I was assaulted today...

[Padfoot]

I was, and I did. I was asked a couple of questions about positioning on the pitch and the severity of the push by the panel, before the club representative asked questions and insinuated that I had walked aggressively towards the player. The club had asked that I wasn't present whilst witnesses were called, so I left (what's all that about.

I'm furious.

They didn't want you present because they didn't want you to see how many lies they were going to tell!

I would be contacting Ian Blanchard and letting him how totally unsupported you feel and how you are tempted to walk way from the game.

I've been in a similar situation but the CFA didn't even bring assault charges let alone progress it to a hearing!

 

[SM]

They didn't give you the chance to ask any questions of the witnesses? I was of the belief that you were to ask the witnesses questions after they have presented their lies, I mean, statement. Is that not the case with you guys?

 

[Matthew]

i would not be doing those games that you have already booked in, personally.

You have decided in taking a break, which i do not fall out with, so why not start that with immediate affect.

Dont let the ba*****s get you done pal!!

I've got one in the morning, so didn't want to leave them without a ref twenty four hours before the game....I've got a couple of academy games that I was looking forward to too, so I want to do those.

They didn't want you present because they didn't want you to see how many lies they were going to tell!

I would be contacting Ian Blanchard and letting him how totally unsupported you feel and how you are tempted to walk way from the game.

I've been in a similar situation but the CFA didn't even bring assault charges let alone progress it to a hearing!

I will do just that, but when I've calmed down. I genuinely don't know what to think at the moment.

Wait, you were assaulted and the CFA did nothing?

They didn't give you the chance to ask any questions of the witnesses? I was of the belief that you were to ask the witnesses questions after they have presented their lies, I mean, statement. Is that not the case with you guys?

Apparently not, I just don't get why I have no right to hear and challenge the lies that must have been told in that room. I was told that only the panel and club representative can question me, and only the panel any witnesses.

 

[Mace]

i may be being naive here, why did the panel ask you about the severity of the push, what difference does it make, a push is a push isn't it? 3 games is joke

 

[Beezer]

I wonder if a referee has been assaulted in Rugby ?

If so has the player involved ever played again ?

Probably not .

 

[Hartlepool_ref]

I would do those games - then tell your FA that you're rapping in for a while and tell them exactly why and also tell them that you'll be discouraging other potential referees because the lack of support they get is disgusting and use yourself as an example !

 

[SM]

I wouldn't advise doing that @Hartlepool_ref - nothing wrong with highlighting your feeling of being let down and wanting time away but the other stuff is unnecessary.

 

[Hartlepool_ref]

Well that's what I would do personally, purely because I wouldn't want another, younger, less experienced referee to go through that.
Being assaulted wouldn't make me discourage potential referees - toothless FAs will. I'm quite lucky because my FA would give at least half a season ban for a push or something like that.

 

[RegalRef]

I would do those games - then tell your FA that you're rapping in for a while and tell them exactly why and also tell them that you'll be discouraging other potential referees because the lack of support they get is disgusting and use yourself as an example !

That's refereeing suicide, and shocking advice.

By all means explain your feelings towards your case but a threat like that is hardly going to make your CFA back you in the future or review its actions.

 

[Monotone Whistle]

This is extremely bad news and I hope you have a good think about it and continue on with the game. Your CFA have let you down here and I would certainly be telling them that.

If I may play devil's advocate, it's the process that's at fault here and to be fair to the panel, based on the actual evidence presented, they may have made the only decision they could. I absolutely do not accept this as the right decision of course, but the process doesn't automatically assume the referee is telling the truth.

It's possible that if you had abandoned, the result may have been different,at least for the club involved if not the player himself.

 

[Brian Hamilton]

This is extremely bad news and I hope you have a good think about it and continue on with the game. Your CFA have let you down here and I would certainly be telling them that.

If I may play devil's advocate, it's the process that's at fault here and to be fair to the panel, based on the actual evidence presented, they may have made the only decision they could. I absolutely do not accept this as the right decision of course, but the process doesn't automatically assume the referee is telling the truth.

It's possible that if you had abandoned, the result may have been different,at least for the club involved if not the player himself.

THIS.

The system constrains the punishment the panel can impose. Amateur football cried foul for many years challenging the fact that punishments for offences within the professional game were expressed in terms of matches but amateur offences were expressed in terms of days.

The FA changed the amateur punishments to bring them into line with the professional ones. Abandonment sends a loud and clear message to any panel and will always result a heavier punishment when an offence is proven. If you are assaulted, abandon, simple as that. Don't be brave, don't soldier on, don't listen to players who say it wasn't that bad. Just abandon. Once you've done that speak to a more experienced referee and get advice on how to word your report so it sticks, then send it in.

 

[Padfoot]

Wonder how long he would have been banned for if he had defended himself and put the player on his arse?

As a competent martial artist, and former amateur boxer, I feel reasonably confident that should I choose to defend myself in an assault situation the outcome won't be pleasant for the assaulter. And it is enshrined in law that if you feel under threat of imminent attack you can strike first to preserve your own safety or the safety of others......

However, I suspect that the CFA would take a very different line.......

 

[Matthew]

Thanks again for the advice!

I will be emailing the CFA and letting them know how let down I feel, but I'm not in the business of burning bridges; very unhappy with the panel, but ultimately they're working within the constraints of a fundamentally flawed system.

@Brian Hamilton Whilst I agree that abandonment was absolutely the best option, and something I know I should've done, a game shouldn't need to be abandoned for the CFA to take strong action.

@Padfoot Exactly! I can hazard a pretty good guess that I wouldn't be refereeing any time soon had I put the player on his backside. That would be awful, and should draw serious sanctions the same as any assault on a match official.

 

[Brian Hamilton]

Thanks again for the advice!

I will be emailing the CFA and letting them know how let down I feel, but I'm not in the business of burning bridges; very unhappy with the panel, but ultimately they're working within the constraints of a fundamentally flawed system.

@Brian Hamilton Whilst I agree that abandonment was absolutely the best option, and something I know I should've done, a game shouldn't need to be abandoned for the CFA to take strong action.

@Padfoot Exactly! I can hazard a pretty good guess that I wouldn't be refereeing any time soon had I put the player on his backside. That would be awful, and should draw serious sanctions the same as any assault on a match official.

Unfortunately @Matthew that's the way the schedule of punishments is written. You see if a game is abandoned, then the offending club is often hit with a fine that many will find difficult to fund. In addition, a Chartered Standard club would lose their accreditation. This leads to a loss of funding as well. Sometimes that is so severe, the club cannot continue. That should be enough to encourage clubs to keep their players under control.

And please don't take my comments as criticism of your actions, I'm simply providing information to help others should they find themselves in a similar situation.

 

[Matthew]

Unfortunately @Matthew that's the way the schedule of punishments is written. You see if a game is abandoned, then the offending club is often hit with a fine that many will find difficult to fund. In addition, a Chartered Standard club would lose their accreditation. This leads to a loss of funding as well. Sometimes that is so severe, the club cannot continue. That should be enough to encourage clubs to keep their players under control.

And please don't take my comments as criticism of your actions, I'm simply providing information to help others should they find themselves in a similar situation.

Thanks Brian, it wasn't taken as a criticism at all!