To: All Club Secretaries/Chairmen

cc: Officers and Management Committee,


Dear Club Secretary

Abuse of Referees

At the Management Committee meeting held on 27 February another report was received regarding the abuse of a referee after a match.

It was unanimously decided to write to all club secretaries and chairmen to point out that immediate steps must now be taken by all clubs to inform their players and managers that this deplorable behaviour must cease forthwith.

In recent weeks the League has now had two referees giving notification that they are no longer prepared to referee in the Trowbridge & District League because of the unacceptable level of verbal abuse and criticism they have had to endure from some clubs’ players and managers.

All clubs are aware of the extreme difficulties we have been faced with this season in trying to get referees to cover all our matches every week and of how many countless hours Colin Kennerson spends every week trying to obtain referees for all the clubs. Three or four hours and as many as thirty phone calls in an evening is nothing unusual for Colin under present circumstances, so it is easy to imagine how frustrated he feels when he loses the services of two referees permanently because of the disgraceful behaviour of some clubs’ players and managers. At present some clubs are making his job intolerable and virtually impossible.

It is particularly damaging at this time now that the League is trying to re-establish its old system of appointing referees and to recruit new referees for next season. Clubs must play their part in this by exerting better control over the minority of players and club officials who are abusive towards referees and show further disrespect after matches by deliberately keeping the referee waiting for his match fee and expenses.

If the overall situation does not improve immediately there will certainly be cases in the very near future of some clubs being told on a regular basis that no referee is prepared to accept the appointment to officiate at their game and that they must supply their own referee, which they are obliged to do under League Rule 13 B.

The Management Committee has now decided that if any further cases of abuse towards referees are reported the strongest possible action will be taken against the club concerned. In future, any club charged and found guilty by the Wilts FA of abusive behaviour towards a match official will then also be charged by the League under League Rule 17 C and dealt with accordingly.