The serious incident took place during a match in the De Schalk sports hall in Willebroek. The gentlemen B of Basket Willebroek, who are first in the second provincial, played against the neighbors of BBC Sam from Sint-Amands. The match had not even been played for ten minutes when things went completely wrong. The referee whistled for a foul, after which a discussion ensued with a Willebroek player.
The player was excluded and apparently he and his entourage did not like that. Out of nowhere the referee was pushed to the ground, punched and stomped on. Even when the referee was already on the ground, the violence continued.
Investigation started
Some opposing players from Sint-Amands and a fellow referee intervened to calm things down. The police were also called in. “We have been called to a fight that occurred between players and a referee. The investigation into the precise circumstances of the incident is ongoing,” says Dirk Van de Sande, spokesperson for the Rivierenland police zone.
The referee was taken to hospital. The victim was allowed to leave the hospital, but is incapacitated. The match was stopped at a score of 17-13.
Basket Willebroek has now decided to withdraw the team from competition. “We are doing this as a signal that we are taking this very seriously,” the Rupel team said. “We are currently awaiting further clarity and the true facts of the facts. That is part of an ongoing investigation. What is already clear at this moment is that members of our club have unfortunately gone far beyond the limits of what is acceptable. We cannot justify any form of (physical) violence.”
“The circumstances and the exact reason are still being investigated, but they will not change the fact that the actions of some are unacceptable. The club has therefore decided to withdraw the team in question from the competition with immediate effect. We are still discussing internally about further actions that are still necessary. As a club, we also sincerely apologize to the referees, the opponents and Basketball Flanders. This is in no way consistent with the true nature of our club, which attaches great importance to fair play,” says the Basket Willebroek press release.
Rather exceptional
The Flanders Basketball Federation now strongly condemns the violence. “No case of aggression can be tolerated and, above all, the integrity of referees is beyond question,” says CEO Koen Umans. “An investigation has been launched through our judicial council and, if necessary, the perpetrators will also be punished. In such cases, this may range from a suspension of six months to an indefinite period or cancellation of membership.” To be clear, this internal procedure is separate from the judicial investigation.
According to Basketbal Vlaanderen, physical violence towards officials is still an exception. “In the past two seasons, this is the only such case within Basketball Flanders that was reported to our judicial council,” says Umans. “One such case was recorded at national level last season.”
The entire basketball community bears a responsibility to keep it that way, it continues. “Clubs, players, officials, supporters and the federation must work together to create a positive sports climate,” says Basketball Flanders. “We hereby call on everyone to take their responsibility in this regard. As a federation, we are working on a communication campaign and tools for positive support.”