THE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION of Ireland says any abuse directed at referees will be punished. 

Two Dublin youth leagues cancelled all their fixtures this weekend as match officials take a stand against “constant abuse and threatening behaviour”.

Referees in the North Dublin Schoolboys/Girls League (NDSL) and the Metropolitan Girls League (MGL) are withdrawing their services in response to the abuse from managers, players, coaches and supporters.

“I can assure affiliates across the country that the FAI will do whatever is needed to ensure the protection of all our referees – without them we have no game, plain and simple,” FAI CEO, Jonathan Hill said. 

“The small minority of players, coaches, officials and all others guilty of such abuse need to understand that. They must know that Irish football and the FAI will do whatever we have to do to ensure a zero tolerance policy towards abuse of any match official.

“Our disciplinary regulations carry clear and serious sanctions to be enforced on anyone who abuses a match official and we are calling on all leagues to enforce those sanctions. We cannot and will not tolerate any abuse aimed at a referee at any level of the game.”