Prendergast
Paul-Andre Walker, Staff Reporter
"IN ALL the 80-odd countries that I have been to, nowhere else have I seen the refs abused as they are here," were the remarks of FIFA international referee Peter Prendergast after being the man in charge of the Federation Cup Knockout game between Portmore United and Constant Spring on Wednesday.
During the game Prendergast and his assistant referee, Michael Mitchell, came under almost unbearable verbal abuse from spectators in the stands after which Prendedrgast explained to The Gleaner that this was the norm in Jamaica.
"Referees all over the world are jeered, but there is a difference between jeering and abuse," said Prendergast.
Prendergast, who is our highest ranking referee, went on to say that the behaviour of the crowds in Jamaica starts a cycle of stagnation within the referees association.
"Spectator abuse is the single largest deterrent from people joining the referees association," he said.
"I have asked people why they didn't want to become referees and they have told me that they can do without the abuse," he added.
With more and more football enthusiasts calling for more competent refereeing in Jamaica, the situation of scaring away the refs is an alarming one.
"There are people who have stopped because of the abuse and there are people who won't join the association for the same reason," explained Pren-dergast.
NOT INFALLIBLE
"People don't realise that referees are not infallible and that they are made of flesh and blood, they too have feelings," he added.
The game itself, while not dirty and with Portmore United enjoying dominancee in possession, should have ended without much controversy but the 'Spring fans seemed to think that every call that went the other way should have gone their way.
To accentuate the point that spectators in Jamaica allow their loyalties to make the game ugly, later that day at Arnett Gardens, the Damion Powell-led Waterhouse team had to be escorted by police guard to their team bus after Powell and a spectator almost came to blows over differing views about the calls of the referee during the game.
