Referee suffers broken jaw in shocking car park assault after amateur football match

A referee suffered a broken jaw after being attacked by fans in the parking lot [Courtesy]

A referee suffered a broken jaw and a damaged eye socket in a shocking assault in a car park following an amateur football match.

Police are investigating the incident which happened after a Combined Counties League game in Ireland on Sunday afternoon.

League chairman Sean Montgomery has called for life bans to be handed out after the attack on Daniel Sweeney, who is in his 50s, which took place following Mullingar's 3-1 win over Horseleap.

"I haven't come across anything like this before and the league is taking it very seriously. Daniel is a very good referee," he told the BBC.

"I'm told it was a good game of football and Mullingar won 3-1."

A picture of Mr Sweeney in hospital was posted on Twitter by a fan.

Referee Daniel Sweeney was attacked on Sunday [Courtesy]

He wrote: "One of our referees in Midland Branch today after a game was viciously attacked by players this should not be tolerated at all we as referees doing a job. No ref, no game."

Irish police are investigating the incident but have made no arrests.

The Irish Soccer Referees Society president Paul O'Brien told the Irish Times: "The abuse levels have gone up. We are trying to combat it but we have to do our best within the perimeters of the FAI."

And Chris Hand, secretary of the Combined Counties Football League, told RTE that the community had been left in shock.

He said: "Daniel has been a referee for a number of years and he’s a good man.

Mr Sweeney is being treated in Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore [Courtesy]

"The referee’s report will be with us in the next few days or so, the individuals involved have been identified, they (have) immediately been suspended from all football activity.

"We will follow FAI procedure in relation to how we handle incidents like this.

"We will follow up with the strongest action we can. I think what has surprised everybody about yesterday was the level of violence.

"There is no place for this in sport, in any sport."