A referee in Wicklow was struck by a supporter after blowing his final whistle.
The victim of the assault, Kieron Kenny, had just sounded the final whistle on the Keating Cup relegation decider between Avondale and Carnew in Annacurra last week when a supporter came onto the field and struck him on the back of the neck, according to The Wicklow People.
The attack is the latest in a series of recent unsavoury incidents in the Garden County, where a referee was jostled and a club official knocked to the ground during a juvenile match; referee Pat Dunne had to be escorted from the field after the junior 'B' football final in Arklow; and a Blessington mentor was banned for 96 weeks for confronting an opposition player after the Division Two league clash with Ballymanus at Tinahely.
After the latest assault, Wicklow referees threatened to go on strike but CCC chairman Mick Hagan told The Wicklow People that the situation has been resolved:
"The referees were up in arms after one of their colleagues was hit at the Keating Cup final and they decided that they would take action. Negotiations took place during the day after the strike was called and a meeting took place on Thursday night and everything was resolved".
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