POLICE PROBE REF ‘ASSAULT’

POLICE are investigating an ‘unprovoked’ attack by a player on a referee who was allegedly knocked unconscious.

The incident came in the 85th minute of last Saturday’s Surrey South Eastern Combination Intermediate League Division Two game between AFC Sutton Common Rovers and Sporting 50.

It led to the match being abandoned while the official received medical attention at the scene.

The unnamed Rovers player has since been banned by both the league and his club.

A Met Police statement confirmed: “Officers are investigating reports that a man in his 40s was assaulted while refereeing a football match at a sports ground in Surbiton.

“The London Ambulance Service treated the man at the scene. His injuries are not life-threatening. The suspects had left the ground when the officers arrived.”

An official club statement from AFC Sutton Common Rovers read: “We confirm that in the closing minutes of the match there was an unprovoked cowardly incident resulting in a player striking the match official. Both clubs’ priorities were to swiftly ensure the welfare of the match official until he was deemed fit to make his own way home.

“The police, league and FA have been made aware of this highly regrettable, wholly unacceptable and completely unforeseeable incident.”

Sporting 50 added: “It was a distressing incident in which the referee was assaulted in an unprovoked attack from one of the opposition.”

A league statement said: “Sutton Common Rovers have banned their player from being involved with the club and the league took the same stance.”