5 year ban for punching ref (Soccer)

[collybs]

http://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/local-news/bedworth-football-thug-who-punched-6311463

Football thug who punched ref in face gets five-year ban
16 Nov 2013 12:18

Bedworth player who failed to turn up for hearing punished in his absence

A Sunday league footballer has been banned from the game for five years after punching a referee in the face.

The player failed to turn up for a disciplinary hearing and was handed the punishment in his absence.

The unprovoked assault came during a game in Bedworth which was abandoned after the incident. The Nuneaton & District Sunday Football League and the County FA issued the ban.

The player had been asked to give his version of events in front of the disciplinary committee at Birmingham FA, which handles local football disciplinary matters, but then phoned beforehand to say he would not be attending.

The committee made the decision in his absence, finding him guilty of assaulting a match official and he will not be able to step on to a pitch at any level until at least November 2018.

The maximum punishment for assaulting a referee is a ban of ten years.

Birmingham FA chief executive Mike Pennick said: “The case was dealt with in the player’s absence and he was suspended with no review for five years.”

The incident happened during a match in September between Nuneaton side Attleborough Potters and Sporting Newman, at Heckley Fields in Bedworth.

The Attleborough player attacked the official as he was about to send him off, before players from both teams intervened and the game was abandoned after just 20 minutes.

The referee suffered a cut to his face that saw him visit hospital for a check-up.

Potters immediately suspended the player and club secretary Jack Underhill said of the five-year ban: “I have passed the information on to the player and he is disappointed, but I don’t know what else to expect.

“As a club we complied with everything the FA asked of us and he will never play for us again, as there is no place for things like that at our club.”

Do you think that 5 years is long enough or should it be a life ban?

 

[Blackberry]

A call to the police would have been in order too.

I understand that if a match official is assaulted the police take an especially poor view. Is this just a myth? A club ref was assaulted locally to us, and the police were not summoned, but it was said afterwards the police would have taken action. The thing to watch out for in the highly unlikely event it happens to you is that you get a kind of victim/was it partly my fault/don't want to make a fuss syndrome, compounded by the fact that you are alone, not part of a team or a group. I don't dwell on these incidents, but early on worked out my actions if this happened to me or one of the reffing team, and I would, once the situation was safe to do so, say loudly "Please call the police, there has been an assault", confirm that this has happened, then await events. All the wheels have been set in motion and you have to simply await the police and tell them what happened to you.

 

[Account Deleted]

Not long enough. Life ban.

 

[Toby Warren]

Why would any sport allow a player that assults an offical EVER play the game again?

 

[4eyesbetter]

What, there's no possibility that anyone could possibly turn themselves round and be able to contribute positively?

(Having said that, I prefer the attitude that Middlesex used to have, which was a sine die ban reviewable after 5 years had passed; if the player wanted to come back they could attempt to show a reformed character, and if not they stayed suspended.)

 

[didds]

Why would any sport allow a player that assults an offical EVER play the game again?

exactly.

It speaks volumes.

And totally agree about teh assault/police thing.

didds

 

[Browner]

It's bad, agree with calling cops..... As i've said previously, i'd favour a managed return to sport via a qualifying period that saw him qualify to & then referee at least a couple of years worth of football matches ......... if he has the appetite for this then he will likely become a poacher turned preacher, which will benefit........... I am a romantic wish-hard for sure !

 

[menace]

"The maximum punishment for assaulting a referee is a ban of ten years."

WTF? Is that all?
It should be life.
Bloody soccer.

Even so, the guy further shows contempt if the system by not showing up and still only gets 1/2 the max sentence? That makes it even more pathetic. They should have at least slapped him with the maximum for showing his disrespect for the system on top of the act!

 

[Browner]

It's bad, agree with calling cops..... As i've said previously, i'd favour a managed return to sport via a qualifying period that saw him qualify to & then referee at least a couple of years worth of football matches ......... if he has the appetite for this then he will likely become a poacher turned preacher, which will benefit........... I am a romantic wish-hard for sure !

+ .... All this after he's served his doubled ban for the contemptuous non appearance. Who knows he might only be 18 & able to devote 20 years of his life coaching kids ONCE he's proven & demonstrated he's reformed.

Same newspaper article >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
"The county FA s disciplinary team are also preparing to make a decision on an unaffiliated referee who is claimed to have hurled abuse at a teenager who had broken his leg during a match and was forced to crawl from the pitch. It turned out that the man in the middle of the game between Southam United Under-18s and Caludon Youth in the Coventry Minor League is the Mayor of Southam, Jason Ward.
It is also alleged that Mr Ward sent a Facebook message to the injured youngster, 16-year-old Johnny Adair, the next day saying he should think about taking up netball in future .
He has denied both charges of inappropriate conduct in that he did not show a duty of care for an injured player and making inappropriate social network remarks.
Councillor Ward will not be present at his hearing where the disciplinary committee will look over the paperwork before making a final decision."

So, the referee gets named......................... but in the earlier case the player get anonymity - I wonder why? smear campaign perhaps?

 

[4eyesbetter]

There are referees, and there are people who just blow whistles.

 

[OB..]

(Having said that, I prefer the attitude that Middlesex used to have, which was a sine die ban reviewable after 5 years had passed; if the player wanted to come back they could attempt to show a reformed character, and if not they stayed suspended.)

Same here in Gloucestershire. It happened to a player in my club. He spent the 5 years working hard supporting the club in various ways and was eventually reinstated. He did not offend again.

 

[MiniRef]

Same here in Gloucestershire. It happened to a player in my club. He spent the 5 years working hard supporting the club in various ways and was eventually reinstated. He did not offend again.

Whilst I hear what you say, I'm not sure I want to take the risk that he won't blow a fuse at some point in the future and deck me.

Punch the ref in the face = life ban every time for me.

 

[leaguerefaus]

Whilst I hear what you say, I'm not sure I want to take the risk that he won't blow a fuse at some point in the future and deck me.

Punch the ref in the face = life ban every time for me.

Agreed. If they lack that much respect and have such a temper that they would do it once, it is careless to allow such person back on the paddock.

 

[irishref]

I'm a fan of life bans for assaulting officials in any game plus performance-enhancing drug cheats

 

[OB..]

I would point out that the original ban was indeed sine die. However he was allowed to appeal it after 5 years of good behaviour in a club role - and it worked.

 

[ckuxmann]

Personally, the life term with chance of appeal is brilliant. This person would be actively working towards moving positively if they really wanted to be part of the sport. I think this promotes the best option if they are genuine about it and also the best possibility if no reform was shown.

Cody

 

[andyscott]

It should be life no exceptions. It must be tough.

Player in Yorkshire has been given a number of years, but I will wait for the RFU to publish the details

 

[collybs]

I am glad I am not a referee in the Nuneaton & District Sunday league - another ref was attacked on Sunday when about to send off a ployer.
http://www.nuneaton-news.co.uk/News/Nasty-attack-on-referee-20131119083120.htm

A REFEREE was repeatedly punched in the face in what was the third violent incident to bring shame on the Sunday league this season.

Official Craig Ward was punched four times in the face by a Bedworth Newdigate player after he gave him his second yellow card during a match at Nicholas Chamberlaine School pitches on Sunday.

Just hours after the incident, a post was made on a footballing forum from Bedworth Newdigate which apologised to the injured referee, adding: “What went on today was totally unacceptable and has been dealt with internally the best we can.”

The attack on the referee comes weeks after further ugly scenes during Nuneaton and District Sunday League (NDSFL) games; once where another referee was attacked and another in which a player was left with a broken jaw and his team mates walked off the field in disgust.

League bosses are furious about the latest incident, which took place during the match between Bedworth Newdigate and Sporting Newman Reserves on Sunday morning, but they have denied any disciplinary problems in the league.

The News understands that local referees were due to attend a crunch meeting last night to discuss not only the recent attack but also other incidents of violence.

A spokesperson for the NDSFL stressed: “Firstly we do not have a disciplinary problem within the league. I suppose it is easy to say we have given that this is the second abandoned game in as many weeks, although the circumstances of the last involved an assault on a player rather than a referee.

“So far this season close to 300 games have been played with only three of them abandoned. It is still less than one per cent of matches played but one too many.

“The league will now examine in detail the circumstances surrounding this game and deal with offending parties within the rules of the league. All clubs have signed up to the league’s code of conduct.”

The spokesperson went on to add that it is the Birmingham County Football Association (BCFA), not NDSFL that will now have to take action. “We have limited powers regarding the suspension of players, which is frustrating, but which is where BCFA come in. We do have sanction over clubs and punishments we can hand out to them,” he said.

“If they are found guilty of causing a game to be abandoned the ultimate we have is expulsion by member clubs and we will not hesitate to use this sanction if appropriate.

“Unfortunately with all abandoned games the referee sends his report to BCFA and we have to wait for them to deal with it before we can. Ultimate sanction to any club found guilty is expulsion but the facts have to be investigated thoroughly and we deal with everything fairly and openly. It is easy to make a decision based on what is reported both in the papers and on the ‘grapevine’ but we can only act on the facts as and when we know them we will.

“With regards to the game I understand that the referee was assaulted and was attended by the referee on the next pitch. The game had two minutes left to play. His report has gone to BCFA and we now wait there response.”

He added that the league will give out a strong warning teams to behave or leave: “The League will not tolerate any club, player or official bringing the league into disrepute,” the spokesperson said.

“We have an excellent reputation within local football which we will protect and referees can be assured of our full support at all times.

“The message to clubs is now clear. This must stop. The majority of clubs abide by the spirit of the game and respect the official and the decisions he makes. Players will make more mistakes during a game than the referee does but he is there doing a job that most players would not dare to do. Don’t criticise someone for doing something that you wouldn’t do. All clubs have a responsibility to control their players, managers must get this message across and to protect referees and act in accordance with the league’s code of conduct. If you don’t want to do these things, don’t apply next season.”

 

[Toby Warren]

That's great quote;

So far this season close to 300 games have been played with only three of them abandoned

Only 3! That's OK then

 

[dave_clark]

three matches, which is one too many. clearly 2 abandoned matches would have been acceptable!!!

(i appreciate that's not what they meant).