Jersey Portuguese Reserves versus Grouville Reserves, in Division I of the Jersey Football Combination, was ended around the hour mark with Portuguese leading 2-0.
A current shortage of qualified officials – just ten out of the 25 registered in Jersey were available – resulted in four of Saturday’s games being officiated by club officials.
Combination president Charlie Browne said: ‘This is a serious incident and we don’t want it brushed under the carpet.
JFA referee Paulo Martins attended the game on the way home from officiating at St Brelade
‘I want it out in the open to show people that we want to tackle this and I have started to gather evidence from eye-witnesses so that a report can be put into the Jersey Football Association.
‘I’ve got a few accounts from people who were there including a small piece of video evidence, which is good.’
Former Jersey Portuguese first-team manager Paulo Martins, a qualified referee, attended the game after refereeing earlier in the afternoon at St Brelade.
Martins said: ‘It was embarrassing; it’s the worse incident I’ve seen in local football by a mile.
‘There were women and children there and some of the language used was outrageous.
‘This should not be happening and both teams were at fault.
‘It started following a nasty challenge from a Grouville player then both players started swinging punches at each other while they were on the floor.
‘A couple of Portuguese supporters ran on the pitch to get involved and then a couple from Grouville as well.
‘Both teams were as bad as each other with players, kicking, punching and shoving and I think if there had been an official referee then there would have been four players definitely sent off.
‘Initially it started between the two players and then it ended up with seven or eight in a brawl.’
Former States member Jimmy Perchard, who was watching, said: ‘You could feel the tension in the game because a club official was in the middle and when that happens he is in a no-win situation, just like a cricket umpire officiating his own team.
‘The referee, who was not up with play, over-ruled the Grouville linesman who flagged for an offside but the referee gave the goal and then there was a lot of emotion with players screaming at him.
‘Shortly after there was a reckless tackle by a Grouville player and it resulted in a bit of handbags which an official referee would have dealt with quite easily.
‘It was a nasty scuffle; both sides threw punches and I believe it would have been contained by an official referee.’
