Crowd trouble

[Martiju]

This is a first for me. I did a game yesterday where a load of teenagers came into the ground at the beginning of the second half and were loudly abusing everyone. As far as I could tell they weren't affiliated with either team. Some of the players complained to me, including saying that the club asst on that side was also getting abused (this is where I think I could/should have intervened). I'd been saying to ignore them - and also that the only thing I could do would be to call on the home team to ask them to leave otherwise I'd have to abandon the game - I was concerned that would be an overreaction and might escalate things further anyway (it was quite a tense match as it was).

Anyway, with about 10 mins to go all hell broke loose in the stand and I got myself over there quickly as players from both sides confronted these lads. At that point I asked one of the players to bring their manager over, but before they arrived the boys left. I did apologise to the players afterwards for not taking action earlier, but on replaying events in my mind I'm still not sure whether it would have helped or not. Perhaps there was a middle ground where I reported my concerns to the home team and got them involved earlier? On the other hand spectators are often vocal and abusive, and we rarely acknowledge it at all.

So, just wondered what the great and good on here think?

 

[ChasObserverRefDeveloper]

This is a first for me. I did a game yesterday where a load of teenagers came into the ground at the beginning of the second half and were loudly abusing everyone. As far as I could tell they weren't affiliated with either team. Some of the players complained to me, including saying that the club asst on that side was also getting abused (this is where I think I could/should have intervened). I'd been saying to ignore them - and also that the only thing I could do would be to call on the home team to ask them to leave otherwise I'd have to abandon the game - I was concerned that would be an overreaction and might escalate things further anyway (it was quite a tense match as it was).

Anyway, with about 10 mins to go all hell broke loose in the stand and I got myself over there quickly as players from both sides confronted these lads. At that point I asked one of the players to bring their manager over, but before they arrived the boys left. I did apologise to the players afterwards for not taking action earlier, but on replaying events in my mind I'm still not sure whether it would have helped or not. Perhaps there was a middle ground where I reported my concerns to the home team and got them involved earlier? On the other hand spectators are often vocal and abusive, and we rarely acknowledge it at all.

So, just wondered what the great and good on here think?

What level was the game? Were the spectators abusive personally to you/your AR? Were Respect stewards/marshals in place?
As there was a stand, I assume it was a private ground - if so, and the abuse was affecting your AR or you or the players, delay a restart while you speak to the home manager with the option of removing them or reducing the abuse. As they weren't supporters of either side, both managers could be informed and joint action by them suggested.
If it continues, suspend the game, take the players off, have the yobs removed, shut the gates and restart

 

[Anubis]

Need a bit more context, to see who is responsible

 

[Martiju]

What level was the game? Were the spectators abusive personally to you/your AR? Were Respect stewards/marshals in place?
As there was a stand, I assume it was a private ground - if so, and the abuse was affecting your AR or you or the players, delay a restart while you speak to the home manager with the option of removing them or reducing the abuse. As they weren't supporters of either side, both managers could be informed and joint action by them suggested.
If it continues, suspend the game, take the players off, have the yobs removed, shut the gates and restart

Not a very high level game, non-paying but high enough to be in a private ground. Apparently abusive to the Club AR, though I didn't hear that myself and he didn't indicate as much (though in hindsight I should've gone over for a chat with him when the players complained about it). Absolutely agree I should've involved the home manager sooner - I wasn't aware until later that they weren't supporters of either side, but that probably doesn't matter if they're abusive?

I guess my real question is that we've all officiated games when the crowd is rowdy/abusive - at what point should you stop the game and take action?

 

[ARF]

This is a first for me. I did a game yesterday where a load of teenagers came into the ground at the beginning of the second half and were loudly abusing everyone. As far as I could tell they weren't affiliated with either team. Some of the players complained to me, including saying that the club asst on that side was also getting abused (this is where I think I could/should have intervened). I'd been saying to ignore them - and also that the only thing I could do would be to call on the home team to ask them to leave otherwise I'd have to abandon the game - I was concerned that would be an overreaction and might escalate things further anyway (it was quite a tense match as it was).

Anyway, with about 10 mins to go all hell broke loose in the stand and I got myself over there quickly as players from both sides confronted these lads. At that point I asked one of the players to bring their manager over, but before they arrived the boys left. I did apologise to the players afterwards for not taking action earlier, but on replaying events in my mind I'm still not sure whether it would have helped or not. Perhaps there was a middle ground where I reported my concerns to the home team and got them involved earlier? On the other hand spectators are often vocal and abusive, and we rarely acknowledge it at all.

So, just wondered what the great and good on here think?

Pause the game for a few minutes, look the other way, and let the players go sort them out

On a marginally more serious note, at grassroots level where the public have free access and there are few to no stewards or club officials, unless the little sh*ts clear off of their own volition then I really don't think there's much you can do other than a) ignore them and get on with the game, or b) stop the game until they leave.

Edit: as it's a private ground, I'd be stopping the game and instructing the home club to make every effort to remove them (including phoning the police if they refuse to leave). Then you'd possibly be looking at abandoning, depending on whether they still wouldn't leave, and how long it would take the police to get there. Clearly their presence has affected your match control, so there's no way I'd have been happy to continue playing while they remained.

 

[RustyRef]

If at a venue with public access there isn't a huge amount you can do, you certainly can't and shouldn't be trying to deal with them yourself. You could ask the players if they want to pause, and I suspect the little so and sos would depart the scene pretty quickly if 22 adults decided to tell them what they thought of them. If it is a private venue then it is down to the home club to speak to a groundsman or someone in authority and you can halt the game until they have gone. In a public park you have no chance, realistically only the police could remove them.

If it was in a semi-pro game and they had paid to enter then it very much becomes the home team's problem. Players are abused at many games (ask Harry Maguire) it isn't for the referee to deal with, although if it is extreme or discriminatory in nature they need to report it after, and potentially halt the game until the offending people have been removed if it is really bad.

 

[Martiju]

If at a venue with public access there isn't a huge amount you can do, you certainly can't and shouldn't be trying to deal with them yourself. You could ask the players if they want to pause, and I suspect the little so and sos would depart the scene pretty quickly if 22 adults decided to tell them what they thought of them. If it is a private venue then it is down to the home club to speak to a groundsman or someone in authority and you can halt the game until they have gone. In a public park you have no chance, realistically only the police could remove them.

If it was in a semi-pro game and they had paid to enter then it very much becomes the home team's problem. Players are abused at many games (ask Harry Maguire) it isn't for the referee to deal with, although if it is extreme or discriminatory in nature they need to report it after, and potentially halt the game until the offending people have been removed if it is really bad.

Thanks for this - I think you've captured what my thoughts were at the time there. I think if this happened again - with the players complaining - I would call the managers together at a stoppage and ask if they wanted to pause and see if they could be removed.

This hasn't happened to me in any other game though, so maybe will never happen again?!

 

[george.g]

This hasn't happened to me in any other game though, so maybe will never happen again?!

I would say, as much as you hope this doesn't happen again, always go in prepared for it, and use the advice from here to deal with it better next time. Have to say though, it sounded like a difficult one given them being neutral ect.

 

[RustyRef]

Thanks for this - I think you've captured what my thoughts were at the time there. I think if this happened again - with the players complaining - I would call the managers together at a stoppage and ask if they wanted to pause and see if they could be removed.

This hasn't happened to me in any other game though, so maybe will never happen again?!

Expect the unexpected. At one semi-pro ground in North London there were two incidents within months. For the first a group of local youths ran onto the pitch during the game brandishing the corner flags at players. For the second a player was sent off and went into the "tunnel", unfortunately at the time the tunnel wasn't really that, and rather it was under the stand where they stored the groundman's tools, the changing rooms were in a separate building behind the stand. Aforementioned player picked up a pitchfork and emerged back onto the pitch brandishing it, leading to police being called and the game being abandoned.

Although this was in North London so probably not the norm

 

[Martiju]

I would say, as much as you hope this doesn't happen again, always go in prepared for it, and use the advice from here to deal with it better next time. Have to say though, it sounded like a difficult one given them being neutral ect.

Oh absolutely . I still go into games thinking about things that happened years ago, just in case!