THE Jersey FA are set to open a disciplinary investigation this week following reports of alleged verbal abuse towards a young referee by a football coach.
An incident – described by one onlooker as ‘disgusting’ – took place at Grainville playing fields on Sunday, where an under-11 football match was taking place between St Clement and St Lawrence.
It is understood that St Clement’s head coach took offence to decisions made by the schoolboy referee, who is believed to be 15 or 16 years old, and then verbally abused the official by swearing and making personal remarks towards him. He reportedly gave the youngster the ‘V’ sign with his fingers and continued with the abuse after being sent off.
It is also alleged that when a member of the St Lawrence staff intervened to calm the man down, the St Clement coach had to be held back from confronting his opposite number.
A member of the public who witnessed the incident, but wished to remain anonymous, said: ‘I was walking my dog around the edge of the playing fields and ended up watching a junior football match for a while.
‘Something obviously happened because I then saw and heard the most extraordinary verbal attack from the manager against what was clearly a child referee. His language was atrocious, aggressive and personal, and could be heard around the whole playing fields. People and the children playing were genuinely shocked. He even had to be held back when he turned on the opposing coaching team too.
‘I’m not sure what started it all, but I pitied the poor ref, who was maybe only 15 or 16 himself. I felt so sorry for him, and also for the boys on the pitch, who had to see and hear their manager behave like that.
‘I’ve watched a lot of football in the past and have never ever seen anything like that at junior football. It was just disgusting that a grown man could speak to a child ref like that.’
Jonathan Le Fondre, football services manager at the JFA, confirmed that they have received the match report from the referee.
‘I have been made aware of the allegations,’ he said.
‘It is too to early give any further detail before we go through our normal processes. We will conduct an investigation before any formal decision is made. We follow a robust process in line with FA disciplinary regulations.’
He added: ‘We take this very seriously and we do not tolerate abuse of referees.’
Meanwhile, St Clement club president Tom Lovell said: ‘The committee of St Clement Sports Club take the matter of the welfare of players and officials very seriously.
‘Our head of football and club welfare officer have been made aware of the complaint but we are still to receive full details from the Jersey Football Association.
‘We will work closely with the Jersey FA to investigate the complaint fully.’
