Why it’s time to blow the final whistle on referee bullying in sports

Cork referees consistently secure appointments in prestigious competitions. Anyone aged 16 and over can become a referee. This requires fitness, enthusiasm, willingness to learn and dedication to the local referee team.

Although mandatory workshops and annual seminars are part of the role, referees often face the ongoing challenge of abuse.

‘STACK-ON’

Patrick Osborne is an author, screenwriter and has served as a referee for the Kerry Schoolboys/Girls League for the past twelve years.

He recently wrote and directed Two Halves, a short film exploring the impact of referee abuse and how it can affect someone’s life at home, long after the final whistle.

The film has attracted attention and has been selected for several festivals, including the prestigious Paladino d’Oro, the world’s longest running sports film festival, which will take place in Sicily in December.

Bullying or intimidation by referees includes verbal abuse, physical threats and online harassment.

Patrick experienced firsthand a threat of violence in 2023 – a first in his career.

“Thankfully the other coaches intervened and the person was removed from the premises. I reported the incident and the association was very proactive and issued a long-term ban.

“The club with which the perpetrator was involved also took quick action and asked him to leave. Unfortunately, online harassment is becoming increasingly common.

“Spectators often record matches on their phones and share the footage online, usually highlighting offsides that the referee may have misunderstood,” he says.

“People then pile up insulting comments and these can circulate for days, weeks or much longer. People have unrealistic expectations of what one referee can do.

“You only have to watch a match on television where there is a professional referee, supported by two qualified assistants and supported by VAR, and yet people still disagree. What hope does a referee have alone?

“I have been involved in football for over 40 years, as a player, supporter, manager and now as a referee, so I have seen the game from all sides.

“The aim of my film, Two Halves, is to show the referee in action and then give a snapshot of what could happen in their lives off the pitch.”

‘I’M NOT GETTING PAID FOR THIS’

Thomas Sheehy is a referee based in Listowel, Kerry, and says: “Verbal abuse happens all the time depending on how the referee handles it.”

“Players and coaches can be sent off, but when you deal with some parents – and nine times out of 10 they don’t even know the rules of the game – I’m sure games have been canceled across the country over abuse.

“I have never been physically abused. The yelling and intimidation when I first started getting a decision in their favor was a joke and not the funny version. I just wanted the ground to open up and swallow me and for me to hurry up for the 90 minutes.

“I remember thinking that I’m not getting paid for this abuse and that I’m not cut out for it, and I almost packed it in.

“Here I am eight years later and I love refffing. I still do a few things wrong, but I’m learning from it,” he says.

“It’s always very emotional, but it’s probably gotten worse since post-covid… people have forgotten how to behave.”

Gareth Clarke lives in Liverpool and is originally from Derry. Gareth managed his own son’s football team and eventually his club (a sizeable grassroots club with 40 teams).

As club chairman he made the switch to referee and has just started his fourth season as a referee with Liverpool County FA.

Gareth said: “I have experienced clearly inappropriate behavior within a club environment, facing internal disciplinary action against coaches, players and parents – some of which related to their refereeing behaviour.

“I have recently been presented with the Liverpool FA Match Official of the Year Award for 2024, which is an honor considering there are around 700 referees in the Liverpool FA, hopefully because of the way I handle situations.”

“I have seen all forms of referee abuse. Fortunately, I have not had any physical threats, but I do know that this does happen in the football world. Personally, I have come across three cases of verbal football abuse.

“My first encounter was when I asked a parent to stand behind a fence at a 3G facility I was at. A second time was when I was refereeing a U15 boys match.

“The latest incident was from an assistant coach of an U10 team. I’m the type of referee who likes to apply common sense and initially keep my cards in my pocket and diffuse brewing situations.

“The FAI is currently rolling out a module that will only allow captains to approach a referee, rather than a group of players bumping into a referee. I think this is a positive step,” he says.

‘AN UMBRELLA IN A HURRICANE’

Kevin Harkin has written a book, A Game of Two Halves, about his father Terry Harkin’s professional career in Derry football. He also has experience with referees.

“As part of the FA Respect campaigns, academy teams – linked to professional clubs – have a policy of finishing matches so that parents keep themselves off the pitch and their child is dropped if they abuse the referees. But the players and coaches still have a chance!

“The most they give to clubs is to give them a poster to put up in their changing rooms so they are more visible, but that is as useful as an umbrella in a hurricane,” he says.

Gareth Clarke also shares that “there are policies that don’t cross the line and campaigns to protect referees, but I have to say the success of this is questionable”.

“The mentality of coaches, players and spectators must change. We constantly hear that there is no match without referees.”

Paul Tuite lives in Ardmore, Waterford, and is a representative of the Irish Soccer Referee Society (ISRS) and their PR Officer.

Regarding awareness, he says: “The FAI Referee Department and the ISRS work very well together to raise awareness of respecting referees.”

“The FAI recently launched a Respect the Referee campaign, including promotion on social media and promotion on electronic signage at the Aviva Stadium during men’s and women’s internationals.

“Also, both the FAI and ISRS have worked very well together over the last three years to increase the bans for anyone who attempts to attack or attack the referees.”

On how clubs could better educate players, coaches and supporters about respect for match officials, Gareth said: “A good example of how things work was when a team was on tour from Ireland and it appeared that the players and coaches were being used to drive things to their will. They were playing against an academy team in Everton, and the Everton coaches basically told the visiting team that one more example of bad behavior from them or their players, then the match was over and they would never set foot in Everton again. The attitude changed immediately.”

Patrick adds: “Clubs must ensure that coaches are qualified and remain informed of the rules of the game, as a lack of knowledge can lead to confrontations. Personally, I think it should be mandatory for all coaches to take a refereeing course, and that part of this course should involve them refereeing challenge matches to give them an insight into how difficult a job can be.

“If you have a toxic person at your club, the best thing you can do for everyone involved is get rid of that person immediately. Having a code of conduct policy makes this process a lot easier.”

Paul Tuite emphasizes: “A better understanding of the laws of the game by players, coaches and supporters would make a huge difference. People need to recognize that referees are doing their best and without them there is no game.”

Gareth points out that although the FA has introduced initiatives such as ‘quiet weekends’, where coaches and spectators are encouraged to remain quiet, compliance is often poor.

The ultimate goal is to promote respect and greater awareness.

As Patrick notes: “Clubs must promote respect for referees, take action when that respect is violated and let us do our job.

“I hope that my film encourages reflection and lets everyone enjoy the ‘beautiful’ game.”