People involved in Welsh grassroots football have spoken out as growing problems of violence and abuse tarnish the game

Grassroots football in Wales has been plunged into potential crisis following an alarming spate of violence, "vile abuse" and misconduct.

Referees in one league are now threatening to boycott all matches, with an official warning it's only a matter of time before someone is seriously hurt or even worse unless the problem is addressed.

An email sent by the Carmarthenshire Association Football League's referees officer, Naythan Barnard, says young officials in particular have been subjected to abuse from spectators, parents and coaches during games.

In one case, a female referee was called a "f***ing s**g" after giving a decision during a game, while several other high-profile incidents have unfolded in recent months.

No final decision over a boycott has yet been made, with discussions still be ongoing at the time of writing.

It comes amid a spate of incident across the country, which have seen parents brawl at children's matches, referee's physically confronted and a raft of bans issued for incidents during games.

The South Wales FA alone issued nearly 80 separate bans to players and coaches on October 10, including suspensions totalling 22 matches to seven different players from the same under-13s side in Tondu.

A spike in incidents

It's not the first time grassroots referees in south Wales have decided to take such drastic action.

In 2024, referees in Cardiff decided to boycott matches after a referee was physically assaulted and left with broken ribs after officiating at a Sunday League match.

Many within the game feel the problem has got worse since then, with the Bridgend Port Talbot Junior Football League noting a particularly concerning rise in incidents at junior fixtures.

In a statement, a spokesperson said: "The League Management Committee of the Bridgend Port Talbot Junior Football League is issuing this open letter because the opening weeks of the 2026/27 season have raised serious concerns about discipline and conduct across several fixtures.

"Junior football must be a safe, positive enjoyable environment for children. When behaviour from adults or players undermines that purpose, we have a responsibility to act.

"In just five weeks, there has been 30 per cent of last season's total red cards issued and nearly the same proportion of yellow cards, despite having played only 15 per cent of last season's total fixtures. This is not acceptable and it is not sustainable."

Those on the ground have warned the problem has become widespread, with the latest high-profile incident occurring at an under-11s game in Neath when spectators were seen squaring up to each other on the touchline.

In August, a match in the Rhondda and District Football League was abandoned after a referee was allegedly pushed over by a player.

Back in September, parents and kids were involved in an ugly melee during an under-15s match in Milford Haven.

Neill Crawshaw, a referee in Pembrokeshire, says stronger sanctions are needed to protect officials and others in the face of such toxicity.

"Those parents, for me, should be banned from all football for life," he told WalesOnline.

"There's nothing that happened in that game that should make you want punch other people. It's a football game at the end of the day, and it's a children's football game.

"So if you can't hold that level then you shouldn't even be involved in football at all.

"If I had any opportunity for an input into that, that's what I would be recommending. Because until you stop it, it will never end.

"That's why the senior game is in the state it's in now, because it comes through from junior football. Junior football is where it starts.

"I know referees in Carmarthenshire, who for all intents and purposes are children given they're often only about 16, are thinking of pulling out of games.

'He stood there threatening to kill me'

"The names that they're calling these children is absolutely abominable.

"Those kind of people that are doing that should be banned for life. But they don't get to that level. They ban them for a few weeks or they say, "Oh, you, you can't be there. You get a fine'.

"People don't bother. They pay a 20, 30 pound fine, and then they go back next week and continue."

Crawshaw is chairman of the Pembrokeshire Referees Society, who also put out a statement in response to a spike in incidents during matches, and says the current climate is taking its toll on officials.

"Every time now that we go home, we are all mentally and physically exhausted from the amount of abuse, screaming, shouting, constant arguing with the decisions we've made after every single game.

"I've already said that the only reason I'm refereeing now is because I'm the chairman of the society. And if I wasn't the chairman of the society, I would have walked away from football."

Crawshaw says he's been followed home, and in one particularly chilling incident even had a threat made against his life.

"Three years ago, I was followed home by the parent of a senior player," recalls. "The guy was 22 at the time.

"I booked him in the last 10 minutes of the game and gave him a yellow card. His parents followed me home.

"Then two seasons ago, I booked a guy for a foul. He didn't attempt to win the ball. He just ran straight into the player.

"I booked him for that. I gave him a yellow card. Then he was subbed off about 20 minutes later, and I'm just walking off the pitch. I'm looking at him, and he starts shouting at me, 'Who the **** you think you're looking at?'

"And I went, "I'm just watching you come off the pitch here so I can then let the other player on'.

"Then he gave me a load of abuse. I gave him a red card.

"When I got to my car at the end of the day, at the end of the game, he stood there at the end of my car threatening to kill me.

"So I took that to the police. Took it to the West Wales FA, and he got a six-month ban.

"He should've been banned for life.

"I've refereed him since then, you know. Same person. But it makes you think, 'Well, I'm not gonna book him because it's not worth it at the end of it'.

"It will only be a matter of time before somebody is physically assaulted or worse."

Crawshaw's experiences are sadly not unique, with the rise of violence among spectators and coaches also becoming an particularly pressing concern.

Some incidents going under the radar

Mike Bassett, who worked as a safeguarding officer and DBS verifier at Evans & Williams FC in Llanelli for approximately 10 years, says some serious incidents are also going under the radar.

He shares the fear that it's only a matter of time before someone is seriously injured or worse unless the problem is addressed, particularly when it comes to the rising levels of violence among parents and coaches.

"There's no point saying any more that somebody might get seriously hurt," he says.

"We've had people knee-capped. We've had people headbutted.

"I've been in the game for a long time, so people talk to me. There was an academy game the other day, and you don't hear about this, which is the worrying part of it.

"There's was an academy game the other day, I think under 15s or under 16s. A parent was abusing an opposition player.

"The opposition player's walked over and said to him, 'don't talk to me like that.'

"Then that player's parent has walked over and either punched or head-butted the parent who was doing the chopsing.

"He's had an underlying brain issue, and he's now in hospital."

Sanctions for such incidents at this level are overseen by local associations, although some have raised the issue with the Football Association of Wales (FAW), including the South Wales FA (SWFA), which itself has seen a concerning rise in incidents at matches.

Just last week seven members of an under-13s side from Tondu United Madrid were banned for a combined total of 22 matches, although the nature of those offences hasn't been clarified.

A senior player at Ferndale BGC was banned for two years, while two members of Sully Sports Under-15s were given touchline bans.

The SWFA has followed suit in expressing concerns.

In its own statement released this week, they said: "The South Wales Football Association is issuing a clear message to all players, clubs, officials, parents and spectators: violence, abuse and unacceptable behaviour will not be tolerated.

"Recent assaults on players and referees, mass brawls resulting in abandoned matches and parents fighting among themselves are utterly unacceptable.

"There is no justification for assaulting a match official. Referees give their time to facilitate our game and deserve respect not threats, abuse or violence. Clubs and individuals must take responsibility for their conduct. Incidents will be dealt with firmly under the relevant disciplinary regulations."

In response, a spokesperson for the FAW told WalesOnline: “The FAW is aware of alleged ongoing issues with refereeing at a grassroots level. The FAW Refereeing and Grassroots Departments have arranged meetings with Area Associations as part of work to tackle the issue and are reviewing the situation of match official abuse across the country which will eventually lead to actions to support match officials in Wales.

"Abuse of match officials at grassroots level will not be tolerated and the FAW are working towards positive behavioural change to improve behaviour at all levels of football."