Angry parents confront teenage referees in car park after Sheffield Sunday league match

Sheffield’s refereeing crisis is only getting worse yet shows no sign of improving any time soon, it has been claimed.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Match officials are being abused at all levels of grassroots football in the city, from men’s Sunday league through to women and girls’ competitions, which has, in part, led to a ‘huge shortage’.

Richard Trinder is the referee officer for the Sheffield & Hallamshire Women & Girls League (SHWGL) responsible for overseeing 115 registered refs officiating 290 teams.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In the last week three teenagers – aged 15, 16 and 17 - told him they no longer want to referee due to abuse.

The abuse of referees in Sheffield is getting worse, it has been claimed.The abuse of referees in Sheffield is getting worse, it has been claimed.
The abuse of referees in Sheffield is getting worse, it has been claimed.

The 16 and 17-year-olds were both allegedly confronted by angry parents in a car park after their respective matches finished.

The 15-year-old reported being ‘constantly undermined’ by the dad of a child playing football, who was supposed to be acting as linesman, but instead shouted at him for what he felt were wrong decisions.

"The abuse has always been there,” said Richard, aged 61, who has been refereeing for 30 years.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"People are more sensitive, the youngsters are more sensitive, but the abuse has got worse from the sidelines.”

A former EFL referee told The Star part of the problem in grassroots football stems from players ‘thinking they are (Christiano) Ronaldo.’

Handsworth-based Richard added: “Patience has gone, good will has gone, being nice to each other has gone.

"I don’t have many problems, it’s the junior refs that get the problems. It’s them who we are just losing from the game hand over fist.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"Parents arguing with each other on the sidelines happens quite regularly and they want 15-year-olds to go over and sort that out.”

Rotherham Sunday league secretary Mark Pilley said: “I hear adult-league referees saying they have packed in youth football because of the amount of abuse they get.”

One former Step 3 referee said: “People don’t often understand what it means to be a referee because all they hear are the negatives.

"I have been involved in FA Cup games, been to some unbelievable places, and made good friends.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"If you want to address a shortage of something then go out and say ‘look how s*** these conditions are’, it’s not going to fix itself.”

“It’s not all bad,” Richard conceded.

"We have some really good teams who are really protective with refs.”

He wants tougher punishments when parents or clubs are found guilty of an offence by their county FA, including bans, as well as distinguishable tops for junior referees to encourage respect and free refereeing courses to incentivise uptake.

Courses currently cost £110, plus a £30 charge to complete a safeguarding course.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"Football has grown massively and refereeing hasn’t kept up,” the former Step 3 official added.

"It’s going to be forever and a day for me that there will be a shortage because they haven’t got close to getting the numbers we need.”

"It’s a bit of everything,” Mark said of the shortage, “lack of courses, cost of courses and the abuse.”

It is understood referee training courses only resumed in August due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Otherwise, around 200 further would-be refs could be available locally.

It is also understood many referees leave football every year for various reasons unrelated to abuse.

Related topics: