A&H

Serious Assault

Folks,

I understand that this is an emotive subject and we will all have opinions/thoughts on the events and what processes etc should follow.

Can we however just be careful to ensure that we don’t get personal or descend into personal criticism of anyone or group associated please.

Thanks.
 
The Referee Store
Sorry but that’s just pathetic.

I was born and bred in the area where this assault happened.....in fact used to use New River for our athletics at school.....so I know all about the area.

If we follow your logic....he won’t have reported the cards for fear of reprisal....the LFA won’t take action against players or clubs for fear of reprisal.....and so on.

If he’s not prepared to follow up with the Police he shouldn’t expect much from the FA. The Police have much more power to deal with the offenders than the FA.......

Nonsense.

The FA can and should deal with the players and team (and probably supporters linked to the team or committee members) as they wish with or without police involvement. There are sanctions in place for the FA to punish the offenders within their jurisdiction if they've committed an offence. This is separate to police involvement. The referee probably will never want to referee in that league again. There are plenty of others with less hassle and better safety. I'm guessing he's content for the FA to do as they please, but isn't too bothered because it doesn't help him in anyway if the offenders are banned for however many games etc or whatever because it doesn't affect him. It seems like the players were causing a big fuss and some were involved but also spectators or those with links with to the team. The FA once viewing this footage should be dealing with it and bringing charges regardless of the referee's cooperation. I know they are on the case already.

He would report the cards as usual, the LFA would take action as necessary. These are football matters, typical football matters which everyone would accept. Speaking and making charges against the individuals is a police matter. These people involved (if they are kicking referees on the floor) have no fear of the law or what is right morally. Just because he doesn't want to follow up with the police doesn't mean he shouldn't expect much from the FA. The FA can and will punish the offenders and team involved within football. That's all they can do with or without the police. Like I said, the police will give the offenders a slap on the wrist at best and that's if they can identify the individuals involved.

You may have been brought up in the area, but I also know the area, the communities, the mentality and the current state of the area. If you think a referee reporting the cards is the same as pressing charges involving the police then you are out of touch with the area. It's the referees own judgement to make the call regarding involving the police, but if he generally feels there could be repercussions then how about we don't sit here and blame him because he's probably worried about getting a knife in the chest when he's picking his kids up from school in the afternoon.

We should be looking at:

The general behaviour in this league
The spectators and the non-playing staff's proximity to the pitch
The general attitude and respect/behaviour towards match officials
What we can do to protect referees in these leagues
And how we protect them if they need to speak with police or make allegations/give evidence.

The Turkish and Greek Leagues in North London have been at boiling point for decades now, going back when my father used to play in them decades ago. There is money exchanged between clubs, players paid, officials being paid off, backhanders galore, and that's before you even get onto the pitch.

It's easy to sit behind a forum and say this and that, but I have a hard time having a go at a referee who has refereed a difficult game in volatile conditions, is then surrounded by a bunch of lunatics after the final whistle, deems it necessary to run for his safety, gets his head kicked in whilst he's on the floor, and then most likely due to fear wants to draw a line in the sand and leave it at that. He goes to police, unless they put him in witness protection then he's looking at potential violent repercussions. But that's his fault I guess.
 
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Whose jurisdiction does this game come under...? it's two turkish teams so I dont know.

Obviously criminal proceedings, if any (I am lead to believe from a ref online article the referee has declined to press any charges, not that that should matter), would be by UK police but does the match still come under London CFA?
 
Whose jurisdiction does this game come under...? it's two turkish teams so I dont know.

Obviously criminal proceedings, if any (I am lead to believe from a ref online article the referee has declined to press any charges, not that that should matter), would be by UK police but does the match still come under London CFA?

As far as I am aware, in fact I'm pretty sure, the KOPA League (Greek League) and Turkish League still fall under the local association (guessing London FA) jurisdiction. I believe they enter teams in the FA Sunday Cup etc. They might seem like at first glance private community kind of leagues but they are full fledged leagues and they've always been towards the higher standard of Sunday League in London.
 
As far as I am aware, in fact I'm pretty sure, the KOPA League (Greek League) and Turkish League still fall under the local association (guessing London FA) jurisdiction. I believe they enter teams in the FA Sunday Cup etc. They might seem like at first glance private community kind of leagues but they are full fledged leagues and they've always been towards the higher standard of Sunday League in London.
Ah so they are based in London. Didnt know if they were just visiting ....
 
An association I know about has a couple of clubs with constant disciplinary issues like this (not as bad) with regular abandoned games. Here is the kicker, the president of both clubs are directors of the FA board with one being the chair person.
 
An association I know about has a couple of clubs with constant disciplinary issues like this (not as bad) with regular abandoned games. Here is the kicker, the president of both clubs are directors of the FA board with one being the chair person.
Don’t start me on County FAs with interesting links. They couldn’t even dig their self out of a hole when they were legally asked for pertinent information in my case. They close ranks and batten down!
 
They have to wait for police inquiries to conclude? Or they choose to wait?

Why wouldn't the video evidence be considered?

They have to wait, that is in the FA regulations. There are lots of cases of leagues taking action against players and / or teams only to be told by the CFA or FA to withdraw the action of face sanctions themselves.
 
Sorry but that’s just pathetic.

I was born and bred in the area where this assault happened.....in fact used to use New River for our athletics at school.....so I know all about the area.

If we follow your logic....he won’t have reported the cards for fear of reprisal....the LFA won’t take action against players or clubs for fear of reprisal.....and so on.

If he’s not prepared to follow up with the Police he shouldn’t expect much from the FA. The Police have much more power to deal with the offenders than the FA.......

The area is a heck of a lot different now to when you were born and brought up there. There are frequent stabbings and shootings in Wood Green and the surrounding area, and it is known there are a lot of gang clashes. Some of those gangs are Turkish, and get on the wrong side of them and you are going to be living your life in fear. Sad I know, but that is how it is - I don't live far away but will avoid that area if I can, especially late at night.
 
The area is a heck of a lot different now to when you were born and brought up there. There are frequent stabbings and shootings in Wood Green and the surrounding area, and it is known there are a lot of gang clashes. Some of those gangs are Turkish, and get on the wrong side of them and you are going to be living your life in fear. Sad I know, but that is how it is - I don't live far away but will avoid that area if I can, especially late at night.

Doesn’t sound like it has changed much at all......always were gangs....the Turks and the Greeks always had a big presence....

Don’t get me wrong, I do have some sympathy with the referee and his reasons for not going to the police.....but sometimes you just have to do the right thing. A life lived in fear etc etc
 
Sadly we had a murder here in Sheffield earlier this week, 15 year old boy. WTF is wrong with society when knives are used in simple childish disputes.
Fists is one thing, knives and guns are a complete different thing and I too would be cautious! The FA should act, and act tough but they’ll be some do-gooder somewhere smoothing it over and kicking it into the long grass!
 
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