Linesman fined €500 for knocking out goalkeeper in Haarlem match
A 34-year-old linesman was fined 500 euros for assault by the police court in Haarlem. As linesman for Haarlem football club Geel-Wit, the man punched the goalkeeper of football club UNO in the head during a match on March 30th. The goalkeeper lost consciousness and sustained a concussion, NU.nl reports.
During the match in Haarlem, multiple players got into a brawl. The linesman told the court that he ran onto the field in an attempt to calm things down. Why he punched the goalkeeper, he cannot say. "This is not in my nature at all", he said, telling the court that he is talking to a psychologist to find out why he got so angry.
The Public Prosecutor demanded 60 hours of community service against the man - to make clear to society that this type of behavior is unacceptable. But while the Haarlem police court agreed that the linesman's behavior was completely unacceptable, the judge considered a fine more appropriate.
The court took into account that the linesman immediately expressed regret and went through a mediation process with the victim, during which all damages were compensated. The man was expelled from Geel-Wit, a club he played with for 30 years. And the KNVB suspended him for three years. The man also received death threats through social media, forcing him to go into hiding with his family. The victim previously indicated that the linesman had been punished enough.
