Soccer clubs with supporters or players who repeatedly abuse the referee should have their points reduced, a spokesperson for the Dublin branch of the Irish Soccer Referees’ Society has argued. 

The branch’s secretary Sean Slattery described the issue of abuse as a “major problem nationwide”. 

“Thank God… with assaults and that, we seem to be seeing a small drop in those,” he told Lunchtime Live. 

“I think the main thing is verbal attacks from sidelines - especially at underage games - seems to be still a huge problem.” 

Mr Slattery added that assaults happen during a “tiny minority of games” out of the many thousands of games that take place every year. 

However, he continued that there has been “some serious stuff”.  

“We have had referees threatened and assaulted in car parks and on the pitch itself,” he said.  

“Even this year, we have another case pending in the last couple of weeks. 

“It’s not a nice place because in 99% of the games, unlike on the TV, the referees are on their own at the venue.” 

Mr Slattery said the pitch can be a “lonely place” for the victim and there are a “lot of repeat offenders”. 

“The only punishment that some of the clubs will listen to further down the line would be the reduction of points,” he said. 

“Because a lot of them have paid monetary fines and it just seems to wash off. 

“But I think the reduction of points would be a huge thing.”

A red card. Picture by: PA Wire/PA Images.