Female football ref says abuse comes with the game

Mollie Kavanagh said she was "disappointed" by the events at the AFC Rushden & Diamonds and Coventry Sphinx game on Saturday

A female football referee has said verbal abuse "comes with the job" after a match was abandoned over a sexist comment aimed at a female match official.

AFC Rushden & Diamonds said its match at Coventry Sphinx was called off on Saturday after a comment from the crowd of a "sexist nature" was heard.

Mollie Kavanagh, from Coventry, was not in charge at the weekend but has been in charge of matches within the division and said she was "disappointed" to learn of the events.

"That's not what we come to do, we come to help referee a game - not be abused," the 19-year-old told BBC CWR. "In my experience, it's not rare to have aggro in this job."

Ms Kavanagh said she had "reffed Coventry Sphinx before", describing the team as "lovely personnel".

Saturday's referee stopped the match while the culprit was removed from the crowd and ejected from the ground. She then resumed the game.

But at half-time she said she did not feel comfortable continuing, according to a statement from Rushden & Diamonds, posted on X.

Ms Kavanagh said she had had to report two incidents of verbal abuse to the league so far this season, adding she had also experienced more "subtle sexism".

She said: "Despite all that, it's a wonderful game and it's a shame because [abuse has become] part of the game.

"A lot of the time after the match, people will shake your hand. [I think] abuse in the men's game is more emotional [and] heat-of-the-moment but in the women's game it's aggression."

A spokesperson for Coventry Sphinx said the club would conduct an investigation and would respond to queries from the league and the Football Association (FA).