IFA calls off all league matches

Pushed to the wall following a three-day strike by referees, the Indian Football Association on Wednesday called off all its league ties till August 31, and barred the George Telegraph coach and another club official from the ground till September 18.

The Calcutta Referees' Association had on Tuesday announced that they would boycott all matches till August 31 in protest against the assault of a linesman and trainee referee by Telegraph officials and players during and after a Calcutta Super Division match on Tuesday.

Upset over a goal awarded to their opponents, Mohammedan Sporting, the Telegraph players pounced on linesman Dilip Samanta and rained blows on him, arguing that the scorer, Mohammed Rafique, was in an off-side position when he scored.

Referee Partha Routh Roy was also heckled, forcing the police to intervene and hold up play for four minutes.

Soon after the match, a mob, comprising Telegraph players and officials, rushed to the nearby CRA tent, broke furniture and smashed glass bottles and hit trainee referee Subir Guha Thakurta on the head.

The IFA governing body, which met during the day after a complaint from the Calcutta Referees' Association, decided to ban Telegraph coach Raghu Nandy and club official Bachhu Gupta from the inside fencings of the grounds till September 18.

Briefing newspersons after the meeting, IFA joint secretary Ranjit Gupta said the matter has been referred to the Calcutta Football League Committee and disciplinary committee for further action.