GunScare @ Albion Cup?

Thank you Cal South for listening and taking a stand

El Soccer Loco said:
Currently posted to Calsouth homepage ( below)

As someone who experienced this chaotic incident ( words will never fully describe the fear, uncertainty and horror hundreds of us went through) I’m pleased to see a response and Calsouth address this head on.

Cal South Statement Regarding Albion Tournament in Temecula, Calif.
Cal South is dedicated to providing a safe and enjoyable athletic experience. Adherence to Cal South’s standards for appropriate conduct, respect, and safety are mandatory. This applies to players, coaches, administrators, referees and spectators. Violations will not be tolerated and will be adjudicated to the fullest extent.
On January 12, 2020, an incident occurred at the Albion Soccer Club Development Showcase. An already heated soccer match was disrupted when an older sibling of one of the players came onto the pitch and assaulted an opposing player. Before the referees could address the situation and restore order, other spectators came onto the pitch. The resulting melee was intensified by unsubstantiated claims that a spectator possessed and was brandishing a “weapon,” which caused concern and panic throughout the venue. The authorities quickly responded to the complaint, conducted an initial investigation and confirmed the safety of the participants and supporters. Cal South treats this incident with the utmost seriousness. The behavior demonstrated by the persons involved will not be tolerated.
Cal South is investigating the situation with its affiliate member and the authorities, and while we review the incident, we are taking the following interim measures:
  • Due to the seriousness of the situation, both participating teams, their coaches, players, administrators and the spectators involved in this incident are suspended and ineligible to participate in any Cal South sanctioned tournaments until Cal South completes its investigation and holds hearings.
  • Failure of any team or its staff to participate in Cal South’s investigation will result in further disciplinary action up to and including de-registration from all Cal South sanctioned leagues.
Further, effective immediately, Cal South is implementing the following interim safety measures for the upcoming State and National Cup competitions:
  • On-site security personnel and/or law enforcement will be present at all the State and National Cup events throughout the State and National Cup Season. During the opening weekend of State Cup scheduled for January 18 and 19, the affected venues are Ryan Park in Escondido; Galway Downs in Temecula; Silverlakes Sports Complex in Norco; and the San Bernardino Soccer Complex.
  • The number of on-site Cal South personnel will be increased and spot auditing will be performed to assess and ensure compliance with Cal South safety and sportsmanship policies.
  • The number of on-site Referee Coordinators will be increased.
  • A “Home and Away” side initiative will be implemented and enforced to separate teams and supporters.
  • Coaches of participating teams and referee officials will be required to conduct a meet, greet and introduction session at the center circle prior to the start of each match.
  • Cal South’s Code of Conduct Policies will be recommunicated and reaffirmed to all coaches, administrators, and players participating in the competitions.
In addition, over the upcoming days, weeks, and months Cal South will be reviewing additional security and other measures, including, but not limited to, emergency evacuation plans, procedures, and training at facilities, working with referees to create a safer playing environment and holding coaches and clubs more accountable for the behavior of participants and spectators.
We understand that this incident has had an effect on many spectators and witnesses. To assist those persons, we are providing telephonic access to emotional support for anyone in the Cal South community. The service is provided by trained behavioral health counselors, is completely confidential, and offered at no cost for the next 30 days. The number to call is (866) 315-7370.
We wish to express our gratitude for the multiple inquires and recommendations received in the aftermath of this incident and we will respond to those inquiries. We look forward to working with the entire soccer community to ensure the safety, well-being and enjoyment of all participants. We will keep our members informed of the next steps to be taken.
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StrikerOC said:
Not that rankings matter but I don't believe either club is in top 5 if we are talking about 2008. Regardless there are plenty of clubs for these kids to join
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We're not talking 2008, we're talking 2009, and both clubs are top 5 per YSR. Yes, not the end all be all, but a good metric.
 
timbuck said:
Does it really take cal-south to figure this out?
How about the 2 clubs involved make an initial move and then let cal-south determine if more is needed.
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100%. If you don't take care of your own business someone else will take care of it for you. Albions dismissive public responses have certainly not helped their cause.

I bet if they haven't already done so, Albion's attorneys are drafting a response to Calsouth denying any responsibility and possibly threatening legal action for any punishment. Albion has to protect its brand.
 
timbuck said:
Put the parents on the same side as the team/coaches. Impossible to control your parents from 80 yards away.
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Absolutely. I started to see more parent problems when SCDSL and ECNL was formed and had parents on the opposite side of the field from the teams. This ended up carrying over into other leagues and tournaments. I see parent problems at all ages and can usually, but not always, associate the bad parent behavior with the bad behavior of coaches. I have addressed parent problems during games with coaches and have been told numerous times, “why should I be responsible for controlling adults.” Spectators should be on the same sideline as the coach and players and in the half away from the assistant referee. Presidio used these rules this fall and I saw a drastic decrease in parent problems.
 
Bri’s-DAD said:
Both teams should be removed from competition because both sidelines participated in the melee but that should only be the beginning of their punishment... Make them the example and set the standard for any future incidents.
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Ban all spectators for both those teams for a year. That should send a message. The opposing teams will see the Albion South or Azteca teams show up for games with just the coach, manager and players.

IMHO, sanctions/penalties against poorly behaving parents is too weak. They should be suspended for months and not just a game. Coaches ejected should be suspended for 3 games minimum the first time, 6 games and a fine for the second ejection, 3 months and a fine for third ejection, and a a one year ban, fine, anger management class, referee grade 8 course and coaching course completed before they can reapply for their coaches license. Cal South would need to track these ejection. I am not sure that Cal South has the courage to implement any significant coach or parent penalties for bad behavior.
 
Surfref said:
Ban all spectators for both those teams for a year. That should send a message. The opposing teams will see the Albion South or Azteca teams show up for games with just the coach, manager and players.

IMHO, sanctions/penalties against poorly behaving parents is too weak. They should be suspended for months and not just a game. Coaches ejected should be suspended for 3 games minimum the first time, 6 games and a fine for the second ejection, 3 months and a fine for third ejection, and a a one year ban, fine, anger management class, referee grade 8 course and coaching course completed before they can reapply for their coaches license. Cal South would need to track these ejection. I am not sure that Cal South has the courage to implement any significant coach or parent penalties for bad behavior.
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You may have to wait until they are old enough to drive themselves to the game.
 
way up said:
What's probably going to happen is every club and then parents will get lectured as not a one of them assaulted, threatened, or faked a gun. Everybody else has to modify their sidelines and demeanor at soccer games, because one kid and adult from the same team exhibited horrible, violent behavior.
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BS, this type of spectators bad behavior, minus the gun, has been escalating steadily over the past 15 years. There have been numerous assaults (physical and verbal) against referees by players, coaches and parents, between coaches, parents vs parents, parents vs players, parents vs coaches...... The punishments against the perpetrators is far too lenient. Presidio increased their punishments against teams when spectators were removed and it was successful, but they need to increase suspensions and include monetary fines against coaches ejected . Maybe Cal South needs to set some strong standards.
 
espola said:
You may have to wait until they are old enough to drive themselves to the game.
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Thank you for that stupid comment. Presidio did it this fall and it worked well. Parents drove their kids to the venue, walked them to the coach or manager, then returned to their car and either sat in their car or went for coffee, lunch, etc. while the game was played.
 
Surfref said:
Thank you for that stupid comment. Presidio did it this fall and it worked well. Parents drove their kids to the venue, walked them to the coach or manager, then returned to their car and either sat in their car or went for coffee, lunch, etc. while the game was played.
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Presidio did what?
 
espola said:
Presidio did what?
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If a parent was removed from a game, that parent was not allowed at the next two games and all of that teams spectators were not allowed at the next game. This required the suspended parents to drop of their players then leave the fields. But, I am sure you knew that.
 
Surfref said:
If a parent was removed from a game, that parent was not allowed at the next two games and all of that teams spectators were not allowed at the next game. This required the suspended parents to drop of their players then leave the fields. But, I am sure you knew that.
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I didn't know that. I had heard that Presidio had toughened up the sideline behavior rules, but I didn't know that it had gotten to the point of punishing the innocent. I didn't attend any Presidio games this year, but I had heard indirectly that the sidelines were calmer because of self-policing. Is that not true?

For me personally, if I were banned from attending a game after having done nothing wrong, we would be looking for a different sport.
 
I have been out of the country for the last two weeks and just heard about the Albion Showcase incident today when one of my referee associations sent out the Cal South statement. I have known Ziggy, Albion South Coach, for years years and have NEVER had a problem with him yelling at my referee crews. I have had his spectators yell at me and Ziggy has always addressed the spectator quickly before I had to get involved. I refereed his teams, including the team involved in the incident, this past year and had no sideline or player problems. I worked a lot of Albion games this Fall season and had no coach or sideline problems.
 
Surfref said:
Ban all spectators for both those teams for a year. That should send a message. The opposing teams will see the Albion South or Azteca teams show up for games with just the coach, manager and players.

IMHO, sanctions/penalties against poorly behaving parents is too weak. They should be suspended for months and not just a game. Coaches ejected should be suspended for 3 games minimum the first time, 6 games and a fine for the second ejection, 3 months and a fine for third ejection, and a a one year ban, fine, anger management class, referee grade 8 course and coaching course completed before they can reapply for their coaches license. Cal South would need to track these ejection. I am not sure that Cal South has the courage to implement any significant coach or parent penalties for bad behavior.
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I agree that punishment needs to be swifter and harsher, but don’t agree that this case should be made an example of. Just dell out the punishment they would normally give and then put everyone in Calsouth know the new rules going forward. I also don’t agree with the punishment of the whole team. There are actually parents that do try to stop bad behavior but don’t have the support of the coach or other parents. My family left a team because of bad parent behavior toward the ref and players on our own team.

No one should say anything negative to a ref. And if the ref gives a warning they need to just shut up and don’t argue that they did not say anything. When someone gets kicked out of a game, they should leave immediately. I don’t understand what people think they are going to accomplish by staying there when the game is stopped. And I don’t understand why the manager or coach would not tell a parent to leave. Also, why do they always think that by going down by the corner flag, they become invisible? When the ball goes down there, the ref will see them and stop the game again.

When a parent tells another parent to be quiet and sit down, they should not turn on them. And parents should not be criticizing any kids, especially from their own team. Yes, parents and players have ears and video also captures it very well.

Most disgusting to me is when a parent cheers that her kid took out a player and that player is still on the ground hurt.

In these cases punish the parent and the do nothing coach and manager, not the innocent parents that keep their mouth shut.
 
Nefutous said:
I agree that punishment needs to be swifter and harsher, but don’t agree that this case should be made an example of. Just dell out the punishment they would normally give and then put everyone in Calsouth know the new rules going forward. I also don’t agree with the punishment of the whole team. There are actually parents that do try to stop bad behavior but don’t have the support of the coach or other parents. My family left a team because of bad parent behavior toward the ref and players on our own team.

No one should say anything negative to a ref. And if the ref gives a warning they need to just shut up and don’t argue that they did not say anything. When someone gets kicked out of a game, they should leave immediately. I don’t understand what people think they are going to accomplish by staying there when the game is stopped. And I don’t understand why the manager or coach would not tell a parent to leave. Also, why do they always think that by going down by the corner flag, they become invisible? When the ball goes down there, the ref will see them and stop the game again.

When a parent tells another parent to be quiet and sit down, they should not turn on them. And parents should not be criticizing any kids, especially from their own team. Yes, parents and players have ears and video also captures it very well.

Most disgusting to me is when a parent cheers that her kid took out a player and that player is still on the ground hurt.

In these cases punish the parent and the do nothing coach and manager, not the innocent parents that keep their mouth shut.
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Several of our teams used the lollipop method - if a parent seemed to be getting loud or offensive, the team manager would hand him a lollipop.
 
Surfref said:
I have been out of the country for the last two weeks and just heard about the Albion Showcase incident today when one of my referee associations sent out the Cal South statement. I have known Ziggy, Albion South Coach, for years years and have NEVER had a problem with him yelling at my referee crews. I have had his spectators yell at me and Ziggy has always addressed the spectator quickly before I had to get involved. I refereed his teams, including the team involved in the incident, this past year and had no sideline or player problems. I worked a lot of Albion games this Fall season and had no coach or sideline problems.
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Some people are proposing that he, his team, his club, and uninvolved spectators be punished. Do you agree with that?
 
espola said:
Some people are proposing that he, his team, his club, and uninvolved spectators be punished. Do you agree with that?
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Initially I would have agreed, but since watching the You Tube videos, TV news reports and information read on this forum, I do think that any spectators that came on the field should face a long suspension from attending any Cal South sanctioned games. If either club does not fully cooperate in the investigation, then harsh punishments should be handed out. Had the adult spectators not come on the field, the incident probably would not have escalated to the point that sent hundreds of people running for cover. Spectators should NEVER enter the field of play without the referees permission. Let Cal South investigate. We can all hope that Cal South will conduct a very thorough investigation and hand out harsh punishments and make policy changes that help stop the spectator bad behavior. Since we are in “lawsuit crazy” California, I would bet someone is going to file a lawsuit for emotional problems caused to them or their children.
 
Surfref said:
Spectators should be on the same sideline as the coach and players and in the half away from the assistant referee. Presidio used these rules this fall and I saw a drastic decrease in parent problems.
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We played a tournament out of state last summer, and they had teams on opposite sides of the field. When we, spectators, went to setup on either side of our team’s bench, the AR told those who set up to the right of the team bench to move to the opposite/left side of the team bench, away from where he would be running with a comment something like, “I thought you guys were from California. I thought you’d know better.” Hahaha. Of course that set up makes total sense, but we just didn’t know because we don’t have the same rules here.
 
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