Scottish umpires were reportedly disgusted after Saleem Sajjadm, who admitted verbally and physically attacking umpire Vic Hadcroft in a league match, escaped with a ban until the end of the season. Many had been demanding a life ban for Sajjadm.
Umpire training officer Jim Connell insisted the sentence had been a cop-out. He declared: "We have been let down badly - but, sadly, this is what I expected to happen, knowing who were making the decision. Sajjad's actions were not a spur-of-the-moment thing, they were pre-meditated. He was angry after being given out - but it was almost 15 minutes later when he re-entered the field of play to confront Vic.”
Click here for a full report from The Scotsman.
I'm an umpire in Holland. For several weeks after a match a player called me a filthy SS man. I reported this to the KNHB but guess what nothing happened. No ban no nothing. It is a shame considering all the plans and so on made about fair play and strongly requests to the Dutch umpires to go strongly forward against verbal and physical aggressive behaviour. Joh Heron, please contact me by E-mail. All the best to Greg Madden from Eindhoven. Jos