Football referee Stephen Allen is determined not to allow last weekend’s incident at Southampton Oval to discourage him from officiating.

The 31-year-old Jamaican was allegedly assaulted and threatened by Southampton Rangers players, officials and fans at the conclusion of the Premier match between Rangers and Dandy Town.

It is believed the incident, which is currently being investigated by Bermuda Football Association (BFA) and Rangers management, stemmed from a penalty Allen awarded to Town late in the match that proved to be the game winner.

Because the incident is under investigation Allen has declined to comment on exactly what transpired after he blew the final whistle at Southampton Oval last Sunday.

However, he has vowed to continue standing in the middle to do what he simply enjoys doing whenever he’s not working or competing on the local road running scene.

“At the end of the day I have been doing it (officiating) for a long time and so one incident shouldn’t stop me,” he said. “I will take it in stride and I hope there’s a good end to this issue.”

The policeman started refereeing in his native Spanish Town, Jamaica, nearly ten years ago and since then he has gained the respect and admiration of players, coaches and fans alike both here and in the Caribbean.

“I think I do a relatively good job and that’s why I continue,” Allen said. “I definitely have a passion for doing this and things have been going on well.

“I keep getting good comments from the fans, coaches and players, so I am going to keep going.”

Allen started out playing football recreationally in Jamaica before eventually being persuaded by friends to make the transition from player to match official in 2003.

“A lot of my work colleagues were referees so they encouraged me to come along,” he said.

“Since then I have been developing further, so things have been going well.”