The Season of Respect campaign aims to help raise awareness and tackle the ongoing problem of abuse towards referees and officials in County Clare.
It has become apparent on both a national and local level, that the volume of abuse towards officials and referees, across all sports and age grades, is extremely concerning. There is a crucial requirement to improve the levels of respect owed to such critical stakeholders of sport in County Clare.
The Season of Respect Campaign sees Clare Sports Partnership team up with the Federation of Irish Sport, Clare GAA, Clare LGFA, Clare Camogie, Clare Schoolboys/girls Soccer league, and Clare District Soccer League to tackle the rapidly-growing problem of abuse towards referees and officials across sport throughout our county. The constant mistreatment of referees and officials is leading to, not only to a lack of personnel being available for fixtures, but in some cases, referees leaving sport altogether.
The body of evidence of abuse experienced by referees and officials is growing fast, with a meeting in the Oireactas in June 2022 highlighting the problem of abuse towards our referees and officials. Additionally, a recent study conducted by Ulster University in November 2022, uncovered some shocking realities. Survey data collected from 438 Gaelic Games match officials revealed that 94% of this cohort have experienced verbal abuse, whilst 23% have experienced physical abuse during their career.
Help the #SeasonofRespect campaign by filling out the survey. Keep an eye on our social media channels as we unveil more details about the campaign.