Referees threaten strike after assault

referees are considering a national strike after a “serious assault” reportedly left an official with a broken nose, broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder, a broken collarbone and concussion on Sunday.

Greater Manchester Police are appealing for witnesses from a crowd of more than 100 after referee Dave Bradshaw was attacked by a player from Platt Bridge during a game against Wigan Rose.

The incident happened just a week after the charity Ref Support UK warned that an official could be “murdered” and called for Football Association action to increase sanctions for abusing referees.

A survey by the Referee Forum, an online group of 17,000, had already found that more than 75 per cent of its community would support a strike. “These assaults are happening two or three times a week,” Ant Canavan, a referee of almost 20 years who runs the Referee Forum, said. “We just feel abandoned. Last season was the worst it has ever been. This week it was Dave Bradshaw. Who will be next? How long until a referee dies?”

Referee groups have called on the FA to introduce lifetime bans for violent behaviour, points deductions and body cameras so interactor tions with players are recorded. It is thought this will act as a deterrent and assist with collecting evidence.

Bradshaw, who also referees community rugby, said his “confidence has been smashed to bits”. It is understood the assault occurred after Bradshaw sent off the player.

Platt Bridge said that they were “ashamed of what has happened” and that “the player is no longer playing with our team”. They said they had apologised to the referee. Another referee, Jamie O’rourke, said it was “time to down tools until people learn”.

There were separate reports of an under-16s game being abandoned after a referee was assaulted.

The FA had taken the unusual step of writing to every grass-roots participant, whether coach, player or parent, at the start of the season to warn that “inappropriate” behaviour went too far last season and that it would consider harsher sanctions.

The nature of those potential sanctions was not disclosed.

“When the FA say ‘enough is enough’ what exactly do they mean?” Martin Cassidy, the chief executive of Ref Support UK, said.

An FA spokesperson said: “We have been very clear that all forms of anti-social behaviour, abuse and assaults on match officials and participants are completely unacceptable”.