Unjustly suspended by my county Football Association— advice?

Not sure this is the right subreddit. This has also been posted on r/bootroom.

TLDR: I'm currently preparing for an FA hearing over charges of "assaulting a match official," which I absolutely did not commit. The situation is complicated by the fact that the referee and linesmen were players from the opposing team, and many of the opposition's statements come from family members, likely biased. I have numerous witnesses ready to support my case and refute these unfounded accusations. I'm seeking advice on how to best defend my reputation and effectively manage the hearing.

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Hi everyone,

I’m seeking advice or insights from anyone who might have experience with FA disciplinary hearings. I have a hearing coming up soon (TBC) due to an incident during a recent Sunday league match in my local town. Here's a brief overview without going into specific details:

I'm the manager of a local (English) Sunday league team, and during the match, there was a contentious decision made by the linesman. I questioned why an offside was called, as it seemed clearly incorrect from my viewpoint (5 yards onside!). However, the situation has escalated, and now I'm facing charges of improper conduct against a match official, specifically accused of using threatening and/or abusive language and behaviour—which absolutely did not occur. There was no foul language or physical contact initiated by me, but the complaint (interestingly, lodged by the opposition team's manager, not the referee) and the charges against me suggest otherwise.

The opposition linesman (their player) actually pushed me during the interaction, and this was observed by several of my team members who were close by. Unfortunately, a handful of statements from the opposition are from members of the same family, which raises concerns about the reliability of their accounts. It seems there's an effort to protect each other, and the accusations against me feel like an outright lie.

The referee for the match was actually players from the opposing team, which raises serious questions about impartiality and fairness. The league did not assign an official referee (happens more often then not as there aren't enough referees to go round), leaving us in a compromised position where key decisions were made by individuals with clear conflicts of interest. This not only skewed the dynamics of the game but has also led to this current, highly disputable charge against me, based on biased interpretations of the events. The referee also did not write up this incident in his match report.

Because of these charges, I am currently suspended from all football-related activities. This suspension means I cannot attend training, run the books, manage matches, or engage in any team-related activities until the hearing is resolved.

It's heart breaking - anyone who has managed a team will understand that you give everything to the job, despite it being unpaid and taking over your whole life. Also, I'm a teacher in my local town, and it's crucial for me to maintain my reputation. I'm determined to defend myself effectively in this hearing.

I've gathered 16 witness statements from my players who played that day, with several who observed the interaction. It confirms my account of the events and have sent it into the discipline team. I have three witnesses who will be accompanying me to the hearing to support my case.

This is a typical grassroots football scenario in a small town where matches can get feisty, but nothing out of the ordinary happened in this instance.

Has anyone here been through a similar situation? I’m interested in hearing about your experiences and any advice you might have on how to best present my case. What are some key points or strategies I should focus on during the hearing to ensure that the panel understands my side of the story?

Thanks in advance for your help!