There is a “100%” correlation between the behavior of fans on the field and the behavior of players on the ground.
That is the opinion of umpire Simon King, who acts at the grassroots level.
He spoke to ` Radio 5 Live after Fulham’s Aleksandar Mitrovic was sent off for laying hands on referee Chris Kavanagh at Manchester United on Sunday.
“I was stunned. The stalking and intimidation that had to be forcibly removed,” King said.
“My first thought was what would have happened if he hadn’t been dragged away by his own team-mates and I think some of the Manchester United players helped get him away from the referee.
“When he touches him for the first time, you can’t do that. It’s pretty scary what happens at the highest level.”
When asked if there was a correlation between the behavior of elite players and the behavior of young participants, King added: “Yes, 100%. There’s a connection can feel that they can. There should be a long punishment.
“Marco Silva mentioned that Mitrovic needs to control his emotions better and then again scolded the referee. So it was a one-liner and then ‘we don’t like that referee’ – negative opinions about his performance.”
King said he would support a lengthy suspension for the forward “100%”, adding: “There has to be a statement to everyone. If that happens at any level of football, the suspension should be imposed. People should be aware of that beforehand.”
Listen to Simon here from 2:50 p.m
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