As acts of violence increase on amateur Football fields in the Somme, the district has taken a rare decision: all weekend matches are canceled. Already, in 2022, the Somme district had made such a decision. At the time, it was not an accumulation of files, but an attack on a young referee.
2486 warnings since the start of the season, 214 exclusions. While we are only a third of the way through the season in the Somme, the number of cases handled by the disciplinary committee of the Somme district are already, almost, half of the height of previous seasons. An untenable situation for Pascal Tranquille, president of the structure. “And this concerns the U9 categories up to veterans”, specifies the Somme district. Its president, Pascal Tranquille, explains.
To begin with, what prompted you to cancel all weekend football matches in the Somme?
This is the seriousness of the situation because incivility continues to increase in frequency and intensity, which is unacceptable. It's simple, last year we had 4 instructions over the entire season, and here we are already at 17…The most dramatic thing is that apart from the U7s, this affects all of the categories, from U9 to veterans. So if anyone finds these numbers normal, please let me know. Finally, I would like to point out that this decision has no connection with what is happening in Occitania (the latter has also decided to hold a sand matches weekend to say an end to inappropriate behavior and attacks against educators) .
Everyone has problems that they try to resolve in the way they think best; For our part, we have already activated several levers and we will not hesitate to move forward in all directions. In any case, it is not a decision that we made with joy of heart, but we cannot blame ourselves for having waited for a tragedy to happen to do something because we keep ringing the bell. 'alarm.
How do you think we got here?
I'm not telling you anything by saying that this is a reflection of current society. When you see that there was recently an ax attack on the RER, it becomes serious. All this is a reflection of a general malaise and if for some the land is an outlet, it is a zone of no rights for others…We do not need them and I encourage them to go elsewhere.
Afterwards, should we still remember that losing a match is not an end in itself? In this case very often the first targets are the referees, and then the District which is accused of protecting this or that club… It is always easier to attack others, and in this case there is no no more discussions possible, we find ourselves facing walls.
In the same way, we are asked to sanction and be more severe; but when a player's suspension is too long, the clubs come to us to lower it…and some do not hesitate to take back a player who has been kicked out by another for behavioral problems. Maybe part of the problem comes from there too; even if there is no point in pointing the finger at this or that club, because nothing excludes that the next time it is they who in turn are confronted with a history of violence. No one is safe.
Finally, we are in a country of rights where we need elements to accuse, things that are difficult to collect because I have already heard several times from clubs telling me that they simply did not have the courage to write to report this or that act, which ultimately remained unpunished. One thing is certain, everyone has their share of responsibilities and must take responsibility for their actions.
Although the period is complicated, do you have hope for the future?
Of course, the day I had more I would stay at home and tell everyone to manage. Now what is certain is that the environment has changed. I was an educator around forty years ago when I started, I still am with little ones, and the children are no longer the same. Today there is more discipline to be done and I still wonder how they can know certain words at 6 years old…
Finally, what last message would you like to send?
There really needs to be a collective awareness of the current situation, otherwise we will experience tears and unhappiness. We must rediscover this living together, this desire to play together, because let's not forget that if they are opponents on the field, each team needs the other to play; and that it is this desire to play which must first and foremost animate everyone. Football should remain fun.
