Referee allegedly wore camera at Durham youth football game

The incident, which is said to have happened during an under-13 junior fixture in the North East, saw a referee, who is attached to the Northumberland Football Association, wear a camera in the game.

This happened during a fixture in the Russell Foster Youth League, which includes teams from Northumberland, Tyne and Wear, County Durham, and Teesside.

In a joint statement put out by the Durham Football Association and Northumberland Football Association, it's believed that the referee had said that the camera was part of a 'trial scheme' that was similar to VAR in professional football. 

However, both footballing agencies have now confirmed that no trial has been sanctioned, or is taking place currently. 

The statement starts: "It has been brought to our attention by the Russell Foster Youth League that a referee registered to Northumberland FA allegedly used a body-worn camera during a recent U13 fixture, and it is alleged that the referee stated that it was part of a trial sanctioned by The FA whereby decisions would be reviewed using the body-worn camera footage during play, similar to VAR.

"We must confirm that no such trial has been sanctioned by Northumberland County FA, Durham County FA or The FA and we thank the Russell Foster Youth League for making us aware of the incident as soon as they were made aware."

Both FA agencies went on to say that the incident is under investigation and that the cameras aren't permitted on the field of play. 

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The sporting groups have also warned parents about reporting any incidents they see that are similar to this one.

The statement added: "This incident is being investigated, but we must clarify that referees are not permitted to use body-worn cameras at any time. Utilising body-worn cameras on the field of play breaches both safeguarding and misconduct regulations.

"If you are aware of any incidents of this type, you should report it to your local County Football Association via:
Discipline@northumberlandfa.com or Discipline@durhamfa.com."