‘Prisoner in my own precinct’: Sam Newman slams police for urging him not to confront ‘pest’ skateboarders who organised a rally outside his home
- Footy star Sam Newman filmed confronting group of skaters three weeks ago
- The footballer was asking the skaters to leave the area, where skating is banned
- Footage showed Newman wrestling skateboard from teenager during dispute
- Rally organised by skaters this Saturday but police told footy great to stay away
Footy great Sam Newman has slammed police for asking him not to confront ‘anti-social pest’ skateboarders holding a rally against him outside his apartment.
Newman was filmed in a heated exchange with a group of teenage skaters three weeks ago after they refused to leave the steps of Melbourne’s South Wharf.
A council sign near to Newman’s apartment shows a skateboard with a red line through it, and the ex-Geelong player took exception to the group ignoring his repeated requests for them to leave the area.
In retaliation, a rally protesting against Newman’s behaviour was organised by skaters for Saturday.
The 73-year-old told The Herald Sun he had been advised by police not to come out of his apartment to admonish the skaters.
‘I said “what, so be a prisoner in my own precinct?”‘ Newman said.
The protest in the end brought only four people to the steps of the modern residential area – although a similar demonstration could go ahead in March.
The ex-sportsman said the skateboarders were ‘anti-social pests looking to become famous by using me as a scapegoat for quelling their fun’.
Newman said he had called the council who told him the sign was advisory.
‘Why would the council bother to put a sign up if they don’t want people to adhere to it?’ he said.
Footy great Sam Newman has slammed police for asking him not to confront ‘anti-social pest’ skateboarders holding a rally against him outside his apartment (pictured being filmed in a heated exchange with a group of teenage skaters three weeks ago)
Newman (pictured appearing on The Footy Show) was filmed in a heated exchange with a group of teenage skaters three weeks ago after they refused to leave the steps of Melbourne’s South Wharf.
In the footage filmed on January 26, Newman was seen wrestling a skateboard from one teenager, with another filming the confrontation.
‘I’ll throw this in the water,’ Newman was heard saying on video.
‘Dude are you police? Are you authorised to take the law into your own hands? Tell me that,’ one of the youths asked.
‘Dude yo, that’s not necessary dude,’ another said as Newman got into a scuffle with one skater.
Mr Newman (pictured) said his initial approach to the group was non-aggressive and that he was calm when he asked the skaters to leave the area
One person in the group claims Newman elbowed the head of his friend during the clash.
‘His aggression, I suppose, ramped up a little bit when we didn’t sort of listen to what he was saying,’ he told 7 News.
The group denies that they sought to provoke Mr Newman on purpose.
‘Now I know who he is, but at the time, we had no idea. Me and my friend don’t follow football at all,’ the skater said.
Newman said his initial approach to the group was non-aggressive and that he was calm when he asked the skaters to leave.
The footballer repeatedly asked the group to leave the South Wharf steps in Melbourne (pictured) on Saturday, where skating is banned
The footballer also claims he has phone vision of the events before the confrontation.
Newman also said he acted out of concern for the public’s safety and that he only wanted to prevent damages being done to the facilities.
In 2007, Newman was also involved in an argument with another skating group in a similar place at the Docklands area.