Bashed umpire Ryan Mann ‘feels sorry’ for player who attacked him during match

A YOUNG football umpire punched in the face by a player during a game this month says he won’t press criminal charges against the teenager, because a life ban is punishment enough.

Umpire Ryan Mann was hit to the head while umpiring an under-19s game at Springvale. Picture: Paul Amy

A YOUNG football umpire says he “feels a bit sorry’’ for the player who copped a life ban for punching him in the face.

Second-year umpire Ryan Mann, 19, was knocked to the ground in the incident at Springvale Reserve.

Mann made a statement to Springvale police last week but won’t proceed with criminal charges against the player.

“He’s got his ban from footy for life. Maybe that’s enough,’’ he said.

PARKMORE SPRINGVALE DISTRICTS UNDER-19 PLAYER BANNED FOR LIFE FOR UMPIRE PUNCH

Mann had paid a free kick against a Parkmore Springvale Districts player for running too far in the second quarter of an Under 19 match against East Brighton on July 7.

Another player abused him over the decision, prompting Mann to pay a 50m penalty.

“As I was running back, he started walking towards me, with a sort of angry demeanour,’’ Mann said.

“I stopped to pull out a yellow card and he came by and brushed me with a shoulder in the chest. That’s when I red-carded him. I showed him the red card. His mates tried to restrain him but he circled back and hit me with his left hand.’’

Mann fell to the ground and suffered a cut lip.

“It hurt, bloody oath. It didn’t tickle,’’ he said. “You don’t expect to be hit when you’re an umpire so I couldn’t brace for it or put my hands up.’’

The two other field umpires immediately called off the game.

Mann and three other umpires reported the 19-year-old Parkmore Springvale Districts player, who pleaded guilty at the Southern league tribunal and was banned for life.

The player presented a letter of apology to Mann’s advocate. Mann had to leave the hearing early and has yet to receive it.

“I actually feel a bit sorry for him,’’ he said of the player. “I think it (the penalty) is pretty reasonable. To hit anyone, let alone an umpire, is pretty average. We can’t tolerate it in the game. This needs to serve as a lesson, so everyone understands it’s not on. But I feel a kind of sorrow for him now in the sense that he’s had to give up footy. I wish him all the best.

“He’s probably as devastated as I am that it happened. Hopefully he can get his stuff together.’’

Mann went home after the assault but later in the day umpired a Division 4 senior match at Moorabbin.

Umpire Ryan Mann says he feels sorry for the player who hit him during an under-19s game at Springvale. Picture: Paul Amy

The Deakin University sports management student said the incident hadn’t put him off umpiring and he had been heartened by the support of the Southern league and its clubs.

“It’s a once-in-a-blue-moon thing and you move on,’’ he said.

“When you start out umpiring you expect the abuse — which you get and which you have to cop on the chin. It seems to be in everyone’s DNA to abuse umpires. When they’re watching footy and they don’t like a call, they’re going to let you know about it. You don’t take it personally. If you did take it personally there wouldn’t be many umpires left in the game. But, no way, not a chance I thought I’d end up being hit.’’

Mann didn’t tell his parents about the incident but they read about it on the Herald Sun online and were “mortified’’.

He said they were supporting him in his umpiring endeavours.

Mann umpires with the Southern Football Netball League and the South Metro Junior Football League.

Southern umpires boss Peter Marshall said he was satisfied with the league’s handling of the matter.

“The league moved swiftly and the tribunal handed down the appropriate sentence,’’ he said.

“It sends out that strong message that something like this can never be tolerated.’’

Meanwhile Marshall confirmed that a 21-year-old female umpire quit earlier in the season after abuse from a spectator.

He said a “vulgar comment’’ was directed to the umpire.

“Unfortunately out of that we lost another experienced female umpire,’’ Marshall said.

“We need some respect out there, whether it’s Under 11 football or AFL football.

“If we’re going to encourage young men and women to umpire, we’ve got to allow them to do the job. They’ll make mistakes. They’re human.’’