An Epsom & Ewell player has been released with immediate effect after he was involved in a shocking incident during Monday's Southern Combination League tie against Dorking Wanderers Reserves.
In the second-half of yesterday's clash at Meadowbank, a player from the Surrey-based side was seen throwing punches in the direction of referee Mark Spence and a number of opposition players.
The game was abandoned shortly after.
Advert
In the coming hours, footage of the incident would pick up over 500,000 views on social media, with some fans calling for the player involved to be banned for life.
Two hours later, Epsom & Ewell released a statement on social media, confirming that the player in question was released by the club with immediate effect.
Advert
“Epsom and Ewell Football Club would like to put on record our apologies to today’s officials and players of Dorking," the Twitter statement read.
“We will not tolerate this behaviour at our club and are mortified by the scenes in today’s match.
“The player in question has been released by the club with immediate effect.
“We would like to thank Dorking for their hospitality today and again apologise for today’s match. This sort of action holds no place in football or society.”
Southern Combination Football League chairman Steve Nealgrove was left shocked by the incident. He has since voiced his support to give life bans to any player guilty of assaulting or attempting to assault an official.
Advert
Nealgrove also opened up about the coversation he had with referee Spence, who officiated Monday's tie.
“I spoke to the official himself to check that he was physically and mentally fine and he said he was," Nealgrove told West Sussex County Times
"He told me he’d felt able to carry on with the game after the incident but his assistants convinced him abandonment was the right thing to do, which we as a league would agree with.
"Mark (the referee) told me he was looking forward to officiating his next game, which is great to hear.
Advert
“I also spoke to officials from both clubs and by the time I spoke to Epsom and Ewell they had already dealt with it swiftly in releasing the player and issuing a statement apologising. I know their officials went into the Dorking officials and apologised too.
Nealgrove added: “It was a totally unacceptable incident that has happened at a time when there is a national shortage of officials. Incidents like this need to be punished – firmly. In my view, any player found guilty of assaulting or attempting to assault a match official should be banned for life without the right of appeal.
“We as a league go a long way to support match officials and I hope the FA deal with this incident firmly. We are already struggling to find enough referees for step five, six and seven games – some clubs are having to provide their own officials for some games – and incidents like this only harm attempts to maintain numbers.”
Advert
Thoughts on the incident?
Let us know in the comments.
Featured Image Credit: Twitter/@Ollie_BaylissTopics: Football
