Football governance must be overhauled to better represent referees – refs chief

Football governance must be overhauled to better represent the interests of referees if incidents like the one involving Fulham’s Aleksandar Mitrovic at Old Trafford on Sunday are to be stamped out, according to the chief of the Referee’s Association.

Paul Field, whose organisation supports and offers welfare for referees at grassroots level in England, says that an example must be made of Mitrovic after he was sent off for pushing referee Chris Kavanagh during his side’s 3-1 defeat to Manchester United in the FA Cup.

On Monday, the Football Association charged the 28-year-old with “abusive and/or insulting and/or threatening behaviour” towards Kavanagh when he was sent off in the 71st minute for protesting a red card for team-mate Willian, who had just conceded a penalty for handball on the goal line.

Regulation and Discipline update on @FulhamFC: pic.twitter.com/VqW5rJHzJG

— FA Spokesperson (@FAspokesperson) March 20, 2023

Fulham boss Marco Silva was also charged over his reaction to the referee’s decision on Willian, after he was sent from the touchline by Kavanagh for insulting the referee and fourth official.

The FA is yet to announce the length of Mitrovic’s ban, but said in a statement that “the standard punishment that would otherwise apply for the offence of violent conduct towards the match official is clearly insufficient”.

A straight red card normally brings a suspension of three games.

“They need to set a powerful example that says ‘this is not acceptable’,” said Field, who highlighted the disparity between sanctions imposed at the grassroots and professional level.

“At the Dog and Duck, if someone thumps a referee, they’re looking at five years. The professional game is so out of touch with what happens