SOUTHAMPTON referees are unlikely to follow a trend started in Ireland two years ago.
Match officials in the Leinster Senior League went on strike in 2002 following a rise in verbal and physical assaults on them.
And referees in Bedfordshire were considering strike action earlier this year after one of their colleagues had his jaw broken by a punch from a player.
But John Challis, secretary of the Southampton & District Referees Association, said: "Strike action is something we might talk about one day, and we might threaten it - but I don't think we'd ever go through with it."
Challis added: "If it was up to me anybody found guilty of an assault on a match official would be banned for life."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article