Is this a new form of violence in the world of amateur football? For the third time in France since the start of the season, the first time in Hauts-de-France, members of a team have called the police after a match, asking the police to blow the referee on the ball, to check your blood alcohol level.
The facts took place Sunday, November 21 near Maubeuge, in the Scheldt district: Ferrière-la-Grande receives Maing, in the D1 championship. Maing leads in the 77th minute, the referee then refused him a penalty, and in the last ten minutes Ferrière came back up and ended up winning 2-1.
First of all insults
On the field there are first of all insults towards the referee, who proceeds to a expulsion, but it is after the meeting that the situation becomes surrealist : An educator from the Maing team calls the police. The agents arrive on site, and he asks them to blow the referee on the ball. It is obviously not a question for the police, but to calm the situation, the referee wants to do it anyway. Results : zero expired alcohol.
It’s a new form of moral aggression
And a huge sense of humiliation for the man in black Aymeric Steu, who has refereed for 10 years, has already been assaulted, but has never seen this: “It’s unfortunate to get there, especially for amateur football“, he laments,”it is a new form of moral aggression. I won’t hide from you that morale has taken a hit, but I am a strong person, and I will continue. Because stopping would prove them right“.
Third case in France
Aymeric Steu carried defamation complaint. The district disciplinary committee is seized to pronounce possible sanctions. Two similar cases have been identified since the start of the season, in Allier and Auvergne, with the key 18 month suspension for the team member who improperly called the police.
It makes us angry
Dave Leclercq, representative of the referees on the management committee of the Scheldt district, expects a similar sanction: “This is yet another new way of touching the function of the referee, and it makes us angry. It’s already difficult to recruit referees, and when we see how they are treated, we are not surprised by these difficulties, and even to see boys stop“. In the Scheldt district, there were 450 referees three years ago, today there are only 370.
Maing club awaits clarification
We have reached out to the chairman of the Maing club, Christophe riff, who condemns what happened, and waits to do all the light on this case when he has access to the file. He wants any sanctions to serve as aexample for the future.