Following the Europa League Final, our member, Anthony Taylor, was subjected to awful abuse at the airport on his way home by supporters, as well as several death threats on our Facebook page, which was totally unacceptable.
Our President, Paul Field, has since spoken to Anthony on several occasions to check the welfare of him and his family and to show our support, which has been greatly appreciated.
The Referees’ Association has taken the appropriate action and contacted the police to report this as a hate crime. The police are looking into all the abuse proactively to see if they can take further action. They are including the senior investigating officer and the Chief Constable of Cheshire Police (who heads the Football Police Unit nationally) are closely involved. Indications show that all of the abuse has originated from Italy and Anthony is fully aware of the steps taken by the RA and the police. Once the investigations are complete, the police will be in touch with their colleagues abroad since the comments emanate from there.
We are pleased to see the whole football family has been highly supportive of Anthony, and he has been invited to the Champions League Final by UEFA.
The RA has been and will continue to fight all abuse. No match official should suffer from abuse, and we urge everyone to report it. For any support and advice, please contact the RA welfare team on welfare@the-ra.org or the office on contact@the-ra.org. We have a good working relationship with the national Football Police Unit and this will assist a speedy investigation of any abuse offences.
Our Partnerships
Partnerships are often formed between individuals, agencies or organisations with a shared interest to address specific issues. Our evidence reveals that our members young and old often require mental, emotional, financial, medical help, support and guidance. The Referees’ Association champion the work of those agencies that provide this support in times of need. Should you require support please contact the relevant agency below or the RA Head Office.
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The National RA recommends that prospective members should join through their local LRA, the easiest way being to attend one of the many local association meetings that take place across the country on a regular (usually monthly) basis. Find your nearest branch now.
Alternatively, online membership is now available for any referee who wishes to take up central membership. The National RA will then allocate you a local branch. Join now.