Footballers’ grievances intensifies as referees fail to show up regularly

by Siddharth Yadav October 23, 2016

Footballers’ grievances intensifies as referees fail to show up regularly

23, October: When the new season of MDFA (Mumbai District Football Association) 2016-17 kicked off a few months ago, it displayed a promising and successful season ahead. Though things have started to fall apart since past couple of months, we would like to address the issue where MDFA is trying their best to resolve, however, lack of coordination from Referee Association is affecting the schedule causing delays and rendering players effort, time and spirit worthless. Since a month, the referees have failed to turn up for the division matches on numerous occasions without any backup assistance or prior intimation despite the recent discussion regarding the increment of per match coverage, as MDFA tried making amendments.

Things got worse when on 16th October (Sunday), not a single Referee turned up to officiate the games at St. Xavier’s Ground (Parel) and Goans Association (Churchgate) which resulted in the cancellation of five matches in total.

The games which were cancelled in St. Xavier’s Ground: Vidya VT vs Veniza Vihar, Borivilians Steadfast A vs Sahyadri Krida Mandal and St Paul’s vs Goans SA, whereas, matches between Mumbai Warriors vs Juhu Sports and GM vs Mumbai Strikers had to be called off in Goans.

This has created an outburst among the players and the coaches who were left disappointed last weekend and it aggravated more as it got repeated in the MDFA’s Parel Venue, St Xavier’s Ground for the first match timed to kick off at 11:30am for first division and started instead at 12:30pm on the other hand, the absence of referees in Goans Venue by the scheduled time 2pm stirred some more heat amongst Super Division players. No Referees log books are maintained properly, which makes it a difficult task to maintain the track. Both the associations need to carry out a proper planning and structure regarding Referees delegation which will only prove to be beneficial for Mumbai Football as a whole. Referees must be given proper treatment. Their basic necessities should be taken care of as they are the one’s officiating under such a drastic heat, a properly maintained room should be provided which would be only for the Referees. Only after taking such steps there will be a light at the end of the tunnel, for MDFA, Referee Associations, and more importantly Mumbai football.

However, the conflicting situation might need some time to settle down, the efforts and hard work of weeks that the players take and their spirit and passion towards the game must not be demeaned repeatedly in such a way.