FAI promises to protect referees after fixtures are cancelled over abuse

FAI chief executive Jonathan Hill has “promised” to protect Irish referees by doing “whatever we have to do to ensure a zero tolerance policy towards abuse” following the withdrawal of officials in the north Dublin schoolboy league and Metropolitan girls league.

Due to an increasing number of abusive incidents, directed at referees, the entire fixture list of matches this weekend have been cancelled.

“I have just been informed that all referees who are refereeing in the NDSL and MGL are withdrawing their services this weekend because of constant abuse and threatening behaviour from managers, players, coaches and supporters,” said Tony Gains, the chief executive of both leagues.

“This weekend a female referee refereeing her first game of three games was abused so badly from the time she entered the pitch, she decided that she is not taking any more of this abuse from these people and she has now decided to give up refereeing entirely,” said Gains via social media. “Another young referee who has only been refereeing for the past two months was petrified on the pitch, he was so afraid even to collect his gear. This abuse he took was absolutely disgraceful.

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“I have also informed our disciplinary committee to have zero tolerance when it comes to these matters and to penalise these culprits where it hurts. Let me remind all our clubs you are responsible for the conduct of managers, players, coaches and supporters.

“This is a sad day for football and I hope we will learn from what is happening this weekend.”

The FAI responded with a promise to Irish referees that any “abuse will not be tolerated and will be punished.”

Jonathan Hill, the FAI’s chief executive, said: “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.

“The small minority of players, coaches, officials and all others guilty of such abuse need to understand that. They must know that Irish football and the FAI will do whatever we have to do to ensure a zero tolerance policy towards abuse of any match official.

“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.”