Mass Con -> Mass Brawl

[JBeil]

Astonishing finish to today - 88th minute, DOGSO foul tackle outside of the box at 2-2, and what should have been a fairly routine red for the offending player turned into a 22-player melee, and once the two big culprits were finally removed, and the game was about to restart, I hear something behind me and realise the two who have gone into the tunnel are now scrapping in there, which quickly leads back out onto the pitch, then including several spectators on the field screaming at us, the players, the whole lot, with nary a club official in sight, and at the end of it we've abandoned the match with five reds, and it could (probably should!) have been more!

Referee, who took a hit somewhere in the melee, was understandably in bits when we finally got into the changing room. No doubt our local FA will have much fun sorting all of this out later!

 

[RefRyanAus]

That sounds terrible. I hope the officiating team are OK and the appropriate sanctions are imposed on those involved.

 

[george.g]

Really sorry to hear about this, disgraceful. Hopefully the CFA get these charges spot on, and that the officiating team recovers soon

 

[JBeil]

I imagine this would probably lead to a 'failing to control players' charge for both clubs, but does anyone know what sanctions, if any, are involved in allowing members of the public to get involved on the pitch? It's a fairly low-level game so there were no stewards or anything, I assume the clubs still have to take responsibility for their fans?

 

[JamesL]

I imagine this would probably lead to a 'failing to control players' charge for both clubs, but does anyone know what sanctions, if any, are involved in allowing members of the public to get involved on the pitch? It's a fairly low-level game so there were no stewards or anything, I assume the clubs still have to take responsibility for their fans?

They'll get a separate charge of failing to control spectators as well.

 

[Tealeaf]

Really sorry to hear about this, disgraceful. Hopefully the CFA get these charges spot on, and that the officiating team recovers soon

Slight tangent, but if this is the game I think it was, it involves 2 different county FAs albeit neighbouring. (Northants and Berks&Bucks).

Would the two cooperate on the disciplinary processes or is it a case of each to their own?

 

[ChasObserverRefDeveloper]

Guidance for the match officials? Try to reduce the risk of tunnel action by sending the two separately, and the second one initially to the technical area before disappearing into the dressing room.

 

[lincs22]

Guidance for the match officials? Try to reduce the risk of tunnel action by sending the two separately, and the second one initially to the technical area before disappearing into the dressing room.

Another tip, get the AR1 (if you have neutral officials) to go towards the dug-outs when you dismiss the players. He can watch them and warn the club officials to escort the players into their changing rooms and separate as they go off.

 

[markref]

Slight tangent, but if this is the game I think it was, it involves 2 different county FAs albeit neighbouring. (Northants and Berks&Bucks).

Would the two cooperate on the disciplinary processes or is it a case of each to their own?

I was AR on a game involving a team from London FA and one from Kent FA, where a player from each was sent off for one incident. Both players appealed (they could do that at the time) but the appeals were both set at the same time, so we had to decline one - it was the Kent League and we were Kent referees, so declined the London commission.

They went ahead with both at the same time, but the LFA one was done in absentio. As soon as the Kent commission was finished the chairman phoned his counterpart to let him know the outcome (case proven) and the LFA commission agreed based on that. I think since it was the same incident they felt that since since one participant had been found guilty it followed the other was likely to be as well. He had nothing to prove otherwise and was just saying “I didn’t do it!” so there wasn’t a lot he could say. I believe both got a similar punishment.

 

[JBeil]

Would you believe it, I'm on the line for one of the teams involved again tomorrow. Fifty pence says their team will look a little bit different this week!

 

[Dirty Harry]

Guidance for the match officials? Try to reduce the risk of tunnel action by sending the two separately, and the second one initially to the technical area before disappearing into the dressing room.

Good advice and get the two offending players well apart when dishing out the red cards first. Was once told to dismiss the ‘away’ player first if possible, but obviously you have to judge each case on the situation involved and whether in a closed stadium or on the local park (sounds like a stadium based on OP)

 

[Dirty Harry]

Would you believe it, I'm on the line for one of the teams involved again tomorrow. Fifty pence says their team will look a little bit different this week!

Hope all went well yesterday?

 

[JBeil]

Hope all went well yesterday?

Dead easy - the local moneybags team visited and despatched them 0-5. I did pick up this fantastic line from the home manager towards the referee at half-time though, after he was complaining about his player recieving a sin bin but not the away side:

"Why didn't you sin bin [them]?"
"Because they weren't saying anything!"
"If you listen, you'll see!"

Almost philosophical, that.