So let me set the scene.
I'm officiating a semi-final cup game, U13s. Team A (Home) and Team B (Away). The venue used to be an old golf club- so I was told underneath the pitch it was concrete (a driving range). You couldn't feel it underneath your feet but I'm sure if you tried hard enough you could feel it. The weather was appalling, freezing cold, lashing down with rain. But just in a playable condition.
No problems at all. Half time it's a draw. But with ten minutes to go, team B are on the attack, in the penalty area with the ball and go for goal. The ball goes in the net. But in the process of going being in the penalty area the Team B attacker, pushed (I'm talking an aggressive two-handed shove) and the Team A player goes flying. I blow my whistle and indicate to stop any further play and run over to the Team A player. My first priority was making sure he was okay as mentioned- the concrete ground underneath the grass. The player was crying, so i call his manager over. I then indicate the free kick against team b and disallow the goal. The Team B managers (one fairly old, one young and well-built enough to be intimidating to a 14 year old like myself), storm on. The younger manager then screams in my face about me disallowing the goal- he thought I'd run over to the player that had got pushed over and taken his word for what had happened, then disallowed the goal. I explained to the Team B managers that I had just checked if he was okay and asked them to get off the pitch- they did. Then I went over to Team A's manager and explained what had happened.
All good. Ready to start again. Then suddenly I hear a shout, a kid from Team B had started a fight, so now we have 22 thirteen year olds rolling around fighting. Myself and the managers go to break up the fight, which we did. Players went back to their own halves. Now, some stupid parent from Team B decides to run onto the pitch and take a lunge at me. The Team B manager gets in the way and the parent is dragged away from the pitch by two other parents. I know now I have to abandon the match- thats not up for debate. I'm worried for my own safety and the kids. I let the managers know but Team B's young manager sqaures up to me and grabs me by the shoulder. I tell him to get off me and I walk away.
I blow my whistle and walk off the pitch to go home, steering clear of all parents. Whilst walking briskly back to the car park the Team A chairman (Chair of the youth and adults division of the town FC) comes up to me and apologizes for what had just happened. I said none of what had happened wasn't his teams fault and he gave me his email and said to copy him in on anything he may need to do.
I then got home and reported it via the whole game system and let my RAO know, as being newly qualified he has been very useful and been a sort-of mentor to me along the way. He said I handled the situation well and the county would be in touch.
Next day I get calls from the league chairman, the Senior Governance Administrator for the county and the county RDO. The event is still being reviewed and a hearing is meant to happen. Their taking the grabbing of me very seriously.
What would you have done differently?
How could I prevent this in the future?
Thanks for taking the time to read this and I look forward to your responses, as you can imaging it was pretty traumatic for me ( a fourteen year old) that's only been fully-qualified since December 2016.
I'm officiating a semi-final cup game, U13s. Team A (Home) and Team B (Away). The venue used to be an old golf club- so I was told underneath the pitch it was concrete (a driving range). You couldn't feel it underneath your feet but I'm sure if you tried hard enough you could feel it. The weather was appalling, freezing cold, lashing down with rain. But just in a playable condition.
No problems at all. Half time it's a draw. But with ten minutes to go, team B are on the attack, in the penalty area with the ball and go for goal. The ball goes in the net. But in the process of going being in the penalty area the Team B attacker, pushed (I'm talking an aggressive two-handed shove) and the Team A player goes flying. I blow my whistle and indicate to stop any further play and run over to the Team A player. My first priority was making sure he was okay as mentioned- the concrete ground underneath the grass. The player was crying, so i call his manager over. I then indicate the free kick against team b and disallow the goal. The Team B managers (one fairly old, one young and well-built enough to be intimidating to a 14 year old like myself), storm on. The younger manager then screams in my face about me disallowing the goal- he thought I'd run over to the player that had got pushed over and taken his word for what had happened, then disallowed the goal. I explained to the Team B managers that I had just checked if he was okay and asked them to get off the pitch- they did. Then I went over to Team A's manager and explained what had happened.
All good. Ready to start again. Then suddenly I hear a shout, a kid from Team B had started a fight, so now we have 22 thirteen year olds rolling around fighting. Myself and the managers go to break up the fight, which we did. Players went back to their own halves. Now, some stupid parent from Team B decides to run onto the pitch and take a lunge at me. The Team B manager gets in the way and the parent is dragged away from the pitch by two other parents. I know now I have to abandon the match- thats not up for debate. I'm worried for my own safety and the kids. I let the managers know but Team B's young manager sqaures up to me and grabs me by the shoulder. I tell him to get off me and I walk away.
I blow my whistle and walk off the pitch to go home, steering clear of all parents. Whilst walking briskly back to the car park the Team A chairman (Chair of the youth and adults division of the town FC) comes up to me and apologizes for what had just happened. I said none of what had happened wasn't his teams fault and he gave me his email and said to copy him in on anything he may need to do.
I then got home and reported it via the whole game system and let my RAO know, as being newly qualified he has been very useful and been a sort-of mentor to me along the way. He said I handled the situation well and the county would be in touch.
Next day I get calls from the league chairman, the Senior Governance Administrator for the county and the county RDO. The event is still being reviewed and a hearing is meant to happen. Their taking the grabbing of me very seriously.
What would you have done differently?
How could I prevent this in the future?
Thanks for taking the time to read this and I look forward to your responses, as you can imaging it was pretty traumatic for me ( a fourteen year old) that's only been fully-qualified since December 2016.