A&H

What's up with these people?

M

markref

Well-Known Member
I'm not sure how to write this, but I had a truly awful game this afternoon and need to say something.
I had four cautions and two reds. But it was what happened afterwards I find worrying.

I've refereed for over twenty years and have never come across anything so savage before. One of the home team had a very short fuse. I sent him off in the last minute, ten minutes after he had come on as a sub and five minutes after cautioning him. I checked he went to the dressing room before restarting. But he went in, trashed it, came back out and punched an opponent. The opponent reacted, but then his mrs tried to get their dog to attack the player. The home Secretary (female) tried to intervene, worried about the dog, and was assaulted by a third female spectator. She was then also assaulted twice by the away player. It really kicked off at this point. I had players, spectators dogs and everything else you can think of getting involved.

I managed to get them all calmed down with my whistle and got the away team to leave the ground so it couldn't kick off again. The home team secretary is heavily pregnant. She was on the ground crying both with pain and also scared about the baby, while we waited for the ambulance. Her kids were terrified because of what they'd seen so they were crying as well, and her husband looked like he wasn't far away either. I'm hoping she hasn't lost the baby but after what I saw I'm not hopeful.

It was a generally nice tempered game played in great weather. That should not have happened. And now I feel awful.
 
The Referee Store
I hope you report everything that you saw and they get whats coming to them..sounds truly despicable behaviour.

I also hope that criminal charges are brought as there is no place for that kind of behaviour in society not least anywhere near or in the name of football.
 
One would hope the player you sent off never gets to lace his boots again. Utter disgrace.

Fu$%^ng retards some players.
 
I've just spoken to the husband, who said that mother and baby appear to be ok, she's being kept in to make sure. That's a relief, although as stated before unexpected.
The guy who did it was one of two older players in the side and was the calming influence for his side. During the game he kept his side under control when necessary. (The other one was sent off during the game.) After the game he changed completely. Had to be in his early 40s, so plenty old enough to know better.
 
Don't feel awful, it's the player that has committed not only an offence under the laws of the game, but a crime. In fact, multiple. It sounds like you have a lot of paperwork to fill out, so make sure everything is correct and accurate.
 
Honestly, I'd be trying to keep out of such a situation as best I can. It should be a police matter, not a refereeing issue.
 
Wow, this is disturbing - would have been very distressing to see/be a part of. I think you've done the right thing - the game couldn't continue while this is happening. Of course getting involved with spectators and a highly violent and unstable player you've sent off is putting yourself at risk - but I would have done the same thing. Good call on the abandonment, and good on you for staying and looking after her. I also think you've done the right thing in offering your details as a witness (reading between the lines here but it seems like you did that).
 
Thanks to all for your help / input.
I used my whistle to get players' attention without actually getting in amongst them - I'm mad but I'm not stupid! I have a VERY loud whistle (125dB) and it hurts if you're close. When I really hit it players tend to stop what they're doing, and I've never blown it as loud as I did on this occasion. That stopped everyone from getting even more involved although I think they will already be hit hard. Once I got their attention I shouted at them to split up - "red players over there, blue players over there! Now!" I think once I'd got them to stop they realised just how stupidly they had behaved, because there were a lot of sheepish looks as they split up, and the away team left very quietly.

I spent four hours on Saturday evening writing reports.
I agree, it's a Police matter, but I couldn't let them just get on with it. Apart from anything I had a woman lying on the floor crying / screaming while idiots were shoving each other on top of her. It seemed like the right thing to do at the time. There was actually a major RTA just up the road while the game was going on, so all the Police / Ambulances / Fire Engines in the area were already tied up.
The police never did show up on the day, but I gave my details to the ambulance crew to pass on.
I've only had to go to court once about an incident in a match, but I think this will be a second time.

It was a really disturbing incident, but it didn't really hit me until that evening just how bad it actually was.
 
Well done for remaining calm and hope the woman and children are ok after witnessing this. Chin up I suspect that is a once in as lifetime game.
 
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