Female referee reduced to tears and forced to abandon match after handbag slur

A football referee was reduced to tears and forced to abandon a match after suffering sexist abuse from spectators. Shelby Davis was so distressed after a man yelled at her to “get her handbag and go home” that she could not continue with the match and called it off during half-time.

The 21-year-old was in floods of tears following the insults which were made during an under-15s Hampshire cup match between Wyvern Youths and Pirelli Pirates Youth in Southampton. Hampshire football chiefs have now launched an investigation into the incident, which happened as the teams played at Totton and Eling football ground. Wyvern Youth were 2-0 up in the first half when they scored a third just before half-time.



However, although Miss Davis, a referee with years of experience, initially allowed the goal, after discussions with her linesman, she disallowed it. It was at this point that a parent of one of the players, believed to play for Pirelli, allegedly shouted: “You should not be involved in football. Get your handbag and go home.” The match continued to half-time but it was during the break that she decided she was too upset to continue into the second half and abandoned the match.

One spectator said: “It was the worst thing I have ever seen at a football match. The referee was in floods of tears, it was just awful and I hope I don’t ever witness something like that again.” Following an initial investigation, Pirelli Pirates Youth FC have been charged with causing the match to be abandoned, misconduct by club spectators and spectators making comments deemed to be of discriminatory nature.