Man charged over post-match attack on Sydney football referee

A man has been arrested following an attack - captured on camera - that saw a match official hospitalised at the end of a local Sydney football match.

Highly credentialed and respected referee Khodr Yaghi was taken to hospital with facial injuries including a possible broken jaw, after he was attacked at the end of a Bankstown District Amateur Football Association (BDAFA) Men's Premier League match between the Padstow Hornets and Greenacre Eagles.

Footage of the incident, which occurred at Padstow Park in southern Sydney on Friday night, shows a man pushing Yaghi to the ground following a spectator shouting “hey ref, get out of there”.

The footage does not capture the beginning of the incident.

The attacker, understood to a suspended Greenacre Eagles player, punched the referee’s face at least three times and appeared to kick him before a number of people rushed in to separate the pair.

After being moved away but not fully restrained, the man made a second run at the injured referee, arming himself with a plastic chair, but was intercepted by players and others on the sideline.

A bloodied Yaghi, who frequently referees Football NSW state league matches but who was understood to have been acting as an Assistant Referee during the local fixture, can be heard saying “he broke my jaw, he broke my jaw” to officials and other players who came to his assistance.

As of today, NSW Police have advised that a 25-year-old man had been arrested and was “assisting police with their inquiries”.

In a statement, NSW Police noted “a man has been arrested over the alleged assault of a soccer referee in Sydney’s south west.

“Just before 10.30pm on Friday (28 April 2023), a spectator allegedly confronted a referee at the conclusion of a soccer match at Padstow Park.

“It’s alleged the man assaulted the referee by punching him multiple times in the face and kicking him to the head.

“Other spectators intervened and assisted the referee while the man fled the scene.

“Police were alerted and officers from Bankstown Police Area Command commenced an investigation.

“The referee, a 45-year-old man, was taken to Liverpool Hospital suffering an injury to his jaw."

Commenting further on the arrest, the NSW Police statement added that the man “has since been charged with wound(ing a) person with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and affray.

"The Villawood man has been refused bail to appear at Bankstown Local Court tomorrow (Monday 1 May 2023).”

Following the incident, the Greenacre Eagles advised that it was withdrawing from all remaining BDAFA Men’s Premier League matches for the season.

The Association’s club committee pledged today to assist NSW Police and work with the association to impose appropriate sanctions while governing body Football NSW advised “Football NSW has zero tolerance for any antisocial behaviour from any of its participants at any time.”

NSW Sports Minister Steve Kamper, a former President of Sydney Olympic Football Club, said the attack was “absolutely unacceptable”.

Minister Kamper told reporters “all referees and all players should feel safe wherever they’re participating in local sport.”

NSW Premier Chris Minns also commented, advising of the critical role that officials, often young, have in the success of amateur sporting organisations.

Premier Minns stated “(this) is appalling to hear.

“You cannot run these leagues that entertain, give our kids an opportunity to play as part of a team, get out of the house and play a team sport, unless people - often young people - agree to be referees in those games.”

Click here to read the NSW Police statement in full.

Images show stills from the widely circulated video of the attack. (Twitter: Socrates Miles).