Women’s football coach suffers traumatic brain injury in attack at Auckland tournament

A police spokesman said: reporter An investigation into the serious assault on a woman at Mount Roskill last month is ongoing and no one has yet been arrested or charged.

Speaking for the first time after the incident, the coach, who wished to remain anonymous, explained how the attack started.

he said reporter along The semi-final crowd was vocal and passionate. Late in the match, Papakura City FC called for a free kick after a player passed the ball to the goalkeeper who received it due to a rule violation.

Remembering that his team was already leading 2-0 and wanting to keep the game entertaining, the player immediately withdrew his request and signaled the referee to leave it.

However, the coach believes his first call-up intensified the atmosphere as pitchside behavior escalated shortly afterwards. He began receiving threatening gestures, including throat-slitting gestures and verbal abuse, from a man at one end of the field.

“We kept playing and then I heard the goalkeeper from the sideline saying ‘Shut up’ and ‘What, is he talking to me? This is weird’. I keep playing and then my parents say ‘(the coach) is looking at you, threatening you.'” Papakura walked up to his coach I go and say, ‘Excuse me, one of your parents is threatening me.’

He said the opposing coach told him to ignore this person’s behavior and leave it alone.

At full time the behavior reached increasing intensity.

“Another parent had to beat (the guy) as he walked past our bench and he was just threatening. “I turned around because I was so confused again,” he said.

About 30 minutes after the game, a mother and her 5-year-old child accompanied the coach from the team tent to the restroom due to tensions following previous events.

Koç said he heard the man and woman verbally abusing him behind him during their short walk along a concrete path to the toilet.

“He came right up to me and was waving the umbrella and said, ‘I’m going to put this damn umbrella around your neck.’

“The woman told her partner to ‘hold her purse’ while she was going to fuck me (and) he laughed. Then he swung it like a baseball bat and hit me in the head. I must have fallen backwards, turned around and then passed out. Then all I heard was the mother screaming and the 5 year old went crazy and ran over to where our team tent was.

“I think that’s when the police were called, the ambulance was called and I was just laying there, then I went into shock.”

A father of the Ellerslie team said: reporter Throughout the match, the man was making rude hand gestures and throat-cutting movements with his finger, but later this behavior reached another level.

“He passed behind us and then called me into the tent to fight with him. So I went into the tent with him and then all the parents had to drag him and then his coaches came and talked to me and said things shouldn’t have gone that far. Then (the Ellerslie coach) was walking towards the toilet when this man attacked him.

“When the ambulance arrived, I walked away to look after the children. He was out for a long time; It was at least 10 minutes,” the parent said.

An Ellerslie AFC spokesman said: Messenger: “(We) continue to offer support to the coach after the horrific incident at the Auckland Utd tournament to help him return to coaching, we are pleased to confirm that he has taken some positive steps to get back to his happy place coaching young female players.”

A spokesman for Papakura City FC said: reporter The identity of the person involved in the incident was not disclosed to them.

“Our team reached out to the Ellerslie executive group after first hearing about the incident to convey our thoughts on welfare.”

mother of two He was also recovering from major back surgery when the incident occurred. he said reporter how much the attack affected him mentally and physically.

“I’m really sick, I have two little boys and a family, I’m a mother, I can’t work. I can’t stay up long with the boys; I have to go to bed. I have about an hour every day and then it’s downhill. “This is very much my family’s responsibility.”

He was grateful that the incident did not occur around his team of more young players, but was saddened that a mother and her young daughter had to witness the incident.

“I’m not sure if they were offered any support or counseling because it was quite traumatic and threatening.”

While the coach believes this is an isolated incident, he questions why more isn’t being done to protect it in New Zealand.

“I worry that if this team or this parent has other issues throughout the year and it’s not addressed, then I’m really worried about him still being allowed to play games.

“I haven’t heard from New Zealand Football, I haven’t heard from Papakura… It’s like he’s been swept under the table.”

He said his club Ellerslie FC had been supportive.

“I was disappointed not to hear from Auckland United. They called me and said, ‘Are you okay?’ Not that I want them to say, I don’t care about myself, but maybe instead: ‘How are your girls doing? Do they like this?’

“It’s not just about keeping kids safe, it’s about keeping them involved in the sport, getting them to leave the game and enjoy it. They’re not afraid to come to the game on Saturday and not be afraid of the crowd’s tone or yelling or speaking out or if things are unsafe.

“This affected not only my family, but also the girls I coach and their parents. “This is a trickle-down effect that should never happen at children’s sporting events.”

One way to prevent conflict in the future might be to provide girls’ tournaments with the same resources that boys of the same age receive, he said. He said a young girl was refereeing the match before the incident took place.

“The kids always have qualified referees and linesmen; Likewise, they also have better fields. “The young girl should not have been left there without support.”

He also said groundskeepers or support contacts at tournaments could be options as a general authority for players, parents and coaches.

“They should have an app where if something happens, people can immediately text the clubhouse manager and then people can go out and monitor the situation. They don’t have to go out and take the guy out and make a scene; It could just be putting themselves out there to make sure something is safe and anonymous.”

An Auckland United spokesman said they chose not to comment as the matter was still under police investigation. However, it was confirmed that the young man who refereed the match was a qualified club referee. They said the incident took place away from the tournament organisers, and once they were made aware of the incident, the club assisted to the best of their ability after the event.

Northern Territory Football (NRF) chief executive Laura Menzies reiterated that the incident was “extremely shocking”.

“Everyone should feel safe at a football match and we were disturbed to hear of both pitchside misconduct and a coach being knocked unconscious. “Assault – incidents like this are rare and completely unacceptable in any situation, let alone youth football matches.

“Under 10 festivals like this are often refereed by parents and coaches, not qualified referees. The important thing is to support players to understand and enjoy their experience of playing football.

“NRF has gender-equal appointment processes for men’s, women’s and youth competitions. In our Gender Equality Action Plan, which we launched in August this year, we are publicly committed to ensuring that 25% of active referees are girls and women. Equality is paramount to us and we will deliver this through a recruitment and retention plan for girls and women refereeing.

“NRF has offered support to all three clubs involved through their presidents and received updates on the victim’s progress. The entire team is shocked by this incident at a club football event and wishes him a speedy and full recovery.

“NRF regularly works with clubs and individuals involved in challenging incidents because it is important that we support volunteers in these situations – no one wants that in our game.”

New Zealand Football declined to comment.

Bonnie Jansen He is a multimedia journalist for the NZME sports team. He is a football commentator and program presenter. Football Fever podcast and was part of the Te Rito studentship scheme before becoming a full-time journalist.