BLAKELY, Ga. (WTVY) – Two Donalsonville referees are looking for answers after they say they were assaulted at a youth football game last weekend.
After a matchup between the Dirty South Bills and the Early County Bobcats Youth Program, referee Richard Martin says both he and his son were assaulted by angry coaches and parents.
Martin has been refereeing for 25 years. This game marked his son’s first time refereeing.
Martin said that after what he had experienced, that game was his last in youth football.
News4 is told it started with parents accusing the refs of pushing a child as they broke up a fight during the game.
Martin says that’s not true and there is no video evidence that backs this claim up.
A coach’s wife got a video of what happened after the game.
Angry parents stormed the field, along with two Early County coaches.
They could be seen attacking Martin’s son and then turning to him.
Martin said although they did not start the fight, he and his son were arrested and taken to the police station.
They were later released.
Martin said this entire situation has been hard to come to terms with.
“We could have got killed out there. It was that bad. We got hit in the head with some shots that would have killed some people if you got hit the wrong way. It is not safe. The parents worry about the game more than the kids, it is not safe anymore, so this is probably my last year doing Pop Warner,“ Martin said.
Another referee in attendance and a coach with the visiting team told similar stories of the incident.
Because of this, the Early County Youth Team has been disqualified from playoff contention.
Martin plans to press charges and wants the people responsible to be held accountable.
News4 did reach out to the Early County Youth Program but we have not heard back.
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