Peel Football Umpires Association coordinator Glenn Omodei has called for spectators to "have a little human decency" when attending both junior and senior games.
Football clubs statewide will take part in the WA Football Commission's (WAFC) Thank and Respect the Umpire round this weekend, an initiative that comes in the wake of a 13-year-old umpire being assaulted during a junior match in Thornlie last Saturday.
The attack was met with outrage from the football community, and resulted in lifetime bans for two adult spectators.
Omodei said copping abuse was the unfortunate reality of the umpire, but he urged fans not to cross the line and go outside the spirit of the game.
"As umpires you have to accept the fact that you're going to cop some abuse - we're not asking to be put on a pedestal," he said.
"If someone wants to scream out 'ball!' or 'come on umpire' that's fine, we're trained to take that and move on, but the minute it turns personal and someone crosses that line there's always the potential that it's going to get ugly.
"What we saw in Thornlie last weekend was a classic case of someone overstepping the mark and it's just disappointing to see it happen at a game where they don't even keep score.
"What if it was your son or daughter? How would you like them being abused like that?"
The Peel-based umpire praised the upcoming initiative installed by the WAFC, which will see players and coaches addressed pre-game about the importance of umpires, but raised concerns for footy's next generation of whistleblowers.
"I think what the WAFC is doing is fantastic. It's really encouraging to see them get on the front foot and take a strong stance against that kind of behaviour," he said.
"I do worry about the negative effects these sorts of things can have on the future of umpiring though.
"I've been involved in umpiring for 20 years and I've developed a pretty thick skin, but as a parent I'm not sure I'd want my son or daughter put in that situation. I'm not sure it's worth the pocket money.
"I do think we need to consider what age we let umpires be in control of a game. If that young kid in Thornlie was a 20 to 30-year-old bloke then would that spectator have had the guts to assault them? Probably not.
"The sad thing is there are so many benefits to umpiring. The pay's pretty good for a young kid, and you get to be part of the game you love.
"We just want to stamp that personal abuse out. If a fellow spectator sees it in the crowd we encourage them to call it out."
All Peel Football and Netball League clubs will be taking part in Thank and Respect the Umpire Round this weekend.
For more on the Peel Football Umpires Association or to join their ranks call Glenn Omodei on 0402 258 232.
Justin Rake
Sports journalist for the Mandurah Mail, Australian Community Media, Fairfax Media.
Sports journalist for the Mandurah Mail, Australian Community Media, Fairfax Media.
