Abuse of referees must be punished

Will sport ever be rid of the criticism of its officials? The short answer is probably no, never, but you’d think passionate fans ought to get past blaming an individual for their team’s demise, even if mistakes were made.

The latest referee to cop flak from the fans? English referee Anthony Taylor, who was the man in the middle in the Europa League football final in Budapest this week.

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Sevilla defeated Roma via penalties after an ill-tempered final that saw 13 players carded and the match constantly being delayed due to the numerous infringements.

Disgusting scenes of fans hurling abuse and a chair at Taylor and his family at Budapest Airport after the final does not help a sport that has been tarnished by hooliganism.

Yes, it may be a group of unruly fans, but it certainly sends out a poor message. We are certainly not defending Taylor. He should be scrutinised for a number of controversial calls, but to throw a chair at him and his family? Come on…

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Back home, SA Rugby this week sent out a stern warning that any “rugby club members who abuse or assault referees should expect to be banned from the game and action taken against their clubs”.

The warning comes on the back of nasty incidents involving assaults on officials in the Eastern Cape. We agree. Match officials should be protected at all costs. The sport’s integrity is at stake.