Referees play truant after Monday fracas

A staff posts a note stating that the Super Division league matches have been postponed until further notice at the Bangalore Football Stadium on Tuesday. DH Photo/Pushkar V

The BDFA Super Division football league matches have been called off until further notice, after the referees refused to show up on Tuesday.

Kickstart FC were scheduled to play ASC & Centre FC in the first game of the day. While both teams, staff and officials reported at the ground, the referees stayed away, prompting the Bangalore District Football Association to postpone the fixture, and the league, until further notice.

On Monday, there was a physical altercation between the referees and Bengaluru FC reserve players and club officials. After BFC's clash had ended in a 3-2 loss to FC Bengaluru United, the referee - Suresh Devraj - had shown a BFC player the red card for verbal abuse which set off a chain of ugly events in motion. The referee was allegedly manhandled and the window of the referees room was smashed with an unidentified man throwing a tile through it.

Following the events, the referees' committee had informed the Karnataka State Football Association that they would continue to officiate under protest. The association, meanwhile, said they were awaiting the report to take action on the events of Monday's game.

"After yesterday's incident, the referees' committee said they are going to officiate under protest. We said fair enough, let them give the report on the game," said a KSFA official. "This morning, the referees officiated two KSFA ladies matches but they failed to turn up for the afternoon games (Super Division games). The referees neither turned up nor informed the their committee that they weren't coming. Subsequently, we (KSFA) have suspended them until further notice."

The referees suspended are Mruthyunjaya, Denny, Arjun Adiga, Kaushik, Vinay, Cholan and Rajesh.

The official also said that the report from Monday's game had not been submitted either.

"Without the report neither BDFA nor KSFA can take any action," the official added.

Meanwhile Balasubramaniam, the chairman of the referees' committee, said the officials have been incommunicado.

"I take moral responsibility for referees not turning up at the venue. They did not communicate (anything) to me. Their mobiles are switched off," he said.

It was also learned that Balasubramaniam tendered his resignation following referees' unilateral move, citing moral grounds.

Meanwhile, BDFA chairman Dr Anthony said that Bengaluru FC have given them a letter of grievance over the officiating of the match, although he stressed that it was not a protest letter.