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Who’d be a ref? How rising abuse threatens grassroots football

More referees are choosing to walk away from football due to verbal and physical abuse.

Refereeing has never been easy but the signs are that it’s getting harder than ever.

With more than 90% of grassroots referees reporting some form of abuse, hundreds are choosing to walk away from the sport they love.

Others are going on strike in protest, while some leagues have withdrawn refs from games for their own protection.

Two grassroots referees tell us why they continue to give up their weekends despite the challenges, former Premier League official Mark Halsey calls for tougher penalties for abusers – and we find out what the UK can learn from how other countries have tackled the problem.

Panel: Sarah Mulkerrins, Dan Roan, Nesta McGregor & Sam Cunningham

Producer: Sam Sheringham

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45 minutes

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