A&H

Open Age Ridicolous

Phonesurgeon

Phonesurgeon

Cook, Cleaner and Bottle Washer
Level 7 Referee
When you think you heard and seen it all, well you get reminded of the stupidity of fans.

Step 6 League, I'm assistant, away team fans behind me, they all try to bate me, I don't bite I class that as white noise.
So some parents sends their kids(x2) on the pitch, to which I say "off the pitch please".
They started getting aggressive, you can't talk to my kid like that, the kids are off the pitch, I go silent and concentrate on game.
Kids starts with name calling, egged on from parents they start with racist slur (I'm not british), then the slur turns homophobic, and after that it turns very personal, and the gormless father eggs them on as well.
By this point I want to turn around and go nuclear with the stupid halfwits and their hellspawns, but a glance at my watch and there's only 3vminutes to go, so I bite my tongue, and as the treasurer comes in with our fees, I explode, told him exactly who they were, what they said and even the time in game.

It's absolutely disgustingly ridiculous
 
The Referee Store
Totally unacceptable from the spectators.

What I will say the time to raise the issue is immediately, not afterwards. Get the referee over tell him what's been said and whats happened. There is a set protocol to deal with this behaviour but it are a layer of difficulty reporting it after the fact.

We absolutely shouldn't hold our tongue when racism, homophobia or other form of prejudicial abuse is happening.
 
Phonesurgeon said:
When you think you heard and seen it all, well you get reminded of the stupidity of fans.

Step 6 League, I'm assistant, away team fans behind me, they all try to bate me, I don't bite I class that as white noise.
So some parents sends their kids(x2) on the pitch, to which I say "off the pitch please".
They started getting aggressive, you can't talk to my kid like that, the kids are off the pitch, I go silent and concentrate on game.
Kids starts with name calling, egged on from parents they start with racist slur (I'm not british), then the slur turns homophobic, and after that it turns very personal, and the gormless father eggs them on as well.
By this point I want to turn around and go nuclear with the stupid halfwits and their hellspawns, but a glance at my watch and there's only 3vminutes to go, so I bite my tongue, and as the treasurer comes in with our fees, I explode, told him exactly who they were, what they said and even the time in game.

It's absolutely disgustingly ridiculous
Click to expand...
If it happens again, ask the referee to come over and they can initiate the FA protocol procedure laid down for these thankfully rare cases.
Well done re not reacting at the time.
 
@Phonesurgeon
Sorry to hear of your experience, it shouldn’t happen and simply isn’t acceptable. I would also commend you on the restraint that you have demonstrated during the game.

I would however suggest that you should have called the referee over immediately. They can then initiate the processes/protocols to deal with it.

One thing you need to do know is to make sure you have comprehensive notes of the whole incident as they will be needed by the CFA in dealing with it and make sure that you report all elements.
 
Thanks guy for the advice.
I have everything written down, once I exited the ground, in car, I started to write down everything that happened.
I'm in 2 minds whether to report to League, or going down the racism route to the FA?

What would you guys suggest?
 
It has to be reported.
But you need to loop the referee in. If you report it, and he doesn't it will place him in a difficult position.
Even if he reports something along the lines of after the match i was made aware of X y and z by @Phonesurgeon. As the game had ended it was reported to the home team with no action taken at the time as I wasn't made aware.
 
Phonesurgeon said:
Thanks guy for the advice.
I have everything written down, once I exited the ground, in car, I started to write down everything that happened.
I'm in 2 minds whether to report to League, or going down the racism route to the FA?

What would you guys suggest?
Click to expand...
You and the referee should report to The FA, and it would be sensible to advise the League and your CFA RDO also.
 
JamesL said:
It has to be reported.
But you need to loop the referee in. If you report it, and he doesn't it will place him in a difficult position.
Even if he reports something along the lines of after the match i was made aware of X y and z by @Phonesurgeon. As the game had ended it was reported to the home team with no action taken at the time as I wasn't made aware.
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Yup spoke to ref, he said he didn't hear it, but whatever I decide to do, he support my decision and asked me to be copied in, by an email.
 
Phonesurgeon said:
Yup spoke to ref, he said he didn't hear it, but whatever I decide to do, he support my decision and asked me to be copied in, by an email.
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If, as your post says, the allegation is racism and homophobia he 100% has to report it himself. Being copied in doesn't cut it. It needs to be reported by both of you in the proper way (Wholegame extraordinary report).

If he doesn't I expect he will be having a very, very challenging conversation with the CFA.
 
JamesL said:
If, as your post says, the allegation is racism and homophobia he 100% has to report it himself. Being copied in doesn't cut it. It needs to be reported by both of you in the proper way (Wholegame extraordinary report).

If he doesn't I expect he will be having a very, very challenging conversation with the CFA.
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Even if I was AR2? On WGS.
 
Little update:

Just had a lengthy conversation and even lengthier email with the ref, and he's going to report the incident on WGS, and he'll contact the league secretary to let him know.
 
Phonesurgeon said:
Even if I was AR2? On WGS.
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Yes. All misconduct, even as AR should be done via whole game. When you got to select role you will choose assistant referee instead of referee and submit in the normal way.
Phonesurgeon said:
Little update:

Just had a lengthy conversation and even lengthier email with the ref, and he's going to report the incident on WGS, and he'll contact the league secretary to let him know.
Click to expand...
Very sensible outcome, and good to see the ref has taken note 👍🏻
 
Further update:

In a nutshell, CFA investigated, and as they couldn't identify who's spectators was the culprit, they took no action. With an invitation to have more stewards, and copy of code of conduct! All in all a whitewash.

Disappointed, disheartened and disillusioned
 
Phonesurgeon said:
Further update:

In a nutshell, CFA investigated, and as they couldn't identify who's spectators was the culprit, they took no action. With an invitation to have more stewards, and copy of code of conduct! All in all a whitewash.

Disappointed, disheartened and disillusioned
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Unfortunately this is more than common now. I was called a f***ing c**t earlier in the season and the culprit was fined £10. The action taken is never strong enough.
 
george.g said:
What was the charge for, to warrant just £10?
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He was charged with threatening behaviour towards a match official, if I remember correctly, as the comment was part of a very shouty one-sided stand off. £10 is basically just an admin charge! When I raised that with the league, I got told to ask the CFA, who just told me to ask the league. So it doesn't sound like they knew either.
 
Gabriel said:
He was charged with threatening behaviour towards a match official, if I remember correctly, as the comment was part of a very shouty one-sided stand off. £10 is basically just an admin charge! When I raised that with the league, I got told to ask the CFA, who just told me to ask the league. So it doesn't sound like they knew either.
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The £10 is less than the standard admin fee.
How long ago was the incident?
Do you know for a fact that the player has not been disciplined? In some counties the results of disciplinary hearings are published, but very few.
 
ChasObserverRefDeveloper said:
The £10 is less than the standard admin fee.
How long ago was the incident?
Do you know for a fact that the player has not been disciplined? In some counties the results of disciplinary hearings are published, but very few.
Click to expand...
It was a while ago now, looking before October time. My CFA doesn't publish their disciplinary hearing outcomes, and I was only told via email when I asked what actually happened. It may well have been a typo but I was told it was a low fine as the "evidence was limited". I have no criticisms though because it was just a case of he said, she said that time, as it was made outside of most people's earshot and many had left by that time. They apologised to me when I refereed their team a month later, so again, no criticisms. I just found it unusually low as a punishment.
 
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