Football game ends up in fist fight, players banned

This photo shows the Laudat and Trafalgar teams in a previous match.

A football match between the Laudat Spartans and Roseau Cooperative Credit Union Trafalgar Academy Football teams in Trafalgar on Sunday which ended in a fist fight, has resulted in “strong and necessary” punishments.

The two teams, who were competing in an ongoing Dominica Electricity Services Limited (DOMLEC) sponsored Roseau Valley Football League, halted play just two minutes shy of full game time following a brawl between players, supporters and referees.

According to President of the Trafalgar Football Organising Committee and coach of the Trafalgar team John Joseph, the incident was caused when a Trafalgar player tackled a Laudat player.

“One of the players on the Academy (Trafalgar) team tackled one of the guys on the Laudat team and the referee blew his whistle. Well after the guy tackled the guy, the Laudat player held him and was going to hit him, so we held back the Laudat player and he continued to try to go after the guy,” Joseph recalled.

Joseph said that though he was not clear as to how it started, another Laudat player, Patrick Rolle, allegedly ended up in a fight with the referee which sparked the involvement of some other Laudat players and supporters.

“He (Rolle) continued pursuing the referee even after we separated them several times, and also there were other players on the Laudat team who were encouraging him to go after the referee…,” Joseph said

The football coach told DNO that some Laudat supporters incited Rolle to go after the referee.

“It is not something that is pleasant; it is not something that we wanna encourage as a league.  I think the league was basically organised to encourage teammate unity and community togetherness within the Roseau Valley. And we have seen much of that during the course of the league and we want it to continue, but having players fighting with officials and those kinds of things we really had to take a very strong stance on that and send a message that these things are not tolerated,” he said.

Rolle has since been banned from the league for five years, while two other players are prohibited from playing for the rest of the league for verbal abuse of match officials and for encouraging Rolle to pursue the fight.

Another Laudat player has also been banned from the league for engaging in a fight with the player who tackled him, which instigated the entire incident. A fine of $100 is to be paid by the Laudat team by July 31 or the team will be suspended for the rest of the league.

“The rules of the league clearly state that no player should get involved in physical or verbal abuse with officials players or even the league officials and those things come with stringent penalties … we didn’t want this to be a precedence because we have to set a standard and we will not tolerate those kinds of activities from players, so that’s why these actions had to be taken,” Joseph added.

Meanwhile, Captain and player on the Laudat football team Andrew Stedman told Dominica News Online that though he acknowledges the blunder of his team members, he believes that the referee is partly to blame for the fight and should be punished accordingly.

According to him and other members of the Trafalgar and Laudat teams who were interviewed, the brawl between Rolle and the match referee started during a verbal fight between the two regarding a “bad call.”

They claimed that as a consequence Rolle pushed the referee who in turn slapped him, and he retaliated.

Stedman argued that officials are required to ‘keep their cool’ during matches despite verbal or physical abuse. He said that referees ought to walk away from fights whether physical and or verbal, except when the situation is deadly and one has to defend himself. Stedman said this was not the case. He insisted that punishment should be imposed on the referee as well.

In response, Joseph said that a referee has a right to defend himself no matter what. He also informed that the committee is presently in the process of devising a punishment for the match referee for his behaviour.

Though not justifying the incident, Stedman said that his players had been frustrated from many ‘bad calls’ from the match referees for most of the game. The captain also blasted Joseph for what he called a biased treatment towards his team during the league.

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19 Comments

  1. REALEST..... CHICK...RESPECT
    September 16, 2010

    well first of all, i understand that it was just a football game and maybe it shouldn’t have gone that far..however after collecting information, and reading the article above, i have to say that this punishment looks very biased… The coach of the trafalgar team is clearly making the laudat team look like they attacked his team, he will always back his team up and his statements were not true at all and any judge or whoever made the decision that Rolle should be banned for five yrs is clearly mental…after a team is faulted so many times because a referee is bias,the team will always get frustrated…and personally knowing Rolle he would never approach another man to fight him…. the referee and the members of the tr team who were involved should be banned and fined as well…BIAS decision but that is dominica for you ehh…they don’t know who to punish and how to punish… RESPECT THE LAUDAT FOOTBALL TEAM……… that trafalgar coach need some help on how to be a professional….. he maybe have to much responsibility it throwing him down…

  2. Laudat Adult
    July 24, 2010

    Rolle is a very nice man. Never violent with anyone. He is a lover and not a fighter. He has played football for years for bigger teams in the Roseau area and this type of incident has never happened. Therefore I believe the referee was the instigator and he should be ashamed of himself and be punished severly.

    Laudat adult in the house:::: Whip!!!!!

  3. detruth
    July 24, 2010

    de man dem wrong for de ban man…ah man….dat doh make no sense man…let dem man (Rolle) play…he nah violate he jus kickisin

  4. Yaman
    July 23, 2010

    And you wonder why Dominica’s football can’t go any further than it’s own shores. They should all get lifetime bans.

  5. zillian
    July 22, 2010

    john i doe like your style dred… u alone want to run a whole league my brother… da league is a waist of time… john come better than that buss…

  6. Mentally Disturbed
    July 22, 2010

    @Ibn Gabrioli: Take it easy there Gabrioli, u makin my head hurt, this ain’t no thesis ur writing, just an opinion on a football (how u call it “fracas”), afta I read it the 5th time I understand it, I like it (your opinion that is), but now u owe me some phensic. Phew.

  7. Ibn Gabrioli
    July 22, 2010

    We say hats off to the organizers (Mr. John et al) for having the forsight to create such a league, ostensibly, to foster community spirit, respect and cooperation. However, we read with great dismay the near mayhem that ensued at this recent match.

    We believe in the metting out of punishment and penalties for this type of behavior – for abbetors and supporters alike.

    While the integrity of officiating the game must be above board, a complete and thorough investigation of the circumstances (and the referee’s actions) that caused the fracas is in the offing. And then blame and penalties should be apportioned accordingly.

  8. swag
    July 22, 2010

    Some youung and prospective sports players should take the game more seriously. They should keep in mind that they are showcasing their talents in hopes of becoming representatives of their country in the sports arena. Therefore, at this very early stage of their game/trials, they should try to adopt a mental capacity where they can respect each other and focus on their ultimate goals.
    With that being said, Those who fail to conduct themselves appropriately, should be taught a harsh enough lesson, that when and if they are given an opportunity to play again, that they will think twice before engaging in such senseless actions.

  9. all-in-1
    July 22, 2010

    hats off to john for organising the league largely by himself (stand to be corrected). any fighting etc. in a game any act of violence must be punished and i ahve no problem with that. however, when the main organiser is also the coach of the opposing team and has to be the one taking action against players, this to my mind is conflict of interest. i would like to ask, what disciplinary action was taken against the team that walked off the field at laudat a couple weeks ago well before half time? i have heard nothing of that. who are the members of the league organising committee? how can you have a member of the football team referee a derby match?

  10. LYN
    July 22, 2010

    The fine is too little. It’s too much indiscipline going on among Dominican men in every strata of society from PM to Ministers who sucking breast in the House to teacher to business man, to garbage collector to foot ball player. They should be taught the ultimate lesson on how to conduct themselves. The penalty should be much higher. Each player should be fined $100 or more. Enough of the nonsense!

  11. jane
    July 22, 2010

    What are we coming to in this island we just keep getting less discipline and more agressive they should barn him for life. The other day one attacked a refree in Dublanc and he is now coaching a young team in st joseph for the summer oh boy can he teach discipline? great.

  12. LAUDAT YOUTH
    July 21, 2010

    JOHN TRYING HIS BEST TO MAKE TRAFLGAR WIN DE LEAGUE EVERY YEAR HOW CAN YOU HAVE REFS PLAYING ON TEAMS IN DE LEAGUE DATS PURE SHIT AND UP TILL TODAY LAUDAT HAVENT GOTTEN THEIR TROPHY FROM LAST SEASION WAT A LEAGUE JHN YOU GO FOOL OTHER PPL NOT ME

  13. LAUDAT YOUTH
    July 21, 2010

    JOHN IS A HATER AS HE DAT RUNNINGDE LEAGUE HE CAN JUST DO WAT HE WANT I WAS DERE NOT SO IT HAPPEN DE REF HIT ROLLE 1ST

  14. j
    July 21, 2010

    they shoulda ban the entire team for two yrs!

  15. Ima Dominican!!!!!!
    July 21, 2010

    Nonesense!! These boys need a lot of discipline!! I mean it’s just a football match!!

  16. Gareth
    July 21, 2010

    I support the full punishment given to the guys. Stedman, the laudat captain ust stop wearing his badge of ignora.nce loke a badge of honour. John should ban him from the league. he too foolish for saying that they shud ban the refreree

  17. roots man
    July 21, 2010

    sorry to say but it’s the truth we will never reach no where in sports espically when we have these type of behavior

  18. have mercy
    July 21, 2010

    stupes they they behave like kids

  19. experienced
    July 21, 2010

    Sounds like a bunch of louts showing off their expertise.

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