Football has culture issue, says ex-ref amid strike

A committee of grassroots referees are refusing to officiate games this weekend over abuse

A former Welsh football referee has said the abuse he received on the job made him "question if it was worth it".

Sean Regan, who spent six months in the profession before quitting, said there was “a real culture problem”.

The 40-year-old added: “I don’t think we can be proud to be involved in football.”

It comes as a committee of grassroots referees have refused to officiate games this weekend and two leagues in Cardiff have postponed matches in solidarity with them.

Cardiff Combination League and Lazarou Cardiff Sunday League have agreed to postpone their games, while Cardiff and District league have left the decision on whether to play up to individual teams.

Mr Regan, who was a sports lecturer and a football coach before pivoting to refereeing, said he initially thought it would be a good opportunity.

But the “atrocious” behaviour of players towards him brought him to breaking point.

"It didn’t surprise me because the coaching staff had very poor behaviour, towards their own players, officials and the opposition,” he said.

"In one match, one of their lads came up to me and said 'if you keep calling fouls, he [teammate] is going to smack you'.

"It just made me think ‘if somebody hit me what am I supposed to do?’"

Mr Regan said although he enjoyed officiating, he did not want to feel like he was in a "fight or flight position".

"I don’t regret leaving because it was the right decision, but I regret feeling like I had to,” he said.

The referees strike will impact matches in the three leagues across 2 and 3 November.

Despite the knock-on effect on matches getting played, many players have also supported the cause.

Evan Emer, a player for CPD Treganna - a team that plays in the Cardiff Combination league - said players were “obviously frustrated”, but added: “If the health and safety of the referees is being challenged and if they don't feel safe doing their job it is difficult to contest.

"Frankly, I'm not surprised that it's come to this.”

Other players were not sure the strike would make a difference.

Cobi Flowers of Cardiff Sparta - a team in the Cardiff and District league - said change needed to “come from above”.

Both Cardiff Combination and Lazarou Sunday League have postponed all fixtures this weekend in support of the referees, but some Cardiff and District league games are still going ahead.

The Lazarou League said it would “support the stance by the Referee Society”, while the Cardiff Combination Football League (CCFL) said it did “not condone either violence toward or, abuse of referees” but wanted to give all referees the choice on whether or not to participate in the action.