The Sports Desk - Who’d be a ref? How rising abuse threatens grassroots football
Download Who’d be a ref? How rising abuse threatens grassroots football
Refereeing has never been easy but the signs are that it’s getting harder than ever.
With more than 90% of grassroots referees reporting some form of abuse, hundreds are choosing to walk away from the sport they love.
Others are going on strike in protest, while some leagues have withdrawn refs from games for their own protection.
Two grassroots referees tell us why they continue to give up their weekends despite the challenges, former Premier League official Mark Halsey calls for tougher penalties for abusers – and we find out what the UK can learn from how other countries have tackled the problem.
Panel: Sarah Mulkerrins, Dan Roan, Nesta McGregor & Sam Cunningham
Producer: Sam Sheringham
Published on Friday, 17th December 2021.
Available Podcasts from The Sports Desk
We are not the BBC, we only list available podcasts. To find out more about the programme including episodes available on BBC iPlayer, go to the The Sports Desk webpage.