North Wales Police have commenced an investigation subsequent to the circulation of a distressing video on social media, purportedly depicting a linesman being physically assaulted during a football match.
The incident involved a player serving as a voluntary assistant referee who appeared to have been struck in the head by a member of the opposing team’s coaching staff. Following the assault, the player was seen lying on the ground before rising and returning to his team’s dugout. Subsequently, a member of his coaching staff confronted the assailant, resulting in both teams congregating around the altercation. The alleged assault is reported to have taken place during a match between Amlwch Town and Penrhyndeudraeth FC.
The North Wales Coast Football Association (NWCFA) has acknowledged awareness of the incident but has declined to provide further details as the matter is currently under investigation. Law enforcement was alerted to the incident and has since confirmed that they are conducting an investigation.
A spokesperson for the police issued a statement, “We were summoned to the location shortly after 4pm on Saturday, April 27th, to address reports of an assault during a football match in Amlwch. Inquiries into the incident are ongoing. We urge anyone who may have witnessed the incident or possesses information that could aid our investigation to reach out to us by visiting our website or by calling 101 and quoting reference 24000385680.”
A representative of the North Wales Coast Football Association informed North Wales Live, “We are cognizant of an alleged incident. However, the matter is presently under investigation, and we are unable to provide further details at this stage.”
Despite Penrhyndeudraeth FC’s 8-0 victory, the club stated that the triumph was overshadowed by the aforementioned incident. The club expressed their support for the player who was allegedly assaulted and vowed not to issue further comments as the matter has been reported to the authorities.
The incident comes following data released by the Football Association, which revealed a slight increase in reports of serious offences against match officials in grassroots football last season compared to the previous year. There were a total of 1,451 allegations of serious offences against a match official last season, representing a one percent increase from the prior campaign. To address these trends, the FA has extended a trial implementing body cameras in grassroots football and has introduced points deductions and ground closures for teams found to be involved in serious or repeat instances of misconduct.
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