ALL NORTH Dublin Schoolboys/Schoolgirls Soccer League [NDSL matches have been suspended after concerns were raised about the growing amount of abuse that has happened at the hands of referees.
A note was sent to all clubs in the league, the NDSL said that the officials are suffering abuse unacceptable threatening behaviour from supporters, players, coaches, and managers.
Sean Slattery, vice president of the Irish Soccer Referees' Society, told RTÉ Radio 1's News at One that a number of incidents on Sunday proved to be the final straw. Hundreds of games have been postponed.
The #NDSL has suspended all soccer matches for U10 upwards for the coming week because of concerns at abuse being levelled at Referees. #NDSL says referees suffer constant abuse and threatening behaviour from managers players, coaches and supporters
— RTÉ News at One (@RTENewsAtOne) November 8, 2021
Chief executive of the league Tony Gains said he had been made aware of the decision.
This weekend a female referee refereeing her first game of three games was abused so badly from the time she entered the pitch, she decided that she is not taking any more of this abuse from these people and she has now decided to give up refereeing entirely,” he said in the online post.
“Another young referee who has only been refereeing for the past two months was petrified on the pitch, he was so afraid even to collect his gear. This abuse he took was absolutely disgraceful.”
Describing it as a “sad day for football”, Mr Gains said he had informed the league disciplinary committee to adopt a zero tolerance response and to “penalise these culprits where it hurts”.
Sean Slattery, vice president of the Irish Soccer Referees' Society, told RTÉ Radio 1's News at One that a number of incidents on Sunday proved to be the final straw.
"We were made aware this morning that there were a number of incidents yesterday. With the referees contacting each other, it was decided a lot of them were going to make themselves unavailable for games next weekend," he said.
"It's like it's been pushed too far at this stage.
