The Chairman of the Coventry and District Referees' Association chairman John Starkey has spoken out after three assaults on referees in local Sunday football.
Mr Starkey said to the CT: "Unfortunately in football everybody has got an opinion about the referee's decision, whether it's a match on TV or in the local leagues.
"I have been involved in recruiting referees in Coventry for 26 years and it is increasingly difficult to get these matches covered.
"There may be some people out there who think they're not good enough but they are the only ones we have.
"What we have got to do is look after the referees we have got and treat them with respect and not go down this route.
"These incidents have been traumatic for those involved but they will also feed this back to others which may put them off."
The incidents concern two cases of referees being slapped in the face and a case of a referee being shoved violently in the chest.
Mr Starkey's comments have the backing of the Coventry based National Referee Association which told the CT through their Secretary Arthur Smith: "Players who assault referees should never be allowed to put on their boots again.
"These referees are going out to enjoy their hobby. We all make mistakes, including the players, and these referees should be able to enjoy their hobby without being subjected to verbal abuse or assaults. "Players, managers and clubs all have a responsibility."
Touch a ref and you're banned for life.
Kill someone in a car crash when you're stoned, or slap a woman around because she catches you on the job, or beat someone up in a fast foot resteraunt, or assault someone because they're black, and its OK to still play football.
Touch a ref and you're banned for life.
Kill someone in a car crash when you're stoned, or slap a woman around because she catches you on the job, or beat someone up in a fast foot resteraunt, or assault someone because they're black, and its OK to still play football.
Where exactly is the hypocrisy in this?
Surely they are saying that respect and acknowledgement of authority should start at the lowest levels?
Nowhere in that statement did I see anybody condone criminal behaviour, far from it, or do you base your life and ideolgy on the tabloid press?
Where exactly is the hypocrisy in this?
Surely they are saying that respect and acknowledgement of authority should start at the lowest levels?
Nowhere in that statement did I see anybody condone criminal behaviour, far from it, or do you base your life and ideolgy on the tabloid press?
Before you use big words like hypocrisy you should find out what they mean. The hypocrisy lies in amateurs being banned for life for possibly non-criminal contact with a referee, against professionals being allowed to continue their careers despite serving prison sentances - sometimes for assaulting other players like Drunken Ferguson.
Before you use big words like hypocrisy you should find out what they mean. The hypocrisy lies in amateurs being banned for life for possibly non-criminal contact with a referee, against professionals being allowed to continue their careers despite serving prison sentances - sometimes for assaulting other players like Drunken Ferguson.
All three cases cited constitute assault which is a criminal matter but none were reported to the police.
None of the players involved have been banned for life.
I don't think the Coventry and District Referees’ Association has the power to discipline professional footballers.