Winchester student takes a step back from his duties as a referee

Ryan Collier a student at the University of Winchester has taken a step back from his refereeing duties whilst being at university due to Abuse received from players and spectators in past experiences.

In an interview he said:” At youth level there is more abuse from parents because they put pressure on their kids.

“…. if you’re making controversial calls they get on your back because it affects their child’s outcome”.

Abuse in football has become a massive problem especially at grassroots level where there is not much protection.

With referees receiving abuse from not only players but also spectators many are stepping down and choosing not to ref because of this.

For Ryan he felt like his university experience would’ve been hindered if he did choose to referee university football games.

He said:” let’s say you do make a bad call, or you admit that it was probably wrong they’re going to hold a grudge against you.

“and I don’t want to go through three years of university having that on back”.

The FA have set out steps that referees can follow if themselves or players were to receive abuse on the football pitch.

Some of these are things such as reporting the incident to relevant club representatives and the report the incident to the relevant county FA.

If as a spectator you hear or see any abuse taking place on or around a football pitch you can email report@kickitout.org to help make the football pitch a safe environment for everyone that is involved.