Runner in Norwood-Glen Waverley Hawks junior footy match suspended for 18 months for verbal abuse of ump

A FOOTBALL official has been suspended for 18 months after hurling abuse at a teenage umpire in a junior match in Ringwood.

A runner at a junior game in Ringwood has been banned for 18 months for abusing an umpire.

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A FOOTBALL official has been suspended for 18 months after hurling abuse at a teenage umpire in a junior match in Ringwood.

The runner, aged in his 30s, was banned until the start of the 2019 season following a 17-day Eastern Football League investigation into the ugly incident last month.

The runner was involved in an under 11’s match between Norwood and Glen Waverley Hawks on June 25 when he abused the first-year umpire.

He was charged with “using abusive, insulting, or obscene language towards or in relation to an umpire”.

In one of the biggest penalties handed out in EFL history — he was this week found guilty in a ruling footy chiefs hope will send a message to players and fans.

EFL chief executive Phil Murton said the penalty served as a warning that umpire abuse was never acceptable.

“It was an incident that involved abuse and intimidatory behaviour towards an umpire, which was over very quickly and was handled well by other adult officials,” he said.

“Adults who take official parts of the game need to be sure of what their roles and responsibilities are because they are in a leadership position for other people at the venue and ground.”

The runner, who had a son playing in the match, could not be contacted last night.

But EFL head of umpiring Scott Van Noordennen said the umpire would have been “pretty scared” from the abuse.

“He felt very threatened, very uncomfortable and that is enough for us so we wanted to make sure something was done about it,” he said.

Van Noordennen said umpire abuse was “very rare” in the competition.

“It is unbelievable to think that can happen in an under-11s game, if I’m being honest, it is absolutely unbelievable,’’ he said.

It is far from the first time a player or official has been suspended for abusing umpires this season with a statewide Herald Sun review revealing a glut of ugly incidents.

They include:

■ A Newport Power under-18s player suspended for six matches for abusive language against a match official;

■ A Division 3 player from South Morang banned for four weeks for umpire abuse;

■ A female player from the same club suspended for two games for the same charge;

■ A North Footscray player rubbed out for three weeks for using abusive language towards and official;

■ An under-19s Northcote Park player banned for two weeks for umpire abuse and

■ A Lalor footballer suspended for two matches for using obscene language towards a match official.

Norwood junior president Graham Hewitt said the club had “zero tolerance” to umpire abuse and the incident had been dealt with “internally’’.

“We totally support both the EFL and their endeavours to protect umpires and also educate our officials on the right things to be doing on a football field,” Hewitt said.

EFL junior manager Dyson Baker said bad parents would not be tolerated in junior football.