Mooseybaby
Retired big bad baldy in all black!
First game in a couple of months today, last one of year and it was a spicy one!
Under 13s, 9 goals, 2 evenly matched teams, no cards or trouble from the players, unfortunately some of the parents/spectators were nothing short of disgraceful!
Private social club land, 3 pitches with simultaneous matches taking place , 2 11-a-side parallel to each other with goals offset, a big gap in between the two pitches, so plenty of room for spectators to stand and still have a decent width respect line. Behind one end of the pitch I was on is a 9-a-side, which is at 90 degrees to the 11-a-side pitch. Parents for the 9-a-side match had set up on the line adjacent to the 11-a-side pitch, but still enough room between the two as to not cause a problem.
After an end to end opening, home team took control and went 2-0. Away team recovered and got back to 2-2 at half time. No incidents of real note during first half, however whilst the players were taking their places for a corner at this end, I noticed an elderly spectator on his own facing my pitch and standing close to the goal. Prior to the corner being taken, the spectator started shouting in support of the away team. I held the corner and spoke to the spectator who confirmed he was indeed with the away side, so I politely asked him to move to the side of the pitch, where all the other parents were standing, somewhat reluctantly he walked away.
2nd half and the away team started off on the front foot, home team heads dropped and the away side got themselves a 5-2 lead with less than 10 minutes to play. Due to injuries and illness, home side were forced to play last 10/15 minutes with 10 men and looked well beaten. with about 5 minutes left, home team pulled it back to 3-5 following a goalmouth scramble from a corner. With about a minute left on my watch, they got another one to make it 4-5 after a free kick near the box and the away side looked rattled. Straight from the kick off, home side got the ball back and won another free kick on the edge of the box out wide. Few murmurs of discontent with the decision (another blatant 2 handed shove in the back) including the away team linesman, who decided to have a bit of verbals with one of the home team coaches, up until that point he had been good and helpful, which I dismissed as frustration. Free kick clipped the top of the bar and rolled along the top of the net and then down the back, a few players and most parents thought it had gone in, quick look to confirm it hadn't and blew the full time whistle.
At some point during the 2nd half, whilst the away team were on top, away team player gets a 1 on 1 with the keeper on the edge of the 6 yard box, despite his proximity to goal, tries to take the ball around the keeper but his touch is very heavy and the ball goes out for a goal kick before there's a collision between the attacker and keeper. Cue screams of "penalty" from away parents, look round to see the elderly spectator I asked to move in the first half standing close to the goal again. "That's a blatant penalty ref" he shouts. I explained to him why it couldn't be a penalty, to which he responds "why not?".
Again tell him to move to the side of the pitch and stay there. He eventually reluctantly starts to move away, but not before some verbals with the keeper. Informed him he either watches the match from the side or takes a walk. A while later, can't remember exactly how long, ball goes out for a home goal kick near the corner flag, as I am taking my position up field, I notice the home team linesman is now in "discussion" with the same spectator as well as the keeper again. I went over to find out what was going on, to which both the keeper and home linesman say the elderly gentleman was abusive towards the keeper and had been throughout most of the 2nd half. At this point, felt I had no alternative but to bin the spectator due to his distinct lack of respect for the game and the players on the pitch.
After previous experiences, try to avoid interacting with parents as much as possible during the game, but felt on this occasion I had no choice but to get involved and deal with the problem myself. Whilst I can only really go on what I saw and heard, I was informed by several parents after the game that he had been spouting off and abusing the keeper throughout most of the game and after the full time whistle. I was also told that the away team linesman had made threatening comments towards several home team players after the award of the last kick of the game free kick, which is why one of the home coaches got involved!
Seriously, WTF is wrong with some people?
Sorry for the lengthy post, just trying to get my head together before writing up and submitting the misconduct report with regards to the behaviour of the elderly spectator!
Under 13s, 9 goals, 2 evenly matched teams, no cards or trouble from the players, unfortunately some of the parents/spectators were nothing short of disgraceful!
Private social club land, 3 pitches with simultaneous matches taking place , 2 11-a-side parallel to each other with goals offset, a big gap in between the two pitches, so plenty of room for spectators to stand and still have a decent width respect line. Behind one end of the pitch I was on is a 9-a-side, which is at 90 degrees to the 11-a-side pitch. Parents for the 9-a-side match had set up on the line adjacent to the 11-a-side pitch, but still enough room between the two as to not cause a problem.
After an end to end opening, home team took control and went 2-0. Away team recovered and got back to 2-2 at half time. No incidents of real note during first half, however whilst the players were taking their places for a corner at this end, I noticed an elderly spectator on his own facing my pitch and standing close to the goal. Prior to the corner being taken, the spectator started shouting in support of the away team. I held the corner and spoke to the spectator who confirmed he was indeed with the away side, so I politely asked him to move to the side of the pitch, where all the other parents were standing, somewhat reluctantly he walked away.
2nd half and the away team started off on the front foot, home team heads dropped and the away side got themselves a 5-2 lead with less than 10 minutes to play. Due to injuries and illness, home side were forced to play last 10/15 minutes with 10 men and looked well beaten. with about 5 minutes left, home team pulled it back to 3-5 following a goalmouth scramble from a corner. With about a minute left on my watch, they got another one to make it 4-5 after a free kick near the box and the away side looked rattled. Straight from the kick off, home side got the ball back and won another free kick on the edge of the box out wide. Few murmurs of discontent with the decision (another blatant 2 handed shove in the back) including the away team linesman, who decided to have a bit of verbals with one of the home team coaches, up until that point he had been good and helpful, which I dismissed as frustration. Free kick clipped the top of the bar and rolled along the top of the net and then down the back, a few players and most parents thought it had gone in, quick look to confirm it hadn't and blew the full time whistle.
At some point during the 2nd half, whilst the away team were on top, away team player gets a 1 on 1 with the keeper on the edge of the 6 yard box, despite his proximity to goal, tries to take the ball around the keeper but his touch is very heavy and the ball goes out for a goal kick before there's a collision between the attacker and keeper. Cue screams of "penalty" from away parents, look round to see the elderly spectator I asked to move in the first half standing close to the goal again. "That's a blatant penalty ref" he shouts. I explained to him why it couldn't be a penalty, to which he responds "why not?".
Again tell him to move to the side of the pitch and stay there. He eventually reluctantly starts to move away, but not before some verbals with the keeper. Informed him he either watches the match from the side or takes a walk. A while later, can't remember exactly how long, ball goes out for a home goal kick near the corner flag, as I am taking my position up field, I notice the home team linesman is now in "discussion" with the same spectator as well as the keeper again. I went over to find out what was going on, to which both the keeper and home linesman say the elderly gentleman was abusive towards the keeper and had been throughout most of the 2nd half. At this point, felt I had no alternative but to bin the spectator due to his distinct lack of respect for the game and the players on the pitch.After previous experiences, try to avoid interacting with parents as much as possible during the game, but felt on this occasion I had no choice but to get involved and deal with the problem myself. Whilst I can only really go on what I saw and heard, I was informed by several parents after the game that he had been spouting off and abusing the keeper throughout most of the game and after the full time whistle. I was also told that the away team linesman had made threatening comments towards several home team players after the award of the last kick of the game free kick, which is why one of the home coaches got involved!
Seriously, WTF is wrong with some people?
Sorry for the lengthy post, just trying to get my head together before writing up and submitting the misconduct report with regards to the behaviour of the elderly spectator!
