How ironic

[tans]

Article taken from the Oxford Mail website:



A FOOTBALL match was abandoned, and police called, after supporters invaded the pitch and attacked one of the goalkeepers.

Yesterday’s game between Beckley United and Bicester-based Highfield Old Boys, in division one of the Banbury District and Lord Jersey league, was called off five minutes before full time, with Highfield winning 4-3.

It is understood the Highfield goalkeeper was assaulted by a spectator brandishing a pitchside banner highlighting the Football Association’s Respect campaign, which urges players to follow the advice of referees.

Police said a man was arrested on suspicion of assault in connection with the incident after two men were injured. Tonight, he was still in custody in Oxford.

One eyewitness, who asked not to be named, said: “About 30 to 40 fans came onto the pitch and there were pockets of fighting all over the place – it was like something out of the Wild West.”

Beckley United’s club chairman Dan Holdsworth said: “I have been in football for 50 years and have never seen anything like this before.

“I was asked to help launch this team and was looking forward to a great season but now I am considering pulling the team out of the league. It was disgraceful behaviour by the fans.”

Thames Valley Police spokesman Andrea Bennett, said: “Two men were injured, with one sustaining a suspected fractured jaw and the other needing stitches to his ears.”






The bold bit is brilliant.

It could only happen near Oxford 

[magicroundabout]

I used to drink in the Highfield Social Club in Bicester. Quite a nice place

[Simon Pieman]

Sunday league hoolies, ace. Funny how it wasn't breaking news on sky though.

[Freddies Ferret]

sunday league is full of loonies! i remember seeing a player get shown 3 red cards because he kept calling the ref a cunt then the kid went mental and punched the ref in the back of the head! A massive ruck followed!

[tans]

i used to collapse when i played sundays.

id spend half the 2nd half led down on the side of the pitch feeling sick!. its the way forward

[Family at War]

I played in a Sunday League game in the early seventies for a team called Real Armas in the Banbury S/L.
The young Ref tried to send one of our players off, (dead now bless him) which was met with a right hook plum on the refs chin. He was out for at least 10 minutes after which the game was abandoned.

The ref's name - Dermot Gallagher

[[email protected]]

Funny as f**k!

 

[dell boy]

In the early 70s I played for a Sunday league side called Lee Sports (Slough), it was the last game of the season against The White Horse (Slough), we needed to draw to win the league, they needed to win the match to win the league. We were playing away, well not really their pitch was next to ours, after about 20 minutes we were 4-0 down when a punch up on the pitch started with just two players, well away from the action. With a very large crowd watching the fighting kicked off amongst the supporters, and then all the players joined in. I took a huge blow to back of my head and was knocked out cold. The referee was also knocked out and the police were called, obviously the game was abandoned. It went to county to decide the fate of the two teams, we were both heavily fined and 4pts deducted from each club, the game was called null-and-void. We won the league, great.
It made the news magazine on the tele Nationwide.
Football was such a gentle game in those days, it is good to see the Oxford leagues have continued the good tradition of Sunday football.

[Batch]

The only knock out I've seen while playing wasn't from fighting and didn't involve the ref. Being a very amateur local league side we did our normal warm up routine of belting it at the (stand in) keeper. He was bending down picking up a ball, stood up and a full pelt shot hit him square between the eyes. He went down like a sack of spuds and was out for a few seconds. That said he got up and played a blinder for a stand-in keeper.

Anyway that wasn't to be my point, my question is why are local league players punished to a far more severe degree than the pros. Sending off in pro land normally = 3 game ban. Sending off in local league land usually was at least 31 days, sometimes 60 or more.  I think the longest I heard was a few Bibury players who got a bit physical with the ref and then decided to put his clothes in the shower - lifetime ban.

I used to love some of the refs reports when I was a club secretary. "The player asked me if I knew who my father was, which I interpreted as a sneaky way of calling me a bastard and so dismissed him for descent". That kind of thing.

[tans]

I got sent off and got a 60 day ban.

It was well harsh.

I only stamped on his ankle after he took me out.

He left on crutches so that was a result

[dell boy]

I got sent off and got a 60 day ban.

It was well harsh.

I only stamped on his ankle after he took me out.

He left on crutches so that was a result

60 days - violent conduct in local football or bringing the game into disrepute.

Normal sending off as Batch says is now 35 days and if you are daft enough to appeal you will definitely lose and they stitch you up giving you another 20 days plus loss of your deposit for appealing. The fines are not protionate for the level of football either, when you take into account the local park player has to pay £5 for the joy of playing to his club in subs, a booking fine is £20 and a sending off £40 and upwards.

I stopped running a local side a few years ago when the pitches went up and cost £65 per game, on top of that you had to pay four up in advance, refs £32 for league and cup and £40 for county. You need two kits about 4 match balls, the first aid and everything else you need to start a season, we could not break even. It is OK I suppose if you are a club with several sides in leagues including junior and have ways of raising money (clubhouse etc) but still tough.

The fines issued by the county just finish a club, and they charge interest if you do not pay within 30 days.

[Ralphy]

I got sent off and got a 60 day ban.

It was well harsh.

I only stamped on his ankle after he took me out.

He left on crutches so that was a result

Who were you playing? Chippy Swifts under 10's?

[magicroundabout]

he was playing against his brother.