Referee's jaw broken after attack in Irish

A 'black and disgraceful day'. Those are the words coming from the club whose players broke a referee’s jaw and left him with serious facial injuries.

Following an assault after an amateur league match in the Republic of Ireland, Daniel Sweeney has undergone surgery lasting five hours.

A spectator and three players from Mullingar Town FC are alleged to have been involved in the incident.

"It is and forever will be a black day for our club and for sport in general," said club chairman Martin Moore, a week after the incident in a car park following Mullingar's match at Horseleap in County Offaly.

"We wish to send our most sincere apologies to Daniel Sweeney and his family following the devastating and disgraceful attack," Moore added.

He said the club had delayed making a statement because of ongoing inquiry by the police and also out of respect to the referee's family.

The club, based in County Westmeath, have set up a fund to help pay for the recovery of the referee, who suffered severe injuries as a result of the attack. By Monday evening, €170 has been raised. 

Sweeney was left with no other choice than surgery on his jaw following the match in the Combined Counties League. He will not be available for six to eight weeks. 

On Friday, in a match between St Mochta's and Crumlin United - The teams are one tier down from the Leinster Senior League - Which raised hundreds of pounds in gate receipts for Sweeney. 

But the referee requested the money be donated instead to the Crumlin Children's Hospital in Dublin.

He has been deluged with messages of support and in a match at the weekend, children at one junior football match formed a guard of honour for their match referee as a show of support for officials.