Illini Posted July 26, 2004 Report Share Posted July 26, 2004 COACHES WATCH OUT. The ultimate penalty Coach questions call, shot to death on field by referee Posted: Sunday July 25, 2004 2:15PM; Updated: Sunday July 25, 2004 2:27PM JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) -- A South African soccer referee pulled a gun and shot dead a coach who questioned one of his rulings, police said on Sunday. Inspector Mali Govender of the Grahamstown police in the Eastern Cape province said a fight broke out after the referee gave a yellow warning card to a player in a local match on Saturday. "There was an altercation...and the referee became threatened when the other team approached him because they were angry," Govender said. "So he pulled out a gun and killed the coach of the visiting team." Govender said the coach died on the field while the referee fled the scene. Police were confident of making an arrest soon, she added. South Africa has one of the world's highest murder rates with an alarming 47.4 murders per 100,000 people, or eight times the figure for the United States. Scandal won't delay PSL season Meanwhile, South Africa's Premier Soccer League (PSL) season will kick off as planned next month despite the arrests of 33 referees and other officials in a match-fixing crackdown, a PSL director said last week. Those arrested over the past five weeks in a police probe code-named Operation Dribble are mostly referees but include club directors and other officials and match commissioners, a police spokesman said. South African soccer has long been rife with allegations of corruption, but the wave of arrests shocked a soccer establishment still celebrating winning the right to host the continent's first World Cup in 2010. South African media have speculated that the reduced pool of referees available to officiate at league matches would interfere with the start of the league season on August 7. "We do have enough referees. ... Operation Dribble doesn't affect the start of the season," PSL finance director Ronnie Schloss told Reuters. Police spokesman Selby Bokaba said he was not expecting any more people to be arrested in the near future. "Now it's up to the department of public prosecutions to decide how to proceed. All of them have made brief court appearances," Bokaba said. "We've done our investigation." All 33 of those arrested have been released on bail, he added. The investigation was requested by the South African Football Association several months ago after repeated allegations of cheating in the country's lower leagues. The probe was widened to include the PSL, the most lucrative league on the African continent. A brief statement on SAFA's website said police had provided it with a progress report on the investigation and confirmed there would be enough referees to start the season as planned. "The association is satisfied with the result achieved by this exercise," it added. Copyright 2004 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. CHECK IT OUT Brazil beats Argentina on penalties in final Milan's Inzaghi to be visited by U.S. specialists Bayern beats Man Utd on penalties in Chicago STATEAAABAEAKALAPARASAZBCCACOCTDCDEFLGAHIIAIDILINKSKYLAMAMBMDMEMIMNMOMPMSMTNBNCNDNENFNHNJNMNVNSNTNYONOHOKORPAPEPRQCRISCSDSKTNTXUTVAVIVTWAWIWVWYYT SI Media Kits | About Us | Subscribe | Customer Service Copyright © 2004 CNN/Sports Illustrated. A Time Warner Company. All Rights Reserved. Terms under which this service is provided to you. Read our privacy guidelines. THE WEB SI.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redbaron515 Posted July 27, 2004 Report Share Posted July 27, 2004 Thats one way for a referee to defend him/herself. Next time im asked to help ref a soccer game, ill bring my 12 gauge, lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guesswho? Posted July 30, 2004 Report Share Posted July 30, 2004 That is the craziest thing I have read in a long time. I'll leave the referees or umpires alone now... geez! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GradfromtheNest Posted August 2, 2004 Report Share Posted August 2, 2004 Dang! Where in the world would you stash a gun on your uni? Especially a ref uni? In the sock? Wow! Can't believe that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachrt Posted August 3, 2004 Report Share Posted August 3, 2004 I refereed AYSO, school, & travel soccer for 8 years and never had to pull my gun. thumb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guesswho? Posted August 3, 2004 Report Share Posted August 3, 2004 Lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
basebasketfan Posted August 5, 2004 Report Share Posted August 5, 2004 Thats pretty f'd up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonymontana Posted August 6, 2004 Report Share Posted August 6, 2004 That right there is wild. I'll remember next time I try to question a call I have my 9mm...haha...eventhough I am an athlete not a coach, so really I have no where to put it, but I think I can find a place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swanson71 Posted August 7, 2004 Report Share Posted August 7, 2004 (edited) All ref's want to do something when a coach jumps on him for making a bad call...this ref just did do something...That's street soccer were I come from...haha... Edited August 7, 2004 by swanson71 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saywhat? Posted August 12, 2004 Report Share Posted August 12, 2004 No wonder the refs there have been able to get away with fixing games -- nobody wants to mess with a gun-toting, black and white striped bandit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redbaron515 Posted August 13, 2004 Report Share Posted August 13, 2004 Agreed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swanson71 Posted August 16, 2004 Report Share Posted August 16, 2004 Kinda makes you not want to argue w/ the refs anymore...glad all refs don't just kill when someone goes against them... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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