J’can referee roughed up in Bermuda

Jamaican referee Steffon Dewar was the subject of abuse during a Bermuda Premier Division match last Saturday night.

Dewar, a guest referee at the weekend, was in charge of a derby game between Devonshire Cougars and Devonshire Colts when the incident occurred.

Bermudan newspaper, The Royal Gazette, reported that the abuse from players and fans of Cougars, the home team, came at the end of the game.

Dewar dismissed Cougars Drewonde Bascome and Lejuan Simmons, who was shown a yellow for for kicking a ball away after being called offside, then another for using foul and abusive language in showing dissent to the previous booking.

It is reported that Simmons had to be restrained by teammates after the final whistle while Dewar and other officials had to be guarded by security until spectators had left the area. It is also reported that spectators at the upper balcony of the Devonshire Recreation Club doused the officials with liquids as they made their way to their dressing room.

STAR Sports reached out to Dewar about the incident but was told he was unavailable for comment.

Victor Stewart, the head of the Referee's Department at the Jamaica Football Federation, was also not able to speak on the matter when contacted.

The Bermuda Referees Association has since withdrawn its officials from Premier and First (second tier) Division matches because of the incident. The move has forced the Bermuda Football Association to postpone matches in both competitions.