Telegraph suspend coach, official

The George Telegraph football team on Thursday suspended their coach Raghu Nandy and official Bachchu Gupta for a year, for assaulting a trainee referee and linesman during a Calcutta Super Division football match on August 28 even as the referees' strike entered the second day.

The Indian Football Association had on Wednesday barred the two from the inside fencing of any ground during any of its matches till September 18.

Briefing newspersons after a meeting of the club executive committee, Telegraph president Subrata Dutta said no action was taken against any footballer as the referee had not flashed any card on the them following the violent incidents.

Trouble erupted after the referee allowed a goal to Mohammedan Sporting, which according to the Telegraph players was scored from an off-side position.

The Telegraph players and officials pounced on linesman Dilip Samanta and rained blows on him. Referee Partha Routh Roy was also heckled, forcing the police to intervene.

After the match ended, a mob, led by Nandy and Gupta, rushed to the nearby CRA tent, broke furniture and smashed glass bottles and hit a trainee referee, Subir Guha Thakurta, on his head.

After the Calcutta Referees' Association announced a three-day strike, the IFA decided to ban Gupta and Nandy and referred the matter to its disciplinary and league committee for further action.