A Nottinghamshire football referee who was assaulted by a player during a match says abuse being suffered by officials is getting worse. Simon Reast was knocked to the floor, kicked and squirted in the face with a water bottle during a Sunday league game in Carlton last October.
His attacker, Craig Binch, was handed a suspended prison sentence when he appeared in court on Thursday, June 1, and was banned from playing for six years by Nottinghamshire FA. However, Mr Reast says more needs to be done to deter players and managers from abusing match officials.
The 59-year-old from Mapperley, who runs a cleaning business for a living, said referees were "easy targets" and often treated like pantomime villains. "My wife's had to stand there and watch me get hit before, it's not acceptable.
