Rage over referee abuse

GRASSROOTS support for VB Gold Group 2 referees is building in the wake of another unsavoury incident at Sunday’s preliminary final matches at Port Macquarie.

Shockwaves have rocked through club administrations and among rank-and-file supporters since referee Jason Townley was allegedly on the receiving end of a shoulder charge by a Sharks player seconds from the end of the under-18 match won by Orara Valley.

The player was sent from the field and later charged with a category 4 offence of deliberately striking a match official.

After initial fears the player would receive a substantial discount for an early guilty plea and receive as little as a three-week penalty without fronting up to a hearing, chief administrator Jim Anderson has moved to reassure participants the matter would be formally heard by the judiciary panel.

“A category 4 charge is rarely laid and is only for what are seen as the most serious alleged offences,” he said.

“The Port club have informed us that he is very remorseful and intends to plead guilty but under the guidelines he must appear before the panel, rather than take the usual option of accepting a mandatory penalty.

“As his father is overseas, the case won’t be heard until next Tuesday night, and I must also point out that for category 4 charges, there is no upward limit on time that may be served.”

Referees, officials, players and supporters attending the match at Hastings Regional Stadium were united in their anger at the latest incident of referee abuse blighting the game.

It follows an incident, also involving referee Townley, at Rex Hardaker Oval on August 28, after he’d controlled the first grade match where Macksville eliminated Sawtell from the premiership race.

It’s been alleged two Sawtell first-aid officers acted in a threatening and abusive manner toward the referee, making defamatory statements and accusing him of cheating.

Both Sawtell officials were charged with misconduct with one due to front a hearing convened by the management committee last night, the other having his case held over until a date to be fixed.

One of the Sawtell officials has only recently emerged from a suspended sentence after previous charges of referee abuse.

Anderson said the string of recent incidents involving intimidation of match officials may require stronger medicine.

“We intend to wait for the outcome of this current series of cases and then discuss the matter at management level,” he revealed.

“Other than that I can’t make an official comment, apart from pointing out there will be a double issue of user-paid police at the grand final next Sunday and a double issue of security, for the benefit of referees and patrons alike.”

Many league officials spoken to believe the overwhelming majority of abuse is centralised to one or two particular clubs and a hardcore element of disruptive patrons.

Speaking at Sunday’s semi final, Group 2 vice-president John Cullen – a former referee – said much of the problem could be solved if the clubs bit the bullet and barred the handful of troublemakers.

“Paying at the gate shouldn’t entitle them to act in a way that would get them arrested on the street and people wanting an enjoyable day out at the football shouldn’t have to put up with their antics,” he said.

“We’re not the NRL . . . we’re a country footy organisation trying to do our best at every level from the people who volunteer to run the clubs, to the players and referees who get out there on the field.”

Cullen feels if those persons abusing referees threaten to walk away from the game, no move should be made to stop them.

“We don’t need them and if they are going to leave, good riddance.

“Referees, touch judges, players . . . not all of them are perfect but are just trying to do their best under the conditions.”

Meanwhile, the appointments board has retained faith in last weekend’s whistleblowers and have made no changes for the grand finals.

Nathan Grace will be in charge of the first grade decider with David Dunn (reserves) and Jason Townley (under-18s).

Paying at the gate shouldn’t entitle them to act in a way that would get them arrested on the street and people wanting an enjoyable day out at the football shouldn’t have to put up with their antics.