According to the President of the Association of referees of the country, Paul Field, verbal and physical abuse of amateur referees in England is becoming so serious that life is at risk.

The BBC questionnaire, which was answered by over 900 amateur judges, revealed an alarming level of abuse and intimidation, with numerous cases of death threats. “One day in this country, the referee will lose his life. It happened in Holland a few years ago and they really changed their football culture,” Paul Field told the BBC.

Of the 927 participants in the survey, 908 responded that they had been verbally abused either by spectators or by players and coaches. Nearly 300 people said they were physically abused. In addition, 57 people said they or their family received death threats, with almost half saying they were worried about their safety.

Of the 122 judges aged 17 and under who answered questions, more than 100 said they had been subjected to verbal abuse.

Commenting on the investigation, the FA said the abuse of refereeing was “completely unacceptable”.

“With stronger sanctions, leading innovation and a new three-year arbitration strategy to be implemented soon, we are determined to address this issue and create a safer and more inclusive environment for our referees,” he said.

Last year, the FA punished 380 players and managers for attacking or threatening referees. But Field believes the problem is getting worse and fears for the integrity of amateur football referees. She says young women are abused because of their appearance, ethnic minorities are attacked for their religious beliefs and skin color, and “this system of abuse seems to be adopted on a Saturday or Sunday morning,” she told the BBC. .

Attacks on judges are a phenomenon in other countries as well. In 2012, Dutch referee Richard Nieuwenhuizen collapsed and later died after being hit by players after a match in Amsterdam in which his son played.

Source: RES-IPE