A former football manager who punched a young linesman during a match has avoided jail time.
Robert Williams-Jones, the former manager of Amlwch Town FC, struck the teenager during a match in which his team suffered an 8-0 defeat against Penrhyndeudraeth FC in North Wales.
The incident occurred just 15 minutes into the game, when Williams-Jones punched the linesman – a volunteer from the visiting team – in the chin, causing him to fall to the ground. The altercation was captured on video, which quickly spread across social media, prompting a police investigation.
Williams-Jones, aged 43, from Eilian, Llaneilian, near Amlwch, pleaded guilty to assault occasioning actual bodily harm after being charged for the attack. On Monday, at Caernarfon Magistrates Court, he was sentenced to 24 weeks in prison, suspended for 12 months. Additionally, he was ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work and pay £1,000 in compensation to the victim.
The shocking video, which shows the attack seemingly unprovoked, captures Williams-Jones approaching the linesman on the halfway line and landing a punch to his face. The linesman falls to the ground, and Williams-Jones walks back to his team’s bench. Penrhyn FC’s manager, Riccardo Pellegrino, quickly rushes to assist the injured player, and other members of the Penrhyn squad gather at the scene. Pellegrino intervenes, preventing further conflict by guiding his team away from the situation.
After the incident, Amlwch Town FC severed ties with Williams-Jones, who had been appointed joint-manager in May 2022. The club expressed regret over the incident, issuing an apology to Penrhyn and the injured linesman. In a previous statement, the club said, “As a club, we have been truly saddened by the events on the weekend.”
Penrhyn’s manager, Riccardo Pellegrino, praised his team for their composed reaction to the incident, writing on Facebook, “Your behavior on the pitch after what happened was impeccable, I’m proud to coach this fantastic group of lads. I’m proud of all of you, COYC.”
The Football Association of Wales also condemned the attack, confirming they were aware of the situation and expressing their disapproval.
In a post-match statement, Penrhyn FC said: “A fantastic result and performance from the lads today. Unfortunately, the game was marred by an incident which occurred approximately 15 minutes into the game when a Penrhyn player, acting as a voluntary linesman, was assaulted.”
