent had been “banned from all club activities with immediate effect, pending the outcome of legal proceedings”.

“The club is cooperating fully with the authorities,” the club said.

“We take matters of this nature extremely seriously, and our priority is the safety and wellbeing of all players, families, and volunteers.

“As the matter is now before the court, the club will not be making any further comment at this time.”