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NEW SANCTIONS ARE to be put in place for people who attack referees, following an assault at a football match last weekend.
Daniel Sweeney suffered a broken jaw and fractured eye socket when he was attacked after showing a red card during a match in Westmeath on Sunday.
He underwent a five-hour operation yesterday and will spend the next six to eight weeks recovering.
Officials from the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) and the Irish Soccer Referees Society (ISRS) met at last night’s friendly international between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
Paul O’Brien, president of the ISRS, told RTÉ Radio 1′s Today with Seán O’Rourke he wasn’t due to meet John Delaney until next week but that the FAI chief executive “felt so strongly” about what happened to Sweeney that they met at half time last night.
O’Brien said he wants stronger sanctions to be put in place for people who assault referees. He said both organisations have agreed in principle to a tiered structure of sanctions.
O’Brien added that the attack on Sweeney was not a normal occurrence, saying it was “the worst assault I’ve seen”.
“As it stands, anyone that assaults a referee gets a minimum of a one-year suspension,” he said, while the same offence gets a five-year ban in England and a 10-year ban in Scotland.
He said these models are too simplistic, hence the desire for a tiered system.
“The more serious the assault the stronger the sanction.” he said.
O’Brien said people who carry out attacks as “vicious” as the one on Sweeney may be banned for life from playing in or attending matches.
A working group has been set up to look into the issue, with a view to reporting back to the FAI in January.
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But why would you walk through that water in the subway of all places. Who knows what was washed down with that!
@Richard: I’d rather take my chances climbing through a bin of tissues from the covid ward…
@Richard: also water and electricity! No thanks
Oh well, let’s add 50c to the price of petrol, shure won’t that stop it?
@edward: chalk it down
Does yer wan in the pink think the train is still going with all that water
@Dawn Harvey: There’s literally a train arriving in the background.
2-4 inches is massive.
@Madra: Listen, could you call round the house and tell that to the wife, I’ve been saying that to her for the last 40 years and she won’t believe me!
@Madra: keep telling your self that buddy!!
@Madra: big softie so ya are
@This time its personable!: ha ha that was the joke. I thrilled someone got it :)
@Madra: ah ya auld dog ya!!!
Elsa? Do you wanna flood a subway?
Doesn’t have the same ring. Sorry, I’ll let it go.
I used that subway station every day until almost 7 years ago. Thank God I got out just in time
@Kevin O’ Brien: you hero. Will there be a movie?
@Roy Dowling: I’m having discussions with myself right now actually. Its going well so far
Day After Tomorrow, its coming..
@Pauline Gallagher: When? Sunday?
OMG I’d lose my life if the subway flooded.
have your say