All the publicity has not helped this situation. There is a reason why referees are told not to talk the media.
Maybe the CPS didn’t think he would get a fair trial? Especially as a charity had offered Ł100 to the first video they received of the attacker playing football again!
I’m not saying the decision is correct, far from it, but it’s certainly a case to be learnt from for the next referee who suffers an attack, and I find it very sad that I cannot put “if they suffer”.
I find it abhorrent that these things happen, but sadly it’s a society we live in today.
I look at today’s football and the so called pundits “Mike’s (Dean) lost his composure there, Bilic hasn’t sworn at him”. “That retake is ridiculous, he’s millimetres off his line” (The pundit has contradicted himself in that remark). It is my belief that anybody involved in commentating or punditry should be made to pass a laws of the game test and read competition rules and then maybe, JUST MAYBE, they wouldn’t come out with this nonsense and undermine referees. I really do believe that this is a big root of the problem. It’s always the referees fault never the stupidity of players not knowing the laws (apart from when it’s indefensible like today’s early red card).
It’s funny because whilst I’ve been watching the rugby most of the afternoon, all the presentation teams have been knowledgable and know the interpretations of the laws/rules and they don’t have the slightest problem with calling out stupidity of the odd player to transgress. If a referee makes an error, they are always looking to see why (s)he made that error, not just berate them.
It’s been interesting since the start of the season how much non league gates have increased with people just wanting to go out and watch live football. I really hope that it continues to serve up some proper football and these big companies might then need to start thinking about things if people stop their subscriptions.
Anyway rant over!