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Female match officials banned

A female football official and her daughter have been suspended while Hamilton Parish’s Anthony Smith has been banned for the rest of the season after a First Division match between Parish and Devonshire Colts end in chaos.The game was abandoned when lineswomen Wendy Woodley and her daughter Precious Smith became involved in a nasty brawl.Bermuda Football Association’s disciplinary committee found the Parish defender guilty of assaulting an official during the heated September 30 game when tempers flared just before the final whistle.Smith, who was already on probation at the time of the incident, won’t play again this season and been placed on a further six months probation to run consecutive to his current probation period.Woodley was found guilty of assault and foul language and banned from officiating in four First Division matches and placed on six months probation.Smith, the daughter of Woodley, was found guilty of assault and banned from officiating in six First Division matches and placed on one-year probation.Smith’s team-mates Kia Darrell and Ian Coke were also found guilty of bringing the game at Police Field into disrepute.Midfielder Darrell was found guilty of assaulting a match official and using foul language and banned for six matches and placed on six months probation while striker Coke received a four-game ban for assaulting (shoving) a match official and using foul language.According to reports the match, that was tied at 3-3 when it was abandoned, descended into chaos after Woodley allegedly refused to give a Parish player more room to take a corner kick.“The referee was called over to ask her (Woodley) to move but she said ‘no’,” said one observer, speaking under condition of anonymity. “Then her daughter, who was a lineswomen on the other side, ran over and got into it and some accusations were made and so forth and it escalated.“From there all hell broke loose and the game had to be abandoned due to the threats. The player wanted to take the corner and there was an argument which led to pushing and shoving which led to her being abused, and I think she got kicked with the ball.”Another observer said: “The whole situation was really out of control. The corner was being taken and the player was asking for some more space to take the corner and an argument ensued between the player and the lineswoman which resulted in players and spectators getting involved.“The daughter (Smith) was involved as well and was using her flag as a weapon to hit players.”