“The Gard-Lozère district is the most severe in Occitanie”: its president takes stock of incivility during amateur football matches

Fernand D’Anna (à droite) a repris la présidence du district Gard-Lozère en juillet dernier. Midi Libre – THIERRY ALBENQUE

Arrivé en juillet dernier, Fernand D’Anna assure que le district prend ses responsabilités au sujet des agressions pendant les matchs.

“On prend nos responsabilités”. The message is clear for Fernand D’Anna, from the Gard-Lozère district. Faced with the excesses that took place during the last amateur football matches in the Gard, where players and managers were attacked, the president does not mince his words. On the most recent attack concerning the A. S. Poulx club, the latter does not wish to speak because the case must still go to the disciplinary committee. On the other hand, on the measures put in place by the district, Fernand D’Anna is categorical. “Incivility on the field is our priority”.

No increase in cases of violence

And for good reason. While he does not see any particular change in violence during matches, it is still very much present. This is evidenced by the assault of a player last November by another player, or more recently, in March 2024, when a referee was hit by an educator. “Once the case has been through the investigation, we sanction. And the Gard-Lozère district is the most severe in Occitanie”, he assures. As an example, he recalls the sanction against two players from a Gard club last year, who were suspended for twelve years. “A referee, who appealed our decision to the league, was suspended for forty years”, he adds.

As for the few clubs where attacks are more frequent, Fernand D'Anna specifies that expulsion from the club is not their responsibility.“If there is incivility, we will sanction the ten players concerned, but not penalize the forty who are not responsible”, he adds. He specifies, however, that the district can grant itself the right to exclude a team from competition for the season, leading to their demotion.

“The prevention work must be done by the clubs”

So what solutions are there to limit the cases of violence on the field that tarnish amateur football? ? “Since July, a working group has been looking into these problems of incivility and, by next year, we will include the club presidents in this discussion. Because if we are there to sanction, the prevention work must be done by the clubs”, he specifies. The district has also doubled the sanctions. “Previously, if a club accumulated around twenty red cards over the season, for example, two points were taken away. Today, it's four points”, he adds.

Concerning referees and coaches, Fernand D'Anna does not speak of difficulties in recruiting, but of constant renewal. “And we ask to have qualified educators. But there too, it is a job that we must do with the club presidents. Because in the district, we have two technical advisors who can train these educators. But it is up to the presidents to push the educators to do this training”, he explains.

In addition, during matches between two teams with a history, the district security officer can initiate a security plan. “He will contact the prefecture to secure the match, with the support of the gendarmes and police officers”, continues the president. Measures that aim to limit incivility, and allow everyone to pursue their passion, without incident.

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