A fight broke out between adults on the sidelines of a U14s football match in Wales on Saturday, with the referee forced to abandon the game as children ran over to intervene
Disturbing footage has emerged showing the moment a brawl erupted between grown-ups on the touchline during a youth football fixture in Wales.
Chaos descended in the closing stages of the U14s clash between Aberkenfig BGC and Trefelin BGC on Saturday as adults stormed onto the field and engaged in a violent scuffle. Punches were exchanged right in front of the youngsters taking part in the match whilst other spectators desperately pleaded with them to settle down and cease the aggression.
The melee lasted approximately 90 seconds, with multiple adults tumbling to the turf as witnesses cried out “it’s just a game” and “you’ve got your boys watching”. Another voice can be heard repeatedly declaring: “Come on, we’re better than this”.
The fracas is understood to have kicked off moments after a Trefelin player received his marching orders from the referee, with the footage capturing the official displaying a card just before the touchline confrontation commenced.
The fixture – staged at Coleg Cymunedol Y Ddderwen in Tondu, Bridgend – ground to a halt as the violence unfolded, with video evidence revealing numerous adults becoming embroiled whilst youngsters dashed over attempting to intervene, reports Wales Online.
The referee subsequently called off the match, with both clubs now launching internal probes into the shocking scenes.
One witness informed WalesOnline that the brawl was “absolutely horrific”, occurring following what they described as a “physical, full-blooded but not dirty game”.
In a club statement issued on Sunday evening, Trefelin BGC declared: “As a club we have been made aware of an incident on social media. Trefelin BGC certainly don’t condone this behaviour and are awaiting reports from the relevant match and league officials.
“We are also conducting an internal investigation. Updates will be made in due course.”
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Aberkenfig BGC also issued a statement, which said: “We are aware of a video circulating on social media showing an altercation at one of our junior football fixtures on Saturday 21st February involving members associated with the opposition and Aberkenfig BGC.
“As a club, we are extremely disappointed by what has occurred. We are also saddened by the extent to which the clip has been shared and the volume of comments being made online. The behaviour shown does not reflect the standards, values, or expectations we hold as a community-focused football club.
“We recognise that the video, which was recorded and shared by one of our parents, does not show the full context of the incident and we will be compiling a full report to the governing bodies on due course,” it continued. “However, we fully acknowledge that regardless of the circumstances, the scenes portrayed place the club in a negative light and are not acceptable.
“We would like to sincerely apologise to the match officials, our players, and the wider football community for any distress or reputational damage caused.
“We will carry out a full internal investigation in conjunction with the relevant governing bodies. We are committed to addressing this matter appropriately and ensuring that lessons are learned to prevent any recurrence. Thank you for your patience and understanding whilst this process is ongoing.”
A representative for the Football Association of Wales stated: “The relevant football authorities are aware of the alleged incident, and a full investigation will take place.”