I’m a grassroots referee and this is why BODYCAMS could solve the problem of abuse of officials
- I have a friend who quit football last month due to abuse from players
- But if they had worn a bodycam, I’m not sure this would have happened
- Have you witnessed referee abuse? Contact IAKO@dailymail.co.uk
I would encourage every grassroots referee to wear a bodycam if he or she can. I was a referee at matches. I had a GoPro. I had a YouTube channel. So I thought, ‘Why not?’ I did it on my own accord and it has made such a difference.
The change in behavior wearing them compared to not wearing them is enormous. There are no negative sides to it. Only positive points.
My latest YouTube video shows Meltham vs Britannia Sports. I awarded a penalty which from my perspective looked like a stonewaller. The attacker then admitted that the defender had not touched him. I have never experienced such honesty.
Whether the bodycam was a factor I can’t say for sure, but I was able to reverse my original call, say thank you to the striker, sorry to the defender, and we enjoyed a seven-goal thriller, showing impeccable behavior of the players.
Everyone knew that if they misbehaved, they would end up on YouTube! The bodycam stops people who think they can do whatever they want because there is no evidence of their abuse.
Mail Sport has launched a campaign to stop the abuse of referees at all levels of the game
This is when a penalty kick is awarded after what appeared to be some foul by the player
It’s a deterrent and it makes me feel much more comfortable being out there doing my best to ensure fair play. It also benefits the players. They can look back at the images to understand why I made certain calls, such as that fine.
My ultimate goal is to build a career as a referee. I played football in my younger years and tried coaching, but ultimately found my passion in refereeing. It doesn’t come without challenges.
I have a friend who quit football last month because of the reaction of the male players on the pitch after he let up a late goal. If she had been wearing a bodycam, I’m not sure this would have happened.
Thanks to support from the game, not least from Ref Support UK, she is now gathering the courage to get back to doing what she loves. It is important to remember that without referees there is no football.
Harris uploads his bodycam-recorded videos to the YouTube channel: @TonyTalksUK
The defender then pleads his innocence and looks into the camera and says: ‘I didn’t touch him’
After the attacker then reveals that he has indeed dived, the attacker shakes hands and continues walking