7 Dec 2015
Study finds verbal abuse towards football refs still rife
An online survey of more than 2,000 football referees has found verbal abuse towards match officials is still rife.
The survey, compiled by Dr Jamie Cleland in Social Sciences and colleagues at Portsmouth and Edge Hill universities, targeted football referees from across England, the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey.
Its main aim was to uncover the real life experiences of referees officiating in matches at all levels.
Respondents were asked about the success of the Football Association’s (FA) Respect Campaign, which was launched in 2008 to try and get managers, players and supporters to show more respect to match officials. Other topics covered included the support referees get from national and county level FAs and if they have been verbally and/or physically abused at matches.