Exactly one year since FAI chief executive Jonathan Hill “promised” to protect Irish referees by doing “whatever we have to do to ensure a zero-tolerance policy towards abuse”, the Dublin branch of the Irish Soccer Referees’ Society (ISRS) has unanimously voted for strike action.
All fixtures in Dublin, including futsal and friendlies, are set to be postponed from Friday, November 18th until December 2nd after the ISRS announced a “lack of confidence in the FAI disciplinary control unit (DCU)”.
“Our members voted by show of hands – 175 in favour, zero against, zero abstentions – that we will be withdrawing our services from all football,” wrote Seán Slattery, honorary secretary of the ISRS Dublin branch. “We would like this message to be sent to all branch secretaries nationwide urgently.”
The latest incidents, following the withdrawal of referees from Dublin underage leagues in November 2021 due to an increasing number of abusive incidents, focuses on two cases when referees claim “an assault and an attempted assault” occurred.
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“In both cases,” Slattery continued, “the referees’ word was not taken as fact and six- and seven-match bans were handed out. Our members were outraged when they heard the verdicts first-hand, and also questioned how videos were now being accepted as evidence.
“They also questioned how a manager that was involved in the incident surrounding the assault, and who was then banned for six matches by the league, was still allowed give evidence at the hearing on behalf of the player.
“They also could not understand how the DCU, who we were told would exclusively deal with assault or attempted assault, were then also able to hand out lower suspensions.”
The referees’ body also expressed “no confidence that when the next assault or attempted assault occurs that they will see the proper sanction applied.”
Hill, who has refereed underage football in Ireland, has repeatedly stated a “zero-tolerance” policy will be applied to protect match officials, following incidents in 2021, specifically the case of a young male referee who was so traumatised by what occurred during a game that he was afraid to collect his clothes afterwards.
“I can assure affiliates across the country that the FAI will do whatever is needed to ensure the protection of all our referees – without them we have no game, plain and simple,” said Hill last year. “The small minority of players, coaches, officials and all others guilty of such abuse need to understand that.
“Our disciplinary regulations carry clear and serious sanctions to be enforced on anyone who abuses a match official and we are calling on all leagues to enforce those sanctions.”
Hill’s words are now being contested by the ISRS who believe no games is their only option.
The Irish Times understands that some leagues within Dublin are considering the use of parents as referees during the two-week strike, but the FAI stated on Friday afternoon that they intend to meet representatives from the Dublin branch of the ISRS “without delay” in an effort to halt industrial action on November 18th, adding: “The association again reiterates that all referees must be treated with respect and reminds players, coaches, officials and supporters of their responsibilities in this regard.”
