Nelson's two leading football coaches believe they will be out of a job next season due to alleged referee abuse, and after a threat from officials to boycott their matches.
John Slotemaker and his assistant, Paul Brydon, have both been suspended this season for allegedly abusing referees or their assistants.
Slotemaker is serving a three-week ban after an incident during Nelson Suburbs' loss to Ferrymead Bays in the Mainland Premier Football League three weeks ago, while Brydon was suspended for four weeks earlier in the season after a separate incident, also against Ferrymead.
After the latest incident, meetings were held between the club, referees and the sport's governing bodies, and the pair have been told to keep their mouths shut pitchside.
"Over the year we've had quite a few issues where they have been red-carded, and we've had a couple of judiciary hearings we've had to go to," Nelson Suburbs president Jason Lavington said.
"Basically, the stance we've taken is that we are supporting the respect for referees programme, and as a result we've taken steps within the club to make sure the players and the coaches adhere to it.
"Our position as a club is that we are behind the referees."
He said the pair's contract with the club expired at the end of the year, and applications would be taken then. Slotemaker and Brydon would not be prevented from applying.
If things didn't improve this season, however, change could happen earlier, Lavington said.
"If they can't behave, they will be stepped down, and the ball is in their court.
"We're not going to condone the behaviour any more, and we're not going to allow it to happen.
"From a club perspective, we can't have our premier coaches abusing referees � it's a simple fact."
Slotemaker said that until the first Ferrymead game, the team had a good discipline record, both on and off the pitch, and he generally had a good relationship with most officials. He was disappointed and hurt that the club had not stuck up for him and Brydon once the issue with the referees emerged, and said he had not been told what had come out of the meetings between Suburbs, the referees and the governing bodies.
However, he felt there was little chance that he and Brydon would be reappointed for a third season in charge. "We've been told by the club we've got slim to no chances of being reappointed coaches next year."
The duo led the team to third place last year, and it is lying second this season.
He said the situation would not prevent them giving their all to the team for the rest of the season, but beyond that he did not know what would happen.
Mainland Football chief executive Mike Coggan said that following the Ferrymead match, officials had expressed frustration with refereeing Suburbs matches.
"They did state that they were considering not officiating games involving Nelson Suburbs.
"So as a federation, we did bring the parties together recently to see what the issues were, and to make sure it didn't escalate into anything significant. I must admit that was really well received and it was positive."
Four Mainland coaches had received bans this year, and it was unfortunate that two of them had come from the same club, he said.
There were only 70 or 80 referees in the federation and about 16,000 players, meaning the quality varied, but it was important that referees were not subjected to abuse, he said.
The federation was looking at new ways of combating the problem, including sin-binning players or coaches for 10 minutes for dissent during a match.
Nelson Bays Football declined to comment, while Ian Hull, Nelson Bays' representative on the Mainland Referees Committee, said they had been supported by Mainland and Nelson Bays with regard to Slotemaker's ban, and there was nothing else to say.
- The Nelson Mail
Nelson's two leading football coaches believe they will be out of a job next season due to alleged referee abuse, and after a threat from officials to boycott their matches.
John Slotemaker and his assistant, Paul Brydon, have both been suspended this season for allegedly abusing referees or their assistants.
Slotemaker is serving a three-week ban after an incident during Nelson Suburbs' loss to Ferrymead Bays in the Mainland Premier Football League three weeks ago, while Brydon was suspended for four weeks earlier in the season after a separate incident, also against Ferrymead.
After the latest incident, meetings were held between the club, referees and the sport's governing bodies, and the pair have been told to keep their mouths shut pitchside.
"Over the year we've had quite a few issues where they have been red-carded, and we've had a couple of judiciary hearings we've had to go to," Nelson Suburbs president Jason Lavington said.
"Basically, the stance we've taken is that we are supporting the respect for referees programme, and as a result we've taken steps within the club to make sure the players and the coaches adhere to it.
"Our position as a club is that we are behind the referees."
He said the pair's contract with the club expired at the end of the year, and applications would be taken then. Slotemaker and Brydon would not be prevented from applying.
If things didn't improve this season, however, change could happen earlier, Lavington said.
"If they can't behave, they will be stepped down, and the ball is in their court.
"We're not going to condone the behaviour any more, and we're not going to allow it to happen.
"From a club perspective, we can't have our premier coaches abusing referees � it's a simple fact."
Slotemaker said that until the first Ferrymead game, the team had a good discipline record, both on and off the pitch, and he generally had a good relationship with most officials. He was disappointed and hurt that the club had not stuck up for him and Brydon once the issue with the referees emerged, and said he had not been told what had come out of the meetings between Suburbs, the referees and the governing bodies.
However, he felt there was little chance that he and Brydon would be reappointed for a third season in charge. "We've been told by the club we've got slim to no chances of being reappointed coaches next year."
The duo led the team to third place last year, and it is lying second this season.
He said the situation would not prevent them giving their all to the team for the rest of the season, but beyond that he did not know what would happen.
Mainland Football chief executive Mike Coggan said that following the Ferrymead match, officials had expressed frustration with refereeing Suburbs matches.
"They did state that they were considering not officiating games involving Nelson Suburbs.
"So as a federation, we did bring the parties together recently to see what the issues were, and to make sure it didn't escalate into anything significant. I must admit that was really well received and it was positive."
Four Mainland coaches had received bans this year, and it was unfortunate that two of them had come from the same club, he said.
There were only 70 or 80 referees in the federation and about 16,000 players, meaning the quality varied, but it was important that referees were not subjected to abuse, he said.
The federation was looking at new ways of combating the problem, including sin-binning players or coaches for 10 minutes for dissent during a match.
Nelson Bays Football declined to comment, while Ian Hull, Nelson Bays' representative on the Mainland Referees Committee, said they had been supported by Mainland and Nelson Bays with regard to Slotemaker's ban, and there was nothing else to say.
- The Nelson Mail