It was an ordinary second division district match: Bieville-Beuville against the Entente de la Vallée de l’Orne (May-sur-Orne) last Sunday. An assistant referee was taken to task (insults, spitting in the face) for not having signaled an offside. She officiated as a volunteer for the visiting club, her team had just equalized and a player from Bieville-Beuville did not accept his decision. This sexagenarian, named Martine, is still shocked by what she has experienced.
I was very afraid. When I saw him coming, I said to myself “he’s coming to hit me”. Psychologically, it is very hard. It’s incomprehensible, if we play football it’s to clear our heads for the week, it’s a hobby! – Martine, assistant referee during the match Biéville-Beuville – Entente de la Vallée de l’Orne
Bertrand Voisin, the president of the Calvados district, wants to let the disciplinary committee pronounce sanctions that it deems appropriate for this match in particular. But from a more general point of view, he affirms that it will undoubtedly be necessary to “make an example” so that the clubs manage to calm their players or supporters in certain stadiums.
Bertrand Voisin: For this match, our sports disciplinary committee will reconstruct all the puzzles, gather all the documents necessary to be able to judge. This is a very important and very serious matter. The referees still taken to task, it bothers us a lot.
France Blue: Faced with such facts, who to sanction? Only a responsible player or his wider club?
Bertrand Voisin: Me, I, as district president, I cannot give you a sanction since it is not me who judges, but a sports and discipline commission. But I think the penalties will be strong because there needs to be an example at one time or another. We have federal scales that we are obliged to apply. But I think that at some point, we will have to worsen these scales to make an example. I don’t know if it will be on this match or on the next match, which I hope will not happen. But unfortunately, we realize that every weekend there is verbal violence and I think it has to stop.
Five problematic clubs
France Blue: You have the power to sanction players via suspensions. But sometimes, this violence comes from the spectators. Do you have the power to act on it?
Bertrand Voisin: Unfortunately no. We, the only advice we can give to the clubs, is what we call the police of the grounds. It is the clubs themselves who are somewhat responsible for their spectators. We have a citizenship commission that I set up a year ago. We will intervene in the clubs that are problematic.
France Blue: Who makes up this citizenship commission and will it impose sanctions?
Bertrand Voisin: Volunteers, club presidents, people who are familiar with the rules and a bit of legal matters too, since within this commission, we have retired a policeman. There are five problem clubs in the department out of the 160 in the district. I’m not going to name them, but this commission will do prevention, first of all. But if we see that these clubs are regularly called to the disciplinary committee, then there could be sanctions.
France Blue: Do you sometimes go to a town hall to say “your club is a problem for us, it’s time to act”?
Bertrand Voisin: Exactly, that has never been done. So this citizenship commission will not only meet the club’s leaders, but also local elected officials so that they can also help the club a little, make efforts to let the referees do their job. A thankless but essential job.