This was published 1 year ago
Clubs welcome referees with guard of honour after violent incident
By Jordan Baker and Mary Ward
Soccer matches across NSW began with gestures honouring the game’s referees on Saturday, after a violent incident between a spectator and a linesman in south-west Sydney last weekend.
But there are ongoing concerns about hostility between officials and spectators at amateur soccer matches, with the association where the incident occurred now requiring referees to wear body cameras.
Referee Charlie is given a guard of honour by Hurlstone Park and Abbotsford Under 8’s.Credit: Rhett Wyman
Linesman Khodr Yaghi’s jaw was broken when he was attacked by a spectator after the Greenacre Eagles lost to the Padstow Hornets in a Bankstown district Mens Premier League match on April 28.
Adam Abdallah, 25, appeared before Bankstown Local Court on Monday on charges of wounding Yaghi with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and affray. He was denied bail as his pregnant wife watched on in court.
Referees received a 30-second round of applause as they took to the field at matches this weekend, with a guard of honour before the game’s start.
The idea for a guard of honour was initially put forward by the Hurlstone Park Wanderers, before being adopted by its association, Canterbury, and the neighbouring Bankstown District Amateur Football Association, which is the organising body for 19 clubs including Greenacre and Padstow. Later in the week, Football NSW asked all the state’s clubs to take part.
After last weekend’s incident attracted worldwide media attention, Yaghi, who has returned home from hospital, said he was pleased by the decision to honour the game’s referees.
“It’s been so nice to see an international support from all over the world,” the 46-year-old said, adding it “feels so good” to have the guards of honour this weekend.
Yaghi said he was still in a lot of pain and was told he would be on a liquid diet for at least six weeks.
“I’ve been having sleepless nights, with a liquid diet and I can only eat opposite a mirror as I have lost feeling in my bottom lips,” he said.
Soccer referee Khodr Yaghi, 45, is recovering after three teeth were knocked out and his jaw was broken in three places.Credit: Rhett Wyman
A referee of 24 years, Yaghi told this masthead after the incident he had previously been abused from the sideline but this was the worst he had experienced. However, on Saturday he reiterated that it would not stop him from refereeing.
“I’ll be refereeing ’til I die,” he said. “But the only problem now is it’s going to be a long waiting time for recovery: six to nine months at the moment.”
Football NSW CEO John Tsatsimas said the sporting and wider communities needed to reflect on the seriousness of what transpired and make sure this sort of behaviour did not happen again.
“This weekend we collectively come together symbolically as one in our sport, to send a message that any such anti-social behaviour will not be tolerated by anyone in our sport and that we stand by the officials in our sport as one, without qualification.”
The Hurlstone Park under-8s division 3 side were among the first to perform the gesture on Saturday morning, forming a guard of honour before their 9.30am match at Abbotsford Juniors Football Club.
“It’s really important to show respect and keep young refs in the game,” their coach, Kieran White, said. “It’s a great initiative and one that’s really important for everyone to get behind.”
Greenacre Eagles FC has responded to the incident by withdrawing its team from the Mens Premier League competition.
From this weekend the Bankstown association will trial body cameras on referees at its Mens Premier League games.
“Once the trial is running and we have evaluated its effectiveness, we will look to roll out body cameras in other competitions.” the association said in a statement, adding that the footage recorded by the cameras would remain property of the association.
Sydney’s soccer associations have previously raised concerns about the level of abuse copped by referees, many of whom are teenagers.
Speaking to The Sun-Herald last year, then Canterbury association head Ian Holmes claimed western Sydney had lost about a third of its referees from the previous year; while North West Sydney Football Referees Association president Tom Emeleus said half of their first-year referees do not return for a second season.