Mark Halsey refereed in Premier League from 1999 until his retirement last season. In his autobiography Added Time he warns that pressure on officials is higher than ever before.
“There is no hiding place on the field and you have to be mentally tough. But it also follows you off the field more and more now and it can destroy you.”
He points to social media being responsible for added pressure on referees off the field. He fell victim to abuse himself after a controversial penalty during a Liverpool Manchester United fixture last season. Halsey who has suffered from cancer got comments like “I hope your cancer comes back” on Twitter.
“I do feel that referees should get more help to cope with the increasing level of mental strain. In my view, given some of the episodes of recent seasons, it will not be long before a referee has a nervous breakdown.”
“I also believe that if we do not do something to help referees with mental health and stress issues, then we could see a suicide.”
